Mikao

Mikao is a masculine given name of Japanese origin. In Japanese, given names are typically written with kanji, and Mikao can be formed with various character combinations; the most famous bearer uses the kanji 甕男 for the given name. The name is relatively rare in modern Japan and is mostly encountered in historical contexts or among adherents of Reiki.

The best-known person named Mikao is Usui Mikao (臼井甕男, 1865–1926), the founder of Reiki, a spiritual energy-healing practice that originated in Japan in the early 20th century. Usui's system and teachings led to the worldwide spread of Reiki in contemporary times. He studied traditional Japanese spirituality, Buddhist precepts, and Western ideas before developing Reiki's symbols and methods, according to biographies.

Other individuals named Mikao are far less prominent in public records; as a personal name, Mikao has not gained widespread usage outside of historical or familial contexts. Like many Japanese given names, its meaning depends on the kanji chosen, and without a standard kanji, a universal meaning cannot be assigned.