Haku
Meaning of Haku
Haku is a masculine given name of Japanese origin, derived from the on-yomi reading of the kanji 白, signifying “white” or “pure,” and phonetically rendered as /hɑːkuː/ in English. Its presence in U.S. Social Security Administration data is sporadic yet shows a modest upward trajectory—rising from 5 recorded newborns (rank 938) in 2022 to 11 (rank 913) in 2024—indicative of niche but growing adoption. In classical Japanese literature, Haku functions as an epithet for river deities, while in contemporary media it has been popularized by a transformative guardian figure in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. Such associations, combined with its concise phonological profile—comprising a voiceless glottal fricative, an open back unrounded vowel, and a voiceless velar stop—render Haku an analytically appealing choice for anglophone parents seeking cross-cultural resonance.
Pronunciation
Japanese
- Pronunced as HAH-koo (/hɑːkuː/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Haku
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