User-created list
By snarryvader81 · Updated May 2023
Across 13 pages
of 13
Japanese
"light; vermilion"
Akari is a gender-neutral Japanese name used fairly evenly between the sexes in the US. There are several well-known female singers and actors named Akira in Japan, and Akira Watanabe is a popular…
Japanese or Korean
"sky; conch shell"
A simple and pretty multicultural name: as a Japanese name, it's unisex and means "sky"; as a Korean name, it's feminine and means "conch shell".
"smell, fragrance"
Kaori is a Japanese girls' name once largely unknown but brought into the spotlight by celebrity couple Eniko and Kevin Hart, who gave it to their daughter in 2020. Kaori is easily translated in the…
"water lily, lotus"
In Japan the lotus is the Buddhist symbol of purity and perfection. In the US, Ren can also be short for Lauren or Renee, but it could be misspelt as the more popular Wren.
European diminutive of Catherine, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Japanese
"pure; joy, singing; melted; white jasmine"
One of those short, punchy names with its roots in a variety of different cultures and languages, Rina is sister to names like Mina, Mira, Lina, and Nina. Retro in feel, but never overused in the US,…
"small lily"
"young"
Taya has recently jumped into the mainstream name pool, perhaps because of kinship with Maya and Kaya. After five years outside the US Top 1000, it reentered in 2015. Taya Smith is an Australian…
Japanese place name or Celtic
"happy"
Soft, simple, and far more unusual than Tara or Farrah. As a Japanese place name, it's been used occasionally as a surname and is beginning to be used as a first. Nara is also the name of a Hindu…
Variation of Irina, Russian from Greek
"peace"
This form of Irina supersedes the original in its native country.
"beloved child"
Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.
"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…
"cherry blossom"
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…
Japanese, French, Welsh, Vietnamese, Navajo
"dance; May; cherry blossom; coyote"
Cross-cultural winner.
Japanese, Korean
"dignified, severe; jade, clear"
A very popular name for girls in Japan, though it is a unisex choice. It can mean "severe, cold", but also "dignified", "ethics" and "phosphorus", depending on the kanji used. It is notably used for…
Japanese, Finnish
"lover of jasmine; lover of pears; messenger, herald"
A multicultural choice with an airy feel, Airi is a Japanese name celebrating pears or jasmine and a Finnish name meaning "messenger", from the word airut . In Japanese, it is pronounced with three…
"chick"
Contemporary American variation of Rhiannon
The original Rhiannon has more appeal.
"sunflower; facing the sun"
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.
"bell or beautiful"
A sweet and simple Japanese name with several possible meanings, depending on the kanji characters used.
"snow; happiness"
Succinct and memorable, Yuki is a Japanese name, which may relate to winter or joy, depending on the kanji used. It is a unisex choice, notably borne by singer Yuki Kuramochi (stylized as YUKI).
