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Home › Baby Names Directory › Hikaru

Hikaru

♂ Boy

Pronounced hee-KAH-roo /hiˈkɑː.ru/Medium

Meaning: A Japanese name commonly read as 'light; to shine; radiance,' though the exact meaning depends on the characters chosen, which we note honestly. Borne by the shining prince Hikaru Genji and by Star Trek's Hikaru Sulu.Low

In 30 seconds: A luminous Japanese name: Hikaru means 'light; radiance' (character-dependent) (said 'hee-KAH-roo').
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Origin MediumJapanese
MeaningA Japanese name commonly read as 'light; to shine; radiance,' though the exact meaning depends on the characters chosen, which we note honestly. Borne by the shining prince Hikaru Genji and by Star Trek's Hikaru Sulu.
U.S. rank (2022)#11374 ↗ Rising
2022 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2006
Total births (all-time)≈ 162

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200619922022

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Hikaru is a Japanese name often read as 'light; to shine,' with the precise sense set by its characters, which we note honestly. Literary (Hikaru Genji) and pop-cultural (Sulu), it reads radiant — rare in the U.S. (said 'hee-KAH-roo').

It appears only rarely in U.S. data, mostly in Japanese-heritage families. Extremely rare and meaning-rich.

Did you know? Hikaru is Japanese, commonly 'light; radiance,' though its meaning depends on the characters chosen, which we note — borne by the 'shining prince' Hikaru Genji and Star Trek's Sulu (said 'hee-KAH-roo').
Overall data confidence 46%
References — Hikaru — Japanese 'light; radiance'; character-dependent

Variations

HikariHikaruoHikaruu

Nicknames

HikaKaru

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Hikaru…

Hikari— a like Japanese 'light' name
Haru— a like Japanese boy's name
Akira— a like Japanese 'bright' name
Kaito— a like Japanese boy's name

Explore names like Hikaru

By themejapanesemeaningfullightcharacter-dependent
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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hikaru mean?

Hikaru is Japanese, commonly 'light; radiance,' though the exact meaning depends on the characters chosen, which we note.

How do you pronounce Hikaru?

It's said hee-KAH-roo /hiˈkɑː.ru/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Hikaru a boy or girl name?

Hikaru is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Hikaru?

Hikaru is a very rare name in the U.S.

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