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The Meanings of Japanese Names
Most Japanese names are written in kanji, though some names are written in hiragana or katakana. Hiragana are mainly used for girl's name because of its soft impression. Since there are thousands of kanji to choose from, even the same name usually can be written in many different kanji combinations.
For example, "Keiko" is a common female name. "Ko" is often used for the end of female names, and it means "a child". However, there are more than 70 variations that exist to write the name "Keiko" in kanji. Depending which characters are used the meanings differ. Click here to see some of the common kanji combinations used for "Keiko". People often ask the meanings of Japanese names, but it is hard to tell the meaning of a name without knowing the kanji character(s) used to spell it.
To learn more about the Japanese names, click here. The "Kanji Names Project" site will also help you to understand the meanings of Japanese names with examples.
How to Name a Baby in Japanese
* From Image --- The image from nature, natural phenomenon, four seasons, color, arts, jewel and so on. One or two kanji characters (ocean, star, spring etc.) used in a name as key words.
* From Wish --- One or two kanji characters (courage, happiness, wisdom, success, beauty etc.) used in a name to wish for a baby.
* From Kanji Characters --- Choose the kanji character one likes or wishes to use, then create a name. There are some popular kanji characters for names. For example, "dai (big)" and "ta (great)" for boys, "mi (beauty)" and "yuu (gentle)" for girls. When the parents wish to name a child after their names or relative's, they use one of the kanji characters from that person's name instead of giving them the same name.
* From Sound --- This is a recent trend to name babies. Decide a name from sound, and then choose kanji characters for it.
* As In Memory --- Name after historical person, hero/heroine of a novel, celebrity etc.
* From Fortune Telling --- Some believe the number of strokes used in the first name and the last name must be compatible. There are various different styles of fortune telling for naming.
Typical Endings of Japanese Names
* Male Names --- ~aki, ~fumi, ~go, ~haru, ~hei, ~hiko, ~hisa, ~hide, ~hiro, ~ji, ~kazu, ~ki, ~ma, ~masa, ~michi, ~mitsu, ~nari, ~nobu, ~nori, ~o, ~rou, ~shi, ~shige, ~suke, ~ta, ~taka, ~to, ~toshi, ~tomo, ~ya, ~zou, etc.
* Female Names --- ~a, ~chi, ~e, ~ho, ~i, ~ka, ~ki, ~ko, ~mi, ~na, ~no, ~o, ~ri, ~sa, ~ya, ~yo, etc.
To Explore Japanese Baby Names
* Japanese Baby Names for Boys and Girls
* Japanorama: Japanese Names
* Baby Chatter: Boy Names, Girl Names
* Baby Names Around the World
* Behind the Name: Japanese Names
* Popular Japanese Baby Names
* Kira Kira Name (Japanese fonts required)
* Girl Names Dictionary Project (Japanese fonts required)
Trends in Japanese Baby Names
Click here to learn about the transitions in popular baby names and recent trends.
Your Name in Japanese
Try "Kanji for Tattoos" page to find out how to write your name in Japanese.
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