Michiko is a feminine given name of Japanese origin, composed of two kanji characters: "美" (mi) meaning "beautiful", and "智" (ko) meaning "wisdom". The name has been increasingly popular in Japan since the 20th century, often appearing among the top 10 names for girls. Michiko is also used as a surname, though less commonly. Notable individuals with this name include Michiko Toyama, a Japanese actress and singer, and Empress Michiko of Japan, born Michiko Shōda, who was the first commoner to marry into the imperial family.
The name Michiko experienced significant fluctuations in popularity throughout the years, with a total of 995 babies given this name across the specified period from 1912 to 2021. The highest number of births occurred in 1924 and 1967 with 38 and 13 births respectively, while the lowest numbers were seen in several years, including 1915, 1929, 1930, and others with only 5 or 6 births each. After peaking in popularity around the late 1920s to early 1930s, the name's usage declined steadily until reaching a low point in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with fewer than 10 Michikos born per year during those decades. There was a slight resurgence in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but the name has since seen decreasing usage once again, with only 5 or 6 births per year from 2012 to 2021.