Fumiko is a female Japanese given name. The name has two possible meanings depending on the characters used to write it.
The first meaning of Fumiko is "beautiful child." This interpretation uses the characters "fumi" which means "beautiful" and "ko" which means "child."
The second meaning of Fumiko is "fruitful, blessed child." In this case, the character "fu" is used instead of "fumi," which has the meaning of "abundant" or "fruitful." This interpretation also uses the characters "mi" and "ko" to represent "beautiful child."
The name Fumiko first gained popularity in Japan during the late Meiji period (1868-1912). It was often given to girls born into families of higher social standing. Today, Fumiko remains a popular name in Japan, although it is less common than it was in the past.
Overall, the name Fumiko has a rich history and meaning, reflecting the beauty and blessing that parents hoped for their daughters throughout different periods in Japanese culture.
Based on the statistics provided, the name Fumiko experienced fluctuations in popularity over time in the United States. The years with the highest number of births were 1915 and 1917, with 26 and 38 births respectively. This suggests that these years might have been peak times for the name's popularity.
However, there was a significant decrease in the number of babies named Fumiko from 1919 onwards. Between 1920 and 1936, the annual births ranged from a high of 60 to a low of 6, indicating that the name was losing its appeal over time.
After 1936, there is a gap in the statistics until 1974. During this period, it seems that Fumiko was not commonly chosen as a baby's name, as no births were recorded. However, there was a slight resurgence in the late 20th century, with five babies named Fumiko born in both 1974 and 1986.
In total, over the period covered by these statistics, there were 721 babies named Fumiko in the United States. This data provides insight into the changing trends of this particular name over time.