「蒼くん」「陽葵ちゃん」が初トップ　今年生まれの赤ちゃん―明治安田生命

　明治安田生命保険が２６日発表した２０２０年生まれの赤ちゃんの名前調査によると、男の子は「蒼（あおい、そう、あお）」、女の子は「陽葵（ひまり、ひなた、ひな）」が１番人気となった。いずれも調査開始以来、初のトップ。
　男の子では「蒼空」「蒼太」も５０位以内にランクインしており、同社は「新型コロナウイルス禍の先行き不透明感を払拭（ふっしょく）するような開放感」が人気の理由と分析。女の子の「陽葵」も、「いつでも明るく前向きに」との願いが込められているとしている。
　男の子の２位には、７位から順位を上げた「樹（いつき、たつき）」と昨年首位の「蓮（れん）」。女の子は「凛（りん）」「詩（うた）」と続いた。「詩」は２０位から一気に上位に。また「結」のつく名前がトップテンに四つ入っており、コロナ禍で人との距離が生まれた中で「人との結びつき」を大切にする風潮がうかがえた。
　読み方では、「あおい」「ひなた」などと読む名前は男女ともに人気だった。同社は「固定概念にとらわれない自由な発想や行動が尊重され、男女で差のない名前は今後も増える」としている。
　調査は、同社の保険契約者の子や孫のうち、９月までに生まれた男の子９１７２人、女の子８８２５人を対象に集計した。（2020/11/26-10:08）

The most popular names given to babies born in Japan in 2020 were "Aoi," "So" and "Ao," all of which are written as a single kanji character for "blue," for boys, and "Himari," "Hinata" and "Hina," all written in the same combination of two characters for "sun" and "hollyhock," for girls, a life insurer survey showed Thursday.
   It was the first time for both names to take the top place since Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co. started the annual rankings in 1989. In 2019, the kanji for blue for boys ranked fourth, and the characters for sun and hollyhock for girls placed second.
   With other names for boys using the character for blue making the top 50 list this year, including "Sota," which combines the character for blue and a character meaning "tough," the company suggested that the kanji was popular because it has "an image of being free and open as if it can dispel uncertainties about the future that have been created by the novel coronavirus pandemic."
   The characters for girls were chosen apparently reflecting parents' wishes for their daughters to be "always cheerful and positive," Meiji Yasuda said.
   For boys, a kanji character meaning "tree," read as "Itsuki" or "Tatsuki," which came seventh last year, and a character meaning "lotus," pronounced "Ren," which ranked top in 2019, shared the second spot this year. For girls, "Rin," indicating "dignified," and "Uta," meaning "poem" or "song," both using a single kanji character, ranked second and third, respectively. Rin was most popular in 2019 while Uta jumped from last year's 20th place.