Japan is known as “The Land of the Rising Sun” and is one of the fastest-growing Asian countries. In recent years, new anime and movie releases have made Japanese names more popular. These names commonly have ties to nature or references to family and loyalty, so you’ll want to choose the name that best embodies the values you like. While these names are often written with kanji characters, they also have western pronunciations and can be spelled using the Western alphabet.
If you’re looking for names that embody values that you enjoy, you may like the name Ai which means “love”. While it’s less common in the US, it’s one of the top names for girls in Japan. For boys, one of the most popular Japanese names is Osamu, which means “discipline and study”.
Several Japanese names also reference nature rather than values. Among these is Mitsuki, a girl’s name which means “beautiful moon”. A popular Japanese boy’s name with ties to nature is Ren, which means “lotus”. The lotus flower has great cultural significance for many Asian cultures, known as the flower of enlightenment. There are also lots of unisex names available, such as Sora, which means “sky”.
If you’re looking for a name to help your child embrace their Japanese roots, or you want them to grow up with a great appreciation for Japanese culture, you can take a look at our list of baby names for inspiration. These unique names are an easy way to help your child stand out while making sure they grow up with Japanese culture as a part of their identity.
Akemi
Meaning: Beautiful sunrise/dawn
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Akeno
Meaning: In the morning, bright shining field, beautiful sunrise/dawn
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Akihiko
Meaning: Bright boy
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Akihito
Meaning: Bright
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Akiko
Meaning: Iris, light and bright
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Anda
Meaning: Meet at the field
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Aneko
Meaning: Older sister
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Benjiro
Meaning: Peaceful, enjoy peace
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Bishamon
Meaning: The Japanese god of war
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Botan
Meaning: Long life
Origin: Japanese
Gender:
Chiko
Meaning: Arrow or pledge
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Chiyo
Meaning: Thousand years, eternal
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Chokichi
Meaning: Good fortune
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Dai
Meaning: Large, generation
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Danno
Meaning: Field gathering
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Eriko
Meaning: Child with a collar
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Hana
Meaning: Flower
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Hoshi
Meaning: Star
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Jiro
Meaning: Second son
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Joben
Meaning: Enjoy cleanness
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Jomei
Meaning: Spread light
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Juro
Meaning: Tenth son, best wishes, longevity
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kaemon
Meaning: Joyful, righthanded
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kameko
Meaning: Child of the tortoise
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Kami
Meaning: Lord
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Kane
Meaning: Putting together, money
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kano
Meaning: One’s masculine power, capability
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kaori
Meaning: Add a man’s strength
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kaya
Meaning: Adds a place of resting
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Keiji
Meaning: Governs with discretion
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Keitaro
Meaning: Blessed
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Ken
Meaning: Strong, physically healthy
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kenji
Meaning: Intelligent second son, strong and vigorous
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kenjiro
Meaning: Second son who sees with insight
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kentaro
Meaning: Sharp, big boy
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Kumiko
Meaning: Companion child, drawing together
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Kyoko
Meaning: Mirror
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Maeko
Meaning: Truth child
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Maemi
Meaning: Smile of truth
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Maiya
Meaning: Rice valley
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Makoto
Meaning: Good
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Manzo
Meaning: Ten thousand-fold-strong third son
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Mareo
Meaning: Rare, uncommon
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Mariko
Meaning: Ball, circle
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Matsuko
Meaning: Pine tree child
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Michie
Meaning: Gateway, gracefully drooping flower
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
Rai
Meaning: Trust, lightning, thunder
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Saniiro
Meaning: Praise, admirable
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Tadao
Meaning: Complacent, satisfied
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Usagi
Meaning: Rabbit
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Girl
