Female Japanese Names

A sweet and simple Japanese name with several possible meanings, depending on the kanji characters used.

Cross-cultural winner.

Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.

A very popular girls' name in Japan whose sound is consistent with its meaning. Another possibility is Ren.

Most familiar to American ears as the Russian variation of George. Not recommended for a daughter.

A bright-sounding name with multicultural appeal, used regularly as a first name in Japan, Scandinavia, Latvia, and Spain.

In Japan, color names are used to symbolize human qualities, and the green hues of Midori name are said to represent fame. While it is a unisex choice in its native Japan, Midori is predominantly used on girls.

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 pan-European short form often used as a name in its own right, Rina is sister to names like Mina and Lena, popular at the end of the 19th century and showing their pretty if slight faces again. In the Netherlands, Rina itself is sometimes shortened to Rineke, as Tina may become Tineke.

One of the most easily imported Arabic names.

A popular Japanese name for both sexes that's migrated to the West because of its appearance in manga and video games and because of its international feel. It was a fast rising choice in 2024, when it entered the Top 1000.

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 sometimes answers if you call her name.

No - not a creative spelling of Katy. This name, which can be used for boys or girls, means maple tree. Kaede is unusual in Japan although it has been gaining more popularity after it has been used for several anime and manga characters.

Japanese classic with optimistic meaning.

Mio is a lovely Japanese name for girls that has migrated beyond its native country. One Berry reports several young girls named Mio in Australia, and the name has potential in the rest of the English-speaking world for parents who want to move beyond Mia and Maya.

A simple, importable Japanese name, that carries a multitude of meanings depending on which character is used to denote it. While most westerners pronounced it RY-o or REE-o, its real pronunciation is closer to REE-UH.

A funkier version of Coco that may be more appealing if you have Japanese or Native American heritage. Koko comes from the Blackfoot tribe, native to what is now Montana and Alberta, Canada.

Is it pronounced MEE-ah or MY-ah? Only the bearer knows for sure, which is one of the central problems with this hybrid name.

An appealing Asian name with a nickname feel.

Kiyomi is a Japanese name that means 'sacred and beautiful' or 'clean and beautiful.' It refers to a variety of citrus fruit and is gaining popularity for baby girls in the U.S., with just under 200 girls receiving the name in 2022. Kiyomi combines a meaningful and elegant definition with a unique cultural reference, making it a distinctive choice for parents.