Names from the Arts and Pop Culture
By Sophie Kihm · Updated September 2026
Across 14 pages
of 14
Invented name
"dragon"
The name Drasna was created for a Pokémon character. Her name was derived from the Latin botanical name dracaena , which in turn is from drakōn , the Greek word for "dragon." Fittingly, Drasna used…
Japanese
"reflective second son"
Also written as Eijirō or Eijirou, this name was traditionally borne by second-born sons.
Greek
"dive into, enter"
The name of a mythically handsome youth – loved by Selene, the moon, who bore him fifty daughters. If you're looking for a mythological name for your son, this might make an excellent choice both…
"demigod who I love; demigod who loves himself"
Gaara is a character in the Naruto universe given a one-of-a-kind name. The first two elements in his name mean "I love," while the final kanji is related to the Buddhist asuras , or demigods. The…
Akkadian from Sumerian
"the [kinsman] is a hero"
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an Akkadian poem from Mesopotamia and one of the oldest works of literature that survives today. It follows the story of Gilgamesh, a Sumerian king who journeys to find the…
"distant; spring flower"
An extremely common Japanese name, especially among women.
"spring-born boy"
A vintage choice in Japan that is not currently fashionable for babies.
"smooth; sound of the wind; hurricane; sudden sound"
Hayate is most common among Zillennial men in Japan, where it's also the name of a train service. The meaning varies depending on which kanji combination is used, but its association with wind and…
Japanese, meaning unknown
An antagonist in the Naruto series with a nevertheless attractive-sounding name.
"excellent brightness"
Common Japanese male name notably borne by Hideaki Anno, an animator, actor, and director.
Japanese word name
"sunflower"
Himawari is the Japanese word for sunflower and modern word name. The most famous bearer is Himawari Akaho, a silver-medal-winning basketball player from Japan. Himawari is more frequently used as a…
"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.
"pupil of the eye; beautiful history; noble beauty"
Common name in Japan primarily associated with Hitomi (Furuya), a mononymous Japanese singer.
Japanese surname
"thorn"
Typically seen as a Japanese surname, but used for a female antagonist in the anime series My Hero Academia .
"strawberry; one guardian"
Ichigo is a unisex — but primarily male — Japanese name. As a male name, it is typically written in kanji giving it the meaning "one guardian" (which can be interpreted to mean "best guardian"). As a…
"educated child"
Common in Japan among older generations of women, rather than baby girls.
Greek; Japanese
"mythological name; wild boar"
Ino was one of the Queens of Thebes who, after her death, became an immortal. Ino raised her nephew, Dionysus (son of Semele and Zeus), provoking the wrath of Hera. In desperation Ino threw herself…
"boar person"
This name was created for the character Inojin Yamanaka from Naruto . It is close in sound to the English girl names Imogen and Innogen.
"brave or gallant"
This charming Japanese name, with two meanings every little boy would love to have, was briefly in the Canadian Top 100 in the early 20th Century. There are many famous bearers of the name, such as…
"most beautiful; best flower; best fruit"
Relatively unusual as a given name in Japan. The character Itsuka Kendo from My Hero Academia writes her name in kanji that give it the rough meaning of "most beautiful."
