International Baby Names
Japanese Names
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of 8
Hanako
Japanese
"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…
Arisa
Japanese
Sweet Japanese name that would work well as an alternative to the now-dated Alyssa and Marissa.
Akio
Japanese
"bright man"
Japanese name common among older generations.
Hachi
Japanese
"bee; eight"
Gen
Japanese
"spring"
Commonly used in Japan, and so much more distinguished than Jen.
Anzu
Japanese
"apricot"
A representative Japanese name with a meaning symbolizing ripeness.
Hachiro
Japanese
"eighth son"
Typically spelled Hachirō, with a macron over the O. It was historically given to the eighth son in a family, although these days eight sons is a rare occurrence.
Emiko
Japanese
"smiling child; beautiful child"
A fresh and pretty Japanese name which would be an unusual route to the popular Emmy/Emi nickname. In Japanese, this name can be formed from a variety of different kanji combinations with different…
Chiyo
Japanese
"thousand generations"
The childhood name of the heroine of Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty and accessible. Chiyiko is a pet form.
Hanzo
Japanese
Heard most frequently in 18th century Japan, Hanzo is a rarity in modern culture. Hattori Hanzo was a legendary samurai of the Sengoku Era. A modern day namesake might be Hanzo Shimada, from the…
Aneko
Japanese
"older sister"
If you're planning to have a younger one.
Renji
Japanese
"second love"
Now that Kenji is rising up the ranks, it's only a matter of time before parents discover Renji. Renji Abarai is a character in the anime series Bleach , in which the kanji used for his name mean…
Aina
Scandinavian and Finnish variation of Aino, Catalan variation of Anna, Japanese, Latvian, Kazakh, Yoruba
"always; grace; lover of green; sight; mirror; delivery had complications [umbilical cord twisted around neck]"
A bright-sounding name with multicultural appeal, used regularly as a first name in Japan, Scandinavia, Latvia, and Spain. The Yoruba name Aina, pronounced ah-ee-NAH, is traditionally used for baby…
Azami
Japanese; Persian
"thistle flower; greatest"
Azami has a prickly image and feel — reinforced by the thistle's image in Eastern mythology as one of defiance. A name that spans two widely divergent cultures, Azami might make the perfect…
Ayumi
Japanese
"walking beauty; sweetfish"
Ayuka
Japanese
"sweetfish"
Ichiro
Japanese
"firstborn son"
Ichiro is a good classic choice for the first boy in a Japanese family.
Ayami
Japanese
"beautiful color"
Akito
Japanese
"bright person"
Akiko
Japanese
"bright child"
This popular Japanese name has many various meanings (bright, clear, autumn), depending on the combination of kanji used to spell it. The final element is the character ko, meaning "child", which…