Koi

♂ Boy

Pronounced KO-EE /koʊ.ˈi/Medium

Meaning: carp; (homophone) love, affectionMedium

In 30 seconds: Koi is a Japanese boy's name meaning 'carp', and as a homophone, 'love' or 'affection'. That double sense gives a very short name real depth.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumJapanese

Meaningcarp; (homophone) love, affection

U.S. rank (2025)#3061 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births40 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2022

Total births (all-time)≈ 813

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Koi comes from Japanese, where it names the carp, the colorful fish kept in ornamental ponds. As a homophone it also means love or affection, so the single syllable holds two meanings at once. Sources record no spelling variations, leaving the name clean and minimal.

The sound is soft and immediate, a single open syllable that is easy to say in any language. The carp and the love meanings together give Koi a gentle, layered quality despite its brevity.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Koi is 'romantic or passionate love, affection, to yearn for', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 70%

Behind the Name - Koi — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSVEtymology — Koi — meaning/etymology

Variations

—

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Koi…

Kai— A short, single-syllable name with a sound close to Koi's.

Ren— A brief Japanese name in the same minimal, one-syllable style.

Kaito— another Japanese name

Kanon— a fellow Japanese choice

Kion— shares Koi's Japanese roots

Explore names like Koi

By themejapanese

By meaningLove

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Koi mean?

Koi is usually explained as meaning 'romantic or passionate love, affection, to yearn for' and is most often linked with Japanese tradition.

How do you pronounce Koi?

It's commonly said KO-EE /koʊ.ˈi/.

Is Koi a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Koi is used as a boy name.

How popular is Koi?

In 2024, Koi ranked #2685 in the U.S. for boys, with 49 births recorded.