Sekai

♂ Boy

Pronounced seh-KY /sɛˈkaɪ/High

Meaning: World; the Japanese word sekai used as a given nameMedium

In 30 seconds: A name meaning everything — literally: Sekai is Japanese for 'world', and in Zimbabwe's Shona it means 'laughter'. Globe and giggle in two syllables.

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Origin MediumJapanese, Shona

MeaningWorld; the Japanese word sekai used as a given name

U.S. rank (2024)#3311 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births36 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2023

Total births (all-time)≈ 227

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

History & Origin

Sekai is the Japanese word for 'world' — a Buddhist-rooted compound of 'generations' and 'boundaries' — occasionally used as a given name in Japan's word-name tradition. Separately, Shona-speaking Zimbabwe knows Sekai as a name from seka, 'to laugh', traditionally given more often to daughters; actress Sekai Abeni-era diaspora bearers carry both threads.

American use is very rare and draws on both heritages plus anime affection. Few names let a child carry the world and a laugh at once.

Did you know? Anime fans hear Sekai constantly — the word 'world' anchors countless Japanese titles and lyrics — which helped nudge it from vocabulary toward the name pool.

Overall data confidence 72%

Japanese and Shona dictionaries — sekai / seka — word meanings

Variations

SekaiyaSeka

Nicknames

KaiSek

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Sekai…

Kai— the sea-name sharing its ending and global ease

Jahan— the Persian 'world' — same meaning, different map

Sakai— shares Sekai's Japanese roots

Akai— shares the -ai ending

Amai— echoes that soft -ai sound

Browse the whole category: All Japanese names → · All Shona names → · All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Sekai mean?

Sekai is Japanese for 'world' and, as a Shona name from Zimbabwe, means 'laughter'.

How do you pronounce Sekai?

It's said seh-KY /sɛˈkaɪ/ — two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Sekai a boy or girl name?

Sekai is used for both sexes — traditionally feminine in Shona — and this page covers its use as a boy's name.

How popular is Sekai?

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