Akira (given name)

Akira

Gender	Unisex, but predominantly male
Language(s)	Japanese
Origin
Meaning	many meanings depending on the kanji used
Other names
See also	Akiko

Akira (あきら, アキラ) is a given name present in a few languages. It is a unisex Japanese given name that is predominantly used for males. There are several kanji for Akira.

Written forms

In Japanese there are many alternative ways to write the name Akira in kanji. This is not an exhaustive list. A popular kanji is 明 (the combination of the two different characters 日 = sun and 月 = moon) which means "the light coming from the sun", "sunlight and moonlight", "bright", "intelligent", "wisdom" or "truth". Though Akira is generally used to name males, sometimes it can be a female name as well.

• 明, "bright"
• 亮, "light"
• 昭, "shining"
• 光, "light"
• 昌, "prosper"
• 晃, "clear"
• 彰, "acknowledge"
• 朗; "clear/bright"
• 晶, "sparkle"
• 章, "chapter/section"
• 旭; "rising sun"
• 顕; "exposure/clarity"
• 彬, "refined/gentle"
• 明楽, "bright, ease"
• 秋良, "autumn, good"
• 了, "completion"
• 安喜良, "calm, joy, good"
• 亜紀良, "asia, chronicle, good"
• 日日日, "day, day, day"
• 彬良, "refined/gentle, good"
• 明良, "bright, good"
• 旦 "morning/dawn"

