A Japanese name often formed with mei and ko elements, commonly interpreted through meanings like brightness or sprout plus child.
Meiko is a Japanese feminine given name composed of two elements, with the most common rendering combining 'mei' (明 or 芽, meaning 'bright light' or 'bud, sprout') with 'ko' (子, meaning 'child'). The suffix -ko was for much of the twentieth century the dominant marker of femininity in Japanese names, appearing in such classics as Keiko, Hanako, and Sachiko. Its use signals a traditional sensibility — parents who chose -ko names were often invoking stability, elegance, and continuity with Japanese naming convention.
Meiko, in particular, carries a sense of gentle radiance: the bright or budding child. The name gained international recognition through Meiko Kaji, the iconic Japanese actress and singer whose smoky alto voice anchored the theme songs of the 1970s cult films 'Lady Snowblood' and the 'Female Prisoner Scorpion' series. Her song 'Urami Bushi' was later sampled by Quentin Tarantino in 'Kill Bill,' introducing Meiko Kaji's name and sound to a generation of Western cinephiles.
The name also belongs to Meiko, a popular Vocaloid voice synthesizer character released by Crypton Future Media in 2004 — one of the first Vocaloids, predating Hatsune Miku, and beloved in Japanese digital music culture. In the late twentieth century, the -ko suffix fell somewhat out of fashion in Japan as parents gravitated toward shorter, more contemporary-sounding names. Yet Meiko has retained warmth and recognition both domestically and in the diaspora. Outside Japan, it appeals for its brevity, its soft musicality, and the richness of cultural reference it carries — a name that feels both delicate and distinctly its own.