Rika is a Japanese given name, derived from the characters 李 (Ri) and 華 (Ka), which respectively mean 'plum' and 'flower'. This name is often used for females in Japan and has gained popularity worldwide due to its unique sound and meaning. Rika's pronunciation is typically /riːka/ in English, with a long 'i' sound similar to 'ree'. It's written with two syllables, reflecting the Japanese language's syllabic nature. The name Rika carries no specific religious or cultural associations beyond its Japanese origin, making it suitable for parents seeking a distinctive and meaningful name for their child without any particular connotations.
The name Rika experienced variable popularity over the years, with notable peaks and troughs. From its first recorded appearance in 1959 (6 births), it steadily gained traction, reaching a high of 34 births in 1991. However, it never maintained consistent popularity thereafter, fluctuating between lows of 5 births (2017, 2020) and recent averages around 7 births per year (2018-2019). Overall, there were a total of 555 births recorded with the name Rika from 1959 to 2023.