Sekai is a Shona name from Zimbabwe meaning laugh or be joyful.
Sekai is a name that arrives at the crossroads of two entirely distinct linguistic traditions and carries a profound meaning in each. In Japanese, 世界 (sekai) is the everyday word for 'the world' or 'the universe' — a word used in contexts ranging from geography to philosophy, from manga titles to political speeches.
As a given name in Japan, Sekai is uncommon but carries an expansive, almost cosmic aspiration: to name a child 'the world' is to suggest that she contains multitudes, that her existence is its own complete universe. Separately, in Shona — the Bantu language spoken by the majority of people in Zimbabwe — Sekai is a traditional given name meaning 'laughing one' or 'one who brings laughter,' used for children born during times of celebration or joy. The name gained wider visibility in Zimbabwe through Sekai Holland, the prominent activist and politician who co-chaired the Global Peace Foundation and spent decades advocating for democracy and human rights — a bearer who gave the name an association with courage and tenacity that transcends cultural borders.
In Western countries, Sekai remains rare and genuinely cosmopolitan: parents who choose it tend to be drawn to its cross-cultural resonance and the warmth of its Shona meaning. Whether heard as 'the world' or 'laughter,' Sekai is a name that opens outward rather than closing inward — a name that implies a life lived with generosity and scope.