Miki

♀ Girl

Pronounced MEE-kee /ˈmi.ki/Medium

Meaning: A Japanese given name, romanized here. Its meaning depends entirely on which characters are used to write it — readings such as 'beautiful' plus 'tree', or 'noble' plus 'chronicle', are all possible. We do not pin it to one meaning. It is also used as a short form of names like Michaela in the West.Low

In 30 seconds: Miki is a Japanese name whose meaning changes with the characters chosen — 'beautiful tree' is one of many readings (said 'MEE-kee').

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Origin MediumJapanese

MeaningA Japanese given name, romanized here. Its meaning depends entirely on which characters are used to write it — readings such as 'beautiful' plus 'tree', or 'noble' plus 'chronicle', are all possible. We do not pin it to one meaning. It is also used as a short form of names like Michaela in the West.

U.S. rank (2023)#10876 ↗ Rising

2023 U.S. births9 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1973

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,803

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

Miki is a Japanese given name, written here in romanized letters. Japanese names carry their meaning in their characters, so Miki can mean different things for different families — combinations pointing to 'beautiful', 'tree', 'noble' and more. Rather than pick one, we say honestly that the meaning is character-dependent. In the West it also turns up as a short form for Michaela (said 'MEE-kee').

It appears only rarely in the U.S. Rare here, long familiar in Japan.

Did you know? In Japanese, the sound of a name and its meaning are two separate choices: Miki can be written with characters for 'beautiful' and 'tree', or quite different ones. We say plainly that the meaning depends on the writing.

Overall data confidence 40%

References — Miki — Japanese given name; meaning character-dependent (romanized)

Variations

MikkiMikeyMiku

Nicknames

MikKiki

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Miki…

Mika— a like short Japanese-and-Western name

Emiko— a like Japanese girl's name

Yuki— shares the crisp two-beat shape

Sakura— a like Japanese classic

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Miki mean?

It depends on the Japanese characters chosen — readings can point to 'beautiful', 'tree', 'noble' and more. We do not pin it to one meaning.

How do you pronounce Miki?

It's said MEE-kee /ˈmi.ki/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Miki a boy or girl name?

Miki is used here as a girl's name; in Japan it can be given to boys too, depending on the characters.

How popular is Miki?

Miki is a rare name for girls in the U.S.