Language Japanese: Names And Words
Japanese names have some rather special features. A very brief explanation: Most Japanese given names are written in kanji, a script of Chinese origin where each single character stands for a whole word or concept. Most names have two kanji characters, some three, some only one.
If you see only the name written in kanji you do not yet know how it is pronounced because each kanji character has several possible pronounciations. The other way round is difficult as well: If you hear a name you cannot be sure how to write it in kanji. (Many names have several writings, with different meanings according to the actual kanji used.) To resolve such ambiguities the Japanese use Hiragana where the characters stand for syllables.
You can read more about Japanese baby names here. Other lists of Japanese given names are e.g. here and here.
If you see only "boxes" instead of Kanji and Hiragana characters in the name tables below the most likely reason is missing Unicode support in your browser and/or operating system. Some information about Unicode and how to add Unicode support can be found here.
In addition to the names, there are Japanese hitparades.
Name | Kanji | Hiragana | Meaning/Translation or Related Words |
---|---|---|---|
Ai | 愛 | あい | love, affection |
Aiko | 愛子 | あいこ | love child |
Aimi | 愛美 | あいみ | Words: love, affection / love, affection / beauty, beautiful |
Airi | 愛莉 | あいり | Words: love, affection / jasmine |
Airi | 愛理 | あいり | Words: love, affection / reason, logic |
Airi | 愛梨 | あいり | Words: love, affection / pear tree |
Akemi | 明美 | あけみ | bright and beautiful |
Akio | 昭夫 | あきお | maybe shining man |
Akira | 明 | あきら | bright, Light |
Akira | 明 | あきら | bright, light |
Amaya | 雨夜 | あまや | night rain |
An | 杏 | あん | apricot |
Anna | 杏那 | あな | Words: apricot / what |
Aoi | 葵 | あおい | hollyhock |
Aoi | 蒼 | あおい | blue |
Asahi | 朝陽 | あさひ | Words: morning, dynasty / sun, sunshine |
Ayaka | 彩花 | あやか | maybe colorful flower |
Ayami | 彩美 | あやみ | Words: color, coloring, paint / beauty, beautiful |
Ayano | 彩乃 | あやの | Words: color, coloring, paint / from |
Beniko | 紅子 | べにこ | Words: red, vermilion / child |
Chinatsu | 千夏 | ちなつ | Words: one thousand / summer |
Chiyo | 千代 | ちよ | 1000 generations, eternal |
Chiyoko | 千代子 | ちよこ | child of 1000 generations |
Daichi | 大地 | だいち | earth, vast land |
Daiki | 大輝 | だいき | large radiance |
Daiki | 大樹 | だいき | big tree |
Daisuke | 大輔 | だいすけ | big help |
Eita | 瑛太 | えいた | Words: crystal, luster / great, excellent, thick |
Emi | 愛美 | えみ | Words: love, affection / beauty, beautiful |
Emi | 恵美 | えみ | Words: blessing, kindness / beauty, beautiful |
Fumiko | 文子 | ふみこ | Words: writing, sentence, literature / child / letter |
Gou | 剛 | ごう | strong, tough |
Hana | 華 | はな | flower |
Haru | 悠 | はる | permanence |
Haruka | 遥 | はるか | far away |
Haruma | 悠真 | はるま | Words: permanence / true, reality, genuineness |
Haruna | 春菜 | はるな | Words: spring / vegetables |
Haruto | 陽斗 | はると | Words: sun, sunshine / sake dipper, Big Dipper |
Haruto | 陽翔 | はると | Words: sun, sunshine / soar, fly |
Haruto | 大翔 | はると | Words: big, great, large / soar, fly |
Haruto | 悠人 | はると | Words: permanence / person |
Haruto | 大翔 | はると | Words: big, great, large / soar, fly |
Hayato | 隼人 | はやと | Words: falcon / person |
Himari | 陽葵 | ひまり | Words: sun, sunshine / hollyhock |
Hina | 陽菜 | ひな | chick |
Hinata | 陽太 | ひなた | Words: sun, sunshine / great, excellent, thick |
Hinata | 陽向 | ひなた | Words: sun, sunshine / toward, direction |
Hiroki | 大樹 | ひろき | big tree |
Hiroko | 弘子 | ひろこ | maybe magnanimous child |
Hiroshi | 寛 | ひろし | generous |
Hiroto | 大翔 | ひろと | Words: big, great, large / soar, fly |
Hitomi | 瞳 | ひとみ | pupil of the eye, eye |
Hotaru | 螢 | ほたる | firefly |
Isamu | 勇 | いさむ | courage, bravery |
Itsuki | 樹 | いつき | tree |
Kaito | 海斗 | かいと | Words: sea / sake dipper, Big Dipper |
Kan | 寛 | かん | generous |
Kaori | 香 | かおり | fragrance, aroma, perfume |
Kasumi | 霞 | かすみ | mist, fog |
Katsumi | 克己 | かつみ | self-control |
Kazuki | 一樹 | かずき | 1 tree |
Kazuko | 和子 | かずこ | peace child |
Kazumi | 和美 | かずみ | harmony and beauty |
Kazuya | 和也 | かずや | Words: harmony, peace / be |
Keiko | 慶子 | けいこ | happy child |
Keisuke | 恵介 | けいすけ | Words: blessing, kindness / between |
Kenta | 健太 | けんた | Words: healthy, health / great, excellent, thick |
Kenzo | 健三 | けんぞう | Words: healthy, health / three |
Kiriko | 桐子 | きりこ | Words: paulownia / child |
Kiyoshi | 清 | きよし | clear, clean |
Koharu | 心春 | こはる | Words: heart, spirit, soul / spring |
Kotarou | 虎太郎 | こたろう | Words: tiger / great, excellent, thick / son, boy |
Kotone | 琴音 | ことね | Words: zither / tone, sound |
Kouhei | 康平 | こうへい | maybe calm peace |
Kumiko | 久美子 | くみこ | long time beautiful child |
Mai | 舞 | まい | dance |
Makoto | 誠 | まこと | sincerity, truth |
Makoto | 真 | まこと | sincerity, truth |
Mami | 真美 | まみ | true beauty |
Mana | 愛菜 | まな | Words: love, affection / vegetables |
Manabu | 学 | まなぶ | maybe studious |
Masahiro | 正博 | まさひろ | Words: correct, justice, righteous / Dr., gamble, wide |
Masao | 正男 | まさお | righteous man |
Masaru | 勝 | まさる | victory, win |
Mayumi | 真弓 | まゆみ | maybe true bow |
Megumi | 恵 | めぐみ | blessing, kindness |
Mei | 芽依 | めい | Words: bud, sprout / rely on |
Mei | 芽生 | めい | Words: bud, sprout / life |
Midori | 緑 | みどり | green |
Mina | 美菜 | みな | Words: beauty, beautiful / vegetables |
Minato | 湊 | みなと | port, harbor |
Minoru | 実 | みのる | fruit, seed |
Mio | 澪 | みお | Words: waterway |
Misaki | 美咲 | みさき | beautiful blossom |
Miu | 美羽 | みう | beautiful feather |
Miyu | 美優 | みゆ | Words: beauty, beautiful / excellent, superior |
Miyu | 心優 | みゆ | Words: heart, spirit, soul / excellent, superior |
Moe | 萌 | もえ | bud, sprout |
Momoko | 桃子 | ももこ | peach child |
Nanami | 七海 | ななみ | seven seas |