Maiko is a Japanese name that can mean child of dance depending on the kanji chosen, and is also known from apprentice geisha culture.
Maiko is a Japanese feminine given name written most commonly with the kanji 舞子, meaning "dancing child" or "child of dance" — 舞 (mai) being the classical form of Japanese dance, particularly the elegant, stylized movement of traditional performing arts, and 子 (ko) the ubiquitous feminine suffix meaning "child" that appears in countless Japanese women's names. The name carries immediate cultural weight in Japan because "maiko" is also the recognized term for an apprentice geisha in Kyoto, specifically in the Gion district — a young woman, typically between fifteen and twenty, training in the ancient arts of classical music, dance, conversation, and ceremony before becoming a fully-fledged geisha, or geiko. This dual identity as both a personal name and a professional designation gives Maiko a particular cultural richness.
The maiko of Kyoto are among Japan's most photographed cultural figures, their elaborate silk kimono, distinctive hairstyles adorned with seasonal kanzashi hair ornaments, and distinctive white makeup with red-accented lips having become iconic images of traditional Japanese aesthetics worldwide. For parents choosing the name Maiko, this association evokes grace, disciplined artistry, and the beauty of traditional culture — values deeply embedded in Japanese naming philosophy. As a given name, Maiko has been popular in Japan across much of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries and is borne by numerous notable Japanese women, including actresses, musicians, and athletes.
Outside Japan, the name has traveled with Japanese diaspora communities and appeals to parents outside Japanese heritage who are drawn to its clean sound and the clarity of its imagery. It is easily pronounced in most languages, falling naturally on non-Japanese tongues as "my-ko," which has aided its gentle cross-cultural migration.