Leiko as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Leiko

What is the meaning of the name Leiko ?

The baby name Leiko is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced EN: LAY-ko (/ˈleɪkoʊ/); JP (romanized as Reiko): REI-ko (れいこ, [reiko]).

Leiko is Japanese in Origin.

Leiko is a Japanese feminine given name corresponding to Reiko (れいこ/レイコ), with the initial L reflecting an English spelling sometimes favored in the diaspora. It combines Rei with the suffix -ko, “child.” Rei may be written with several kanji - 玲 “tinkling of jade,” 礼 “courtesy,” 麗 “lovely/beautiful,” or 令 “auspicious/orderly” - so its sense ranges from “beautiful child” and “courteous child” to “child of ringing jade.”

Names ending in -ko surged in Japan from the Taishō through mid‑Shōwa eras (1910s–1960s), making Reiko a mid‑century classic. The Leiko spelling found use in Hawai‘i and North America, where it also echoes the word lei (garland), adding a warm association even though the etymology is Japanese. Today the name reads vintage‑elegant in Japan yet remains familiar across Japanese communities abroad. Common variants and short forms include Reiko (standard spelling), Rayko (rare transliteration), Rei/Lei, and kanji-based choices such as 玲子, 礼子, 麗子, and 令子.