Clear skies are ahead ¡ª at least, that¡¯s the trend suggested by the most popular baby names in Japan this year.

The 2025 rankings were announced Oct. 30 by , a parenting media outlet managed by Benesse Corporation. Among 83,839 boys and 82,172 girls born between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15, two single-kanji names took center stage: Ao (±Ì) kept its top spot for boys for a second year, and Sui (´ä) held the crown for girls for the first time since the media outlet began tracking naming trends in 2005.

This year¡¯s rankings showed that names associated with the sky and the color blue were popular for boys: Ao (±Ì) means deep blue or azure, while No. 4¡¯s Asahi (³¯ê–) means morning sun and sunrise. Haru (Çç), which suggests a clear sky, also climbed from the No. 18 spot last year to No. 8 this year.

Another popular pick across gender lines was the kanji ê–, which is tied to the sun, warmth and positivity. It appeared in both Asahi (³¯ê–) and Haruto (ê–Ïè), No. 3 for boys. For girls, Himari (ê–¿û) took the No. 2 spot, and Hina (ê–²Ë), which rose from No. 12 to the No. 5 this year. Both names are suggestive of sunlight and flowers.

The survey covered a growing trend of single kanji characters and shorter names. This possibly indicates a shift inspired by the guidelines in the Revised Family Register Act, which came into force on May 26 this year.

In the new law, the Japanese government aims to limit the use of ¡°kira kira names,¡± a category of creative baby names that often deviate from the standard reading or meaning of kanji. A shift toward single-kanji names may indicate that parents now prefer simpler and shorter names, but some popular kanji remain up for interpretation ¡ª?the most popular girl name, ´ä, can be read either as Sui or Midori.

Tamahiyo also recorded several popular gender-neutral names. Sena topped the ranking for the first time, and Aoi and Hinata came in second and third, both having remained in the top three since last year. These names were listed without assigned kanji, which often carry connotations of masculinity or femininity when used in names.

The popularity of baby names may be an indication of what parents wish for their babies. Back amid the COVID-19 pandemic, parents preferred names associated with peace and calmness, while this year saw more indications of brightness, warmth and clear skies.

However, the survey found that the top three key factors in choosing a baby¡¯s name remain constant. Parents say they carefully consider how the name sounds, the meaning of kanji and the number of strokes in the characters as contributing factors to their children¡¯s fortune in life.