Anime Girl Names

This Japanese color name is not bestowed upon baby girls, but it's been used for many fictional characters.

Anabel is the sleekest version of this lovely name with so many variations, all of them correct. But Anabel and all her sisters -- Annabel, Annabelle, Anabella etc. -- took a downward turn after the 2014 horror film Annabelle.

A very popular girls' name in Japan with an unfortunate English pronunciation: picture a toddler with a hurt knee saying "owee."

Strong Japanese unisex choice. Dragons are a symbol of power in Japan.

This female form of Tristan was featured on the reality-television show The Bachelorette, and has been rocketing up the charts as a new millennium Trisha.

Unisex Japanese name used primarily for girls.

Temari is the name of an ancient Japanese toy — embroidered balls that were used to play games and eventually became a symbol of loyal friendship. Temari is not a given name in Japan, but it was used in the Naruto series for a female character.

Sarada is the Japanese word for "salad," and thus, is not a given name in Japan. It was used for the Naruto character Sarada Uchiha. According to Tumblr user @ruineko, "When you say her full name, you get something that sounds like sarada-yu. Sarada-yu means cooking oil, oil is used to light a flame...she is the oil that will start the flame of the Uchiha."

Hanabi is the Japanese word for fireworks and is rarely given as a name to babies. The most famous Hanabi is Koko the Gorilla — "birth" name Hanabi-ko, or "fireworks child." Koko, known for her use of "Gorilla Sign Language," was born at the San Francisco Zoo on the 4th of July, hence the meaning of her name.

Depending on the kanji used, this sweet name can have links to the number three, making it perfect for a third child.

Very popular girls' name in Japan not quite as easy to transport westward as the also-popular Rin.

Pronunciation would not be obvious to Americans.

Akari is a gender-neutral Japanese name used fairly evenly between the sexes in the US.

Typically seen as a Japanese surname, but used for a female antagonist in the anime series My Hero Academia.

The name Kyubey was created for the primary villain of the anime series Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. It was derived from the word "incubator," which relates to the character's lack of a personal soul and desire to gain energy from girls. Kyubey is sonically resonant to kyuubi, mythical nine-tailed Japanese foxes.

Sachiko was one of the first Japanese names familiar to Americans when it was used in the 1950s by actress Shirley Maclaine for her daughter, called the adorable short form Sachi. While Sachiko does not rank on the US Social Security baby names list, Sachi was given to 25 girls in the most recent year counted.

Popular name in Japan in its own right, but also as a nickname for Miyako or Makiko.

Common name in Japan primarily associated with Hitomi (Furuya), a mononymous Japanese singer.

Hinata is a unisex Japanese name and surname but is primarily seen as a given name among women. It has many possible meanings, most of which have something to do with the sun.

Featured in several anime series.