Japanese names
34 names from the Japanese naming tradition, each with its meaning, origin, pronunciation and how it is seen around the world.
- Aina (Japanese)GirlDepends on the kanji chosen; most often 愛菜, "love, affection" + "vegetables, greens".
- AmaterasuGirlFrom Japanese 天 (ama), "heaven, sky", and 照 (terasu), "to shine": the one whose light covers the sky.
- Ami (Japanese)GirlDepends on the kanji chosen; a common spelling, 亜美, pairs a character often used for its sound with one meaning…
- AnneiBoyBuilt from two Japanese characters, 安 (an) and 寧 (nei), that both carry much the same sense: calm, peace, tranquillity.
- Aya (Japanese)GirlJapanese name meaning "colour" or "design" (彩) or "damask" or "figured silk" (綾), depending on the kanji used.
- Dan (Japanese)BoyMost often written with the character for "warm," though other characters read the same way can stand behind it too.
- FūjinBoyFrom Japanese 風 (fū), "wind", and 神 (jin), "god, spirit": god of the wind.
- Hana (Japanese)GirlSignifies "flower", using kanji that directly represent the bloom. The name can be written with different character…
- Hina (Japanese)GirlDepends on the kanji chosen; usual spellings pair a character read "hi", for the sun, with 菜, "greens", though the name…
- InariUnisexUsually explained from Japanese 稲 (ina), "rice", and 荷 (ri), "to carry": carrying rice.
- IzanagiBoyLikely built on Japanese 誘う (izanau), "to invite, to draw in", with a male ending: roughly the male one who invites.
- IzanamiGirlLikely built on Japanese 誘う (izanau), "to invite, to draw in", with a female ending: roughly the female one who invites.
- JimmuBoyFrom Japanese elements meaning "god" and "martial, military", together read as "divine warrior".
- KannonGirlFrom Japanese 観音 (Kannon), "sound perceiver": the Japanese name for the bodhisattva of compassion, known as…
- Mayumi (Japanese)GirlDepends on the kanji. Most commonly composed of characters representing 'true' and 'bow', or 'reason' and 'beautiful'.
- Nana (Japanese)GirlOften written with kanji such as 菜 (na) for "vegetables, greens" or 奈 (na) for its phonetic value. Numerous other…
- Naomi (Japanese)UnisexFrom Japanese 直 (nao, "straight, honest") combined with 美 (mi, "beautiful") or 己 (mi, "self"); other kanji can spell…
- Noa (Japanese)GirlMost often written with 乃, an old possessive marker read 'no', and 愛, meaning love, read together as Noa.
- ŌkuninushiBoyFrom Japanese elements meaning "great", "land, country" and "master", read together as something like "ruler of the…
- RaidenBoyFrom Japanese elements for "thunder" and "lightning"; used as another name for the thunder god Raijin.
- RaijinBoyFrom Japanese elements for "thunder" and "god, spirit"; the proper name of the Shinto thunder deity, or deities.
- Reina (Japanese)GirlComposed of two elements: rei meaning 'wise' combined with na, a phonetic element; conveys wisdom and elegance.
- Rio (Japanese)UnisexIts sense depends entirely on the characters chosen; frequent pairings combine 莉 or 里 ("jasmine" or "village") with 央…
- RisaGirlDepends on the kanji; often combines 理 or 里 ("reason" or "village") with 沙 or 紗 ("sand" or "fine silk").
- RitsuUnisexFrom 律, most often read as "law", though rarer characters with the same sound are sometimes used instead.
- RokurōBoyFrom 六 ("six") and 郎 ("son"), a name traditionally kept for a family's sixth son.
- RumiGirlDepends on the kanji; usually combines 瑠 or 留 ("lapis lazuli" or "to stay") with 美 ("beautiful").
- RyōUnisexDepends on the kanji chosen; common ones include 亮 ("clear"), 涼 ("cool"), 遼 ("distant") and 諒 ("sincere…
- RyōichiBoyFrom 良 or 亮 ("good" or "clear") combined with 一 ("one"), often marking a family's first son.
- Sōma (Japanese)BoyA Japanese boy's name usually built from characters read sō, evoking a rushing gust of wind, and ma, "genuine, true"…
- SuijinBoyFrom Japanese elements for "water" and "god, spirit"; the general name for the Shinto deity, or deities, of water.
- SuizeiBoyFrom two Japanese characters that both mean "peaceful, calm".
- SusanooBoyProbably from Old Japanese elements meaning "to rage, be unruly" and "man": broadly "the untamed man".
- TsukuyomiBoyFrom Japanese words for "moon" and "reading" or "counting": broadly "moon counter", from tracking the months by the…