# Akira (given name)

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 Narita (born 1945), Japanese manga artist
* 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 Konoe, an antagonist in Persona 5 Strikers
* 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
* 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