Hanako

Japanese

"flower child"

Hanako Origin and Meaning

The name Hanako is a girl's name of Japanese origin meaning "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 sometimes answers if you call her name.

The so-called "Hanako of the Toilet" has been the subject of countless fictional adaptations since the rumor started to circulate in the 1950s. Hanako was once such a common name that it was used in the Japanese equivalent of "Jane Doe," but it's gotten much less popular as the legend of Hanako-san has spread.