People with the name

• Akira Aizawa (相澤晃, born 1997), Japanese long-distance runner
• Akira Akao (赤尾 公, born 1988), Japanese footballer
• Akira Akatsuki (暁月 あきら, born 1977), Japanese manga artist
• Akira Amano (天野 明, born 1973), Japanese manga artist
• Akira Amari (甘利 明, born 1949), Japanese politician
• Akira Ando (安東 輝, born 1995), Japanese footballer
• Akira Aoyama (青山士, 1878–1963), Japanese civil engineer
• Akira Arimura (有村 章, 1923–2007), Japanese endocrinologist, biochemist, physiologist, and professor
• Akira Asada (浅田 彰, born 1957), Japanese art critic and curator
• Akira Asahara (浅原 晃), Japanese Magic: The Gathering player
• Akira Back (born 1974), Korean-American chef
• Akira Chen (born 1969), Taiwanese actor and film director
• Akira Chiba (born 1959), Japanese businessman
• Akira Corassani (born 1982), Iranian-Swedish mixed martial artist
• Akira Silvano Disaro (ディサロ 燦 シルヴァーノ, born 1996), Japanese footballer
• Akira Eguchi, Japanese pianist
• Akira Ejiri (江尻 亮, born 1943), Japanese baseball player
• Akira Emoto (柄本 明, born 1948), Japanese actor
• Akira Endo (遠藤 章, born 1933), Japanese biochemist
• Akira Endo (遠藤 明, 1938–2014), Japanese-American conductor and music educator
• Akira Eto (江藤 智, born 1970), Japanese baseball player
• Akira Fantini (ファンティーニ 燦, born 1998), Japanese football goalkeeper
• Akira Fitzgerald (フィッツジェラルド・アキラ, born 1987), Japanese football goalkeeper
• Akira Fujii (藤井 旭, 1941–2022), Japanese astrophotographer and astronomer
• Akira Fujishima (藤嶋 昭, born 1942), Japanese chemist and university president
• Akira Fujita (藤田 明, 1908–2001), Japanese water polo player
• Akira Fujiwara (藤原 彰, 1922–2003), Japanese historian
• Akira Furuya (古谷 彰), Japanese anime art director
• Akira Fuse (布施 明, born 1947), Japanese singer and actor
• Akira Gomi (五味 彬, born 1953), Japanese photographer
• Akira Gunji (郡司 彰, born 1949), Japanese politician
• Akira Hagiwara (萩原 光, 1956–1986), Japanese racing driver
• Akira Hamashita (浜下瑛, born 1995), Japanese footballer
• Akira Haraguchi (原口 證, born 1946), Japanese mental health counsellor
• Akira Hasegawa (長谷川晃, born 1934), Japanese physicist and engineer
• Akira Hatano (秦野 章, 1911–2002), Japanese politician
• Akira Hayami (速水融, 1929–2019), Japanese historian and professor
• Hayashi Akira (林 韑, 1800–1859), Japanese scholar and diplomat
• Akira Hayashi (林 享, born 1974), Japanese swimmer
• Akira Higashi (東 輝, born 1972), Japanese ski jumper
• Akira Himekawa, pen name used by a Japanese duo of manga artists
• Akira Hiramoto (平本 アキラ, born 1976), Japanese manga artist
• Akira Hirose, Japanese engineer
• Akira Hokuto (佐々木 久子, born 1967), Japanese wrestler
• Akira Hori (堀晃, born 1944), Japanese science fiction writer
• Akira Hosomi (1943–2018), Japanese chemist
• Akira Hyodo (兵頭彰, born 1995), Japanese wrestler
• Akira Ibayashi (井林 章, born 1990), Japanese footballer
• Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭, 1914–2006), Japanese composer of classical music and film scores
• Akira Iida (飯田 章, born 1969), Japanese racing driver
• Akira Inaba (稲葉 陽, born 1988), Japanese shogi player
• Akira Inoue (disambiguation), multiple people
• Akira Ioane (born 1995), New Zealand rugby player
• Akira Iriye (born 1934), historian of American diplomatic history
• Akira Ishibashi (石橋 顕, born 1973), Japanese sailor
• Akira Ishida (石田 彰, born 1967), Japanese voice actor
• Akira Ishimaru (アキラ 石丸, born 1928), Japanese-American engineer and academic
• Akira Isogawa (五十川 明, born 1964), fashion designer
• Akira Ito (field hockey) (伊藤 亮, born 1981), hockey player
• Akira Itō (manga artist) (伊藤 彰), Japanese manga artist
• Akira Jimbo (神保 彰, born 1959), Japanese jazz fusion drummer
• Akira Kaji (加地 亮, born 1980), Japanese football player
• Akira Kamiya (神谷 明, born 1946), Japanese voice actor
• Akira Kanbe (かんべ あきら), Japanese manga artist
• Akira Kawashima (川島 明, born 1979), Japanese comedian, television personality and actor
• Akira Kobayashi (小林 旭, born 1938), Japanese actor and singer
• Akira Kodama (小玉 晃, born 1944), Japanese basketball player
• Akira Komoto (小本 章, born 1935), Japanese artist
• Akira Kurosawa (黒澤 明, 1910–1998), Japanese film director, producer, and screenwriter
• Akira Machida (町田 顯, 1936–2015), head of the Japanese Supreme Court
• Akira Maeda (前田 日明, born 1959), wrestler
• Akira Masuda (増田 章, born 1962), Japanese karate practitioner
• Akira Mitake (見岳 章, born 1956), Japanese composer
• Akira Mikazuki (三ヶ月 章, 1921–2010), Japanese scholar and politician
• Akira Morishita (森下 晃, born 2001), Filipino-Japanese actor and singer
• Akira Mutō (武藤 章, 1892–1948), general in the Imperial Japanese Army
• Akira Nakaura (中浦 章, born 1935), Japanese sport wrestler
• Akira Narahashi (名良橋 晃, born 1971), Japanese football defender
• Akira Nishio (西尾 明, born 1979), Japanese shogi player
• Akira Nogami (野上 彰, born 1968), Japanese professional wrestler
• Akira Raijin (雷陣 明) or Akira Kawabata (川畑 顕) (born 1978), Japanese professional wrestler
• Akira Sakata (坂田 明, born 1945), Japanese free jazz saxophonist
• Akira Sasaki (佐々木 明, born 1981), Japanese alpine skier
• Akira Sasanuma (笹沼 尭羅, born 1973), Japanese voice actor
• Akira Satō (photographer) (佐藤 明, 1930–2002), Japanese photographer
• Akira Satō (ski jumper) (佐藤 晃, born 1964), Japanese ski jumper
• Akira Schmid (born 2000), Swiss ice hockey player
• Akira Sekine (関根 明良), Japanese voice actress
• Akira Senju (千住 明, born 1960), Japanese composer
• Akira Shima (島 朗, born 1963), Japanese shogi player
• Akira Shoji (小路 晃, born 1974), Japanese professional mixed martial artist
• Akira Suzuki (disambiguation), multiple people
• Akira Takabe (高部 聖, born 1982), Japanese footballer
• Akira Takarada (宝田 明, born 1934–2022), Japanese actor
• Akira Takasaki (高崎 晃, born 1961), heavy metal guitarist
• Akira Takayasu (髙安 晃, born 1990), Japanese sumo wrestler
• Akira Takeuchi (disambiguation), multiple people
• Akira Tamura (田村 明, 1926–2010), Japanese city planner
• Akira Taue (田上 明, born 1961), Japanese professional wrestler
• Akira Terao (寺尾 聰, born 1947), entertainer
• Akira Tomii (富井 周, 1890–1959), Japanese diplomat
• Akira Toriyama (ophthalmologist) (鳥山 晃, 1898–1994), Japanese ophthalmologist and photographer
• Akira Toriyama (鳥山 明, 1955–2024), Japanese manga artist and character designer
• Akira Tozawa (戸澤 陽, born 1985), Japanese professional wrestler
• Akira Watanabe (disambiguation), multiple people
• Akira Yaegashi (八重樫 東, born 1983), Japanese professional boxer
• Akira Yamada (山田 晶, 1922–2008), Japanese philosopher
• Akira Yamagishi (山岸 章, 1929–2016), Japanese trade unionist
• Akira Yamaguchi (山口 晃, born 1969), Japanese artist
• Akira Yamamoto (山本 旭, 1913–1944), Japanese World War II flying ace
• Akira Yamaoka (山岡 晃, born 1968), Japanese composer and music producer
• Akira Yanase (柳瀬 彰良, born 1988), Japanese water polo player
• Akira Yoshida (吉田 明, born 1971), Japanese rugby union player
• Akira Yoshino (吉野 彰, born 1948), Japanese chemist
• Akira Yoshizawa (吉澤 章, 1911–2005), Japanese origamist

