By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 6 pages
of 6
Japanese
"happy child"
Japanese classic with optimistic meaning.
"beautiful, or, cherry"
Mio is a lovely Japanese name for girls that has migrated beyond its native country. One Berry reports several young girls named Mio in Australia, and the name has potential in the rest of the…
"bright boy; man of autumn"
Akiro is well used in Japan, the first name of famed director Kurosawa. Also transliterated as Akirou, it can mean "bright boy" or "man of autumn", depending on which Kanji elements are used.
"lawful and just"
Popular Japanese name exemplified by the distinguished conductor Seiji Ozawa.
"flower child"
Hanako has a delicate sound and quaint meaning -- but there's a catch. According to widespread urban legend in Japan, Hanako is the name of the ghost of a little girl who haunts school bathrooms, who…
"aware of emptiness"
Goku is the name of the protagonist of the popular "Dragon Ball" manga series, which was turned into a live action film. The character of Goku is reportedly based on Sun Wukong, the hero of the…
"light or radiance"
A unisex Japanese name with a beautiful and radiant meaning, it is notably borne by chess prodigy Hikaru Nakamura, and is a central character in the manga series The Summer Hikaru Died .
"generous"
Several artistic Hiroshis make this one of the more plausible Japanese imports.
"reliable"
An appealing, usable Japanese choice, since there are so many familiar ori/ory-ending Western names.
"bluish"
A very popular girls' name in Japan with an unfortunate English pronunciation: picture a toddler with a hurt knee saying "owee."
"flower stem"
Attractive but slight Asian alternative, with a 1970s nickname feel.
"good, respectful"
A classic Japanese name known to kids around the world as a Nintendo video-game character.
Norse
"thunder"
Tora is the female version of Tor or Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn chose it for her daughter.
Japanese, Native American
"stork; night"
A funkier version of Coco that may be more appealing if you have Japanese or Native American heritage. Koko comes from the Blackfoot tribe, native to what is now Montana and Alberta, Canada.
"the righteous way"
One of the most familiar Japanese names thanks to the first commoner to become empress of Japan and to New York Times book empress Michiko Kakutani.
"present, now"
Frequently cited as an example of cruel baby naming, à la Ima Hogg.
"blessing"
An Asian name not widely known in the West.
"second son"
Also written as Jirō, this is a commonly used Japanese name, sometimes as a standalone and sometimes as a suffix. Often written to mean "second son", other kanji elements may be used to create the…
"first son; harmonious man"
A familiar choice in Japan, Kazuo is known more globally due to award winning writer, Kazuo Ishiguro, whose works include Never Let Me Go , The Remains of the Day , and Klara and the Sun . He won the…
Amé is a delicate feminine name with French origins, featuring an accent that indicates the specific pronunciation (ah-MAY). Without the accent, Ame derives from Latin 'amare' meaning 'to love,'…
