Ai is a Japanese given name read あい in this collection, recorded with 2 written forms: 愛, and 愛以. The characters of 愛 carry the component glosses listed below. They describe the written form rather than a fixed name meaning, because the same reading can be written many different ways. This collection labels it for girl use and notes it as unranked for popularity in this collection's sources.
Written-form notes and labels above come from this collection’s records. They are not a current usage survey or a guarantee of suitability.
Written forms
Kanji variations for Ai
愛
Dictionary record
Kanji component glosses
Name meaning not established from character glosses.
Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5102735. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.
愛
love, affection, favourite
JMnedict documents this spelling-reading pair. KANJIDIC2 supplies the component glosses; they do not prove a combined meaning, popularity, or current naming style.
愛以
Dictionary record
Kanji component glosses
Name meaning not established from character glosses.
Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5102819. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.
愛
love, affection, favourite
以
by means of, because, in view of, compared with
JMnedict documents this spelling-reading pair. KANJIDIC2 supplies the component glosses; they do not prove a combined meaning, popularity, or current naming style.
Full-name pairings
Surnames to pair with Ai
Reviewed pairings for Ai are not yet recorded, so the examples below use frequently requested surnames from this collection. Any given name can precede a Japanese family name.
Ai is recorded here as 愛 and 愛以, all read あい. Each spelling carries its own character meanings, shown on this page.
Is Ai a boy name or a girl name?
In this collection, Ai is recorded as a girl name. Japanese unisex names are common, so the same reading may appear in the other gender's registers with different spellings.
What does Ai mean?
The sound Ai does not have one fixed meaning. Written 愛, its characters carry the glosses 愛 (love, affection). These describe the written form, not a guaranteed name meaning.
Evidence trail
Sources
Kanji glosses help explain the written form. They are not a claim about the personality or destiny of a person who uses the name. The Jōyō Kanji reference is general character background; it does not verify every personal-name reading or establish popularity. Imported records cite their dictionary sources separately.