Japanese Names (with Meanings & Popularity)
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Zen
Japanese
"meditation"
A spiritual word name used by actor Zoe Saldana for her son as well as more recently Nick Cannon and Alyssa Scott for their late son. Zen has been trending in recent years along with other spiritual…
Ryo
Japanese
"fact, reality, understand; distant; defy"
A simple, importable Japanese name, that carries a multitude of meanings depending on which character is used to denote it. While most westerners pronounced it RY-o or REE-o, its real pronunciation…
Zen
Japanese, form of Buddhism
Parents searching for a simple, peaceful name may be attracted to this one.
Kyoto
Place-name
Kyoto is a Japanese city name not yet on the map for babies, but why not?
Aoi
Japanese
"bluish"
A very popular girls' name in Japan with an unfortunate English pronunciation: picture a toddler with a hurt knee saying "owee."
Hiro
Japanese
"broad, widespread"
Hiro is an apt name for a hero of the show Heroes -- and for our times. Widely used in Japan, sometimes also for girls. Hiroshi is a long form.
Rikku
Japanese
"land, continent"
The Japanese Rikku is familiar in the west as the name of one of the lead characters of the "Final Fantasy" video game series. Voted "hottest character," the fictional Rikku is a thief with a good…
Issey
Japanese
"first-born"
Japanese-born fashion designer Issey Miyake, known for his techno-clothes, could provide baby naming inspiration.
Kairi
Japanese
"sea"
Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts . Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of…
Goku
Japanese
"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…
Kazuo
Japanese
"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…
Chiyo
Japanese
"thousand generations"
The childhood name of the heroine of Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty and accessible. Chiyiko is a pet form.
Chihiro
Japanese
"thousand questions"
A popular Japanese name used for the young heroine of the animated film, "Spirited Away."
Hiroto
Japanese
"great flying"
A very popular Japanese boys' name whose characters refer to the constellation Ursa Major. Short form Hiro might work better in the West, as may another popular Japanese boys' name, Ren.
Yui
Japanese
"superior garment"
Very popular girls' name in Japan not quite as easy to transport westward as the also-popular Rin.
Obama
Luo; Japanese
"bending or leaning; little beach"
The surname of the 44th US President has been been adopted as a first, for girls as well as boys, by admiring parents around the world. And the O beginning even makes it fashionable. Though Barack…
Megumi
Japanese
"blessing"
An Asian name not widely known in the West.
Sakura
Japanese
"cherry blossom"
Lovely Japanese name that would certainly be appreciated in Europe and the U.S. It was rarely used in Japan until the 1990s, and draws its current popularity from the fact that it is deeply connected…
Hikaru
Japanese
"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 .
Mio
Japanese
"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…