Anime Names

Michi can be a playful yet charming Japanese name or a friendly German diminutive of Michael (or Michaela), pronounced similarly to Mickey. Either way, it is a unisex option with broad appeal.

Sasuke Uchiha is a popular character from Naruto, a ninja rival of the titular character.

One of the many names with a strong "er" sound, like Bertram and Ernest, that was huge in the 1920s and is languishing in style limbo now. One famous bearer is the physicist Erwin Schrödinger, as in Schrödinger's cat.

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 to Japanese traditional culture without sounding frumpy and old-fashioned.

A vintage choice in Japan that is not currently fashionable for babies.

Kyōka Izumi was a 19th-century surrealist author. He was a man, but a female character in the anime series Bungo Stray Dogs was named after him in full.

Famously the name of Izuku Midoriya, the protagonist of the popular anime series My Hero Academia. It is not a common name among Japanese boys.

Japanese name featured regularly in anime and manga.

Japanese surname and given name, with multiple meanings dependent on kanji used.

A shimmering day name, with a bit of hippie residue.

Unisex Japanese name used primarily for girls.

Unisex Japanese name seen on a character in the Haikyū!! manga and anime series.

Long before the vogue of using Irish surnames for girls, writer Flannery O'Connor gave this one some visibility. It has a warm (flannelly) feel and the currently popular three-syllable ee-ending sound.

Class representative in the popular anime series My Hero Academia.

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 architect Isamu Noguchi and physicist Isamu Akasaki.

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

A vibrant Japanese name with an adventurous meaning, Yumiko is a popular name in Japan. It has a range of meanings, including "arrow child", "permeance and beauty child", and "evening beauty child".

Ochako Uraraka — also written as Ochaco — is a character in the anime series My Hero Academia.

Common choice for anime characters.

The Japanese equivalent of Violet, common among Millennial and Gen Z Japanese women.