Aiko

Aiko is a Japanese name whose meaning depends on the characters chosen to write it. One familiar form, 愛子, combines love or affection with child, giving the interpretation beloved child. Other character combinations can have the same reading, so that meaning should not be assumed for every person named Aiko.

The English-letter spelling preserves the sound without showing the original characters. For a family choosing Aiko within Japanese naming traditions, the written form is therefore an important part of the decision. The ko ending belongs to a long-established pattern in Japanese girls' names, while the first character provides the particular meaning a family wants to carry forward.