Kyouko

Kyouko is an alternate transcription of the Japanese female name Kyōko, which can be written with various kanji combinations, most commonly 京子 or 恭子. The root name Kyōko combines the element kyō meaning "capital city" as in 京, or kyō meaning "respectful, polite" as in 恭, with the element ko meaning "child". This final syllable is a common suffix in traditional Japanese female names. Other possible readings and meanings for the first syllable include 今日 (today), 杏 (apricot), 鏡 (mirror), and 響 (echo or influential). The name can also be written in hiragana or katakana.

Notable Bearers

Several notable Japanese women bear the name Kyouko or its standard form Kyōko. Kyoko Aizome (恭子) is an AV actress, singer, director, and writer. Kyoko Ariyoshi (京子) is a shōjo manga artist. Kyoko Chan Cox is the daughter of Yoko Ono and jazz musician Anthony Cox. Kyoko Fukada (恭子) is a renowned actress, model, and singer. In sports, Kyoko Hamaguchi (京子) is a bronze-medalist freestyle wrestler. Other bearers include actresses Kyōko Hasegawa (京子) and others. Many of these use the kanji 京 or 恭, reflecting the name's common forms.

Cultural Significance

The name closely relates to Japan's capital, formerly Kyoto (the "kyō" in the city name shares the first character 京 with one spelling of Kyouko), making the name evoke ideas of the capital. The respectful connotation of 恭 is also popular among parents. Variants include Kyoko and Kyōko, which are essentially the same root name.

• Meaning: "capital child" or "respectful child" (depending on kanji)
• Origin: Japanese
• Type: Feminine given name
• Usage regions: Japan