Fictional characters

• Akira (Akira), the title character of Akira
• Akira, a character in the video game Shin Megami Tensei IV
• Akira (The Simpsons), a character in The Simpsons media
• Akira, a character in the anime and manga Samurai Deeper Kyo
• Akira, a character in the manga Dengeki Daisy
• Akira, the main protagonist in the BL visual novel Togainu no Chi
• Akira Agarkar Yamada, a character in Tsuritama media
• Akira Akao, a character in the manga Sakamoto Days
• Akira Akebono, a character in the anime Daigunder
• Akira Asai, a character from Call of the Night
• Akira Asaba (麻羽 央), a character in Magical Trans!
• Akira (Blue Mask), a character in Hikari Sentai Maskman
• Akira Fudo, the main character in Devilman
• Akira Fujiwara, a character in Ojamajo Doremi
• Akira Hayama, a character in the manga Shokugeki no Soma
• Akira Himi (aka Aqua Current), a character in the light novel Accel World
• Akira Hojo, a character in Sanctuary
• Akira Howard, the twin of the main protagonist in Astral Chain
• Akira Inugami (aka Wolf), a character in the manga Wolf Guy
• Akira Kaburagi Regendorf, the protagonist in the Dance in the Vampire Bund manga and its anime adaption
• Akira Kazama, a character in Rival Schools media
• Akira Kenjou (剣城 あきら), a character in the anime series Kirakira PreCure a la Mode
• Akira Kogami, a character in Lucky Star franchise
• Akira Kogane, a character in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, also known as Beast King GoLion (given name changed to 'Keith' for the US adaptations)
• Akira Kunimi (国見 英), a character from Haikyu!! with the position of wing spiker for Aoba Johsai High
• Akira Kurusu, the protagonist's name in the manga adaptation of Persona 5
• Akira Kusano, a character in Nobuta wo Produce media
• Akira Mado, a supporting character in the manga series Tokyo Ghoul
• Akira Midousuji (御堂筋 翔 Midōsuji Akira), a character in the manga and anime Yowamushi Pedal
• Akira Mimasaka, a character in Boys Over Flowers media
• Akira Momoi, a character in Denshi Sentai Denziman
• Akira Nijigaoka, a character in Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure
• Akira Nijino, a character from Ressha Sentai ToQger
• Akira Nishikiyama, an antagonist from the game series Yakuza
• Akira Okochi, a character in Negima!: Magister Negi Magi media
• Akira Okuzaki, a character in My-HiME media
• Akira Otoishi, a minor antagonist in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
• Akira Rai, a character in Jab Tak Hai Jaan
• Akira Renbokoji, a character in the anime Kakumeiki Valvrave
• Akira Satou, a character in Katawa Shoujo
• Akira Sendoh, a character in the manga Slam Dunk
• Akira Sengoku, the main character in the manga Eden no Ori
• Akira Shimotsuki, a supporting character in the manga series, Watashi ni xx Shinasai
• Akira Sohma, a character in Fruits Basket
• Akira Tachibana (橘 あきら), a protagonist in the manga After the Rain (manga)
• Akira Tadokoro, one of the eight main protagonists of Live A Live
• Akira Takano, a character in School Rumble media
• Akira Takaoka, an antagonist in Assassination Classroom
• Akira Takizawa, a character in the anime Eden of the East
• Akira Toudou, a character in the Special A
• Akira Toudou, a character from the manga series World's End Harem
• Akira Toya, a character in Hikaru no Go media
• Akira Udō, a character in Air Gear media
• Akira Yamabuki (Yamatoga in the English dub), a character from the anime series Beyblade Burst
• Akira Yuki, a character in the Virtua Fighter universe
• Akira Yukishiro, a character in the Revue Starlight franchise

See also

• Akira (disambiguation)