Japanese Names that Start With N

  1. Nara
    • Origin:

      Japanese place name or Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "happy"
    • Description:

      Soft, simple, and far more unusual than Tara or Farrah. As a Japanese place name, it's been used occasionally as a surname and is beginning to be used as a first. Nara is also the name of a Hindu (male) God and the name means "man" in Hindi.
  2. Nori
    • Origin:

      Japanese, English short form or Eleanor, Leonora, Nora, Honora, or North, form of Nor or Nuri, Arabic, Turkish
    • Meaning:

      "ceremonial rites, doctrine, seaweed; unknown, honor, north; my light"
    • Description:

      Nori is one of those names with several origins that would have no trouble assimilating into a variety of cultures. It might also be associated with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi or with the nickname Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use for their daughter North.
  3. Nomi
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Scandinavian, and Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, pleasant, delightful "
    • Description:

      This adorable cross cultural name updates Naomi and offers an accessible Japanese option. The Scandis were the first to contract Naomi to Nomi, once again being ahead of the trend. Nomi strikes the right balance by being distinctive without seeming strange.
  4. Nori
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Norse
    • Meaning:

      "doctrine or seaweed; north or small person"
    • Description:

      Attractive, simple Japanese choice that, while not strictly unisex, could work even better for a girl, especially now that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use it as the nickname for their daughter North. Nori is also the name of an edible seaweed used in wrapping sushi.
  5. Naoko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "obedient child"
    • Description:

      Naoko is a common Japanese name with an admirable meaning, which, depending on how it's written, can translate to obedient, straight, honest, or green child. Naoko can also be spelled Nahoko.