Hikaru
/çi.ka.ɾɯ/noun
A Japanese given name, also corresponding to the Japanese verb meaning “to shine” or “to emit light.”
Did you know?Hikaru is commonly written 光, the Japanese character for “light,” giving the name a direct association with radiance, brilliance, and illumination.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Japonic
Proto-Japonic
*pɨkar-
“Reconstructed root associated with brightness or shining; the exact prehistoric form is uncertain.”
Old Japanese
Old Japanese
pikari
“A flash or gleam of light.”
Old Japanese
Old Japanese
pikaru
“To shine or give off light.”
Classical Japanese
Japanese
光る (hikaru)
“To shine, glitter, gleam, or appear brilliant.”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
ひかる / 光る (hikaru)
“To shine, radiate, glitter, or be brilliant; also used as a personal name.”