Kō

Kō is a Japanese given name of masculine or feminine usage. It originates as the romanization of the kanji character こう, and its meaning depends on the specific characters chosen by the parents. Common interpretations include 晃 (kō) meaning "bright, clear," and 滉 (kō) meaning "deep, wide." Many other kanji with the same reading are also possible.

Cultural Significance

As with many Japanese names, the choice of kanji is highly personal and often reflects parental hopes or virtues: brightness, clarity, or depth. The name Kō is ambiguous in isolation because multiple kanji share the pronunciation, giving it flexibility.

Related Names

Kō has direct variants such as Kou 2, and related names from other languages include Vietnamese Hạnh (对应 "virtuous, good"?) and Quang (明亮, 清晰). Other Japanese readings of the same kanji include Hikari (光, meaning "light"), Hikaru (光る, "to shine"), Yasu (安, meaning "peaceful"), and Yuki (幸, meaning "happiness"). While not formally related in etymology, these underscore how the same characters can be read differently.

• Meaning: Bright, clear, deep, wide (and other meanings depending on kanji)
• Origin: Japanese
• Type: Unisex given name
• Usage regions: Japan