Female Japanese Names

Rai

Japanese

"next child"

Distinctive and intriguing relative of Rae.

Rei

Japanese

"bell or beautiful"

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

Reiko

Japanese

"pretty child"

Dainty and doll-like.

Ren

Japanese

"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.

Riana

Contemporary American variation of Rhiannon

The original Rhiannon has more appeal.

Rika

Japanese, or diminutive of names that end in -rika

"beautiful village; peaceful ruler; estate ruler"

Rika is most common as a Japanese name, when it means "beautiful village" in one kanji combination. It is also seen as a nickname and given name in Scandinavia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, where…

Rikku

Japanese

"land, continent"

The Japanese Rikku is familiar in the west as the name of one of the lead characters of the "Final Fantasy" video game series. Voted "hottest character," the fictional Rikku is a thief with a good…

Riko

Japanese

"white jasmine or reason, logic"

Riko is a hugely popular name for baby girls in contemporary Japan, and one that easily translates to the West.

Rin

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…

Rina

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,…

Rio

Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese

"river or place of the cherry blossoms"

Rio is one of Japan's most popular girls' names, constantly sitting in that country's Top 10. Of course, Rio may also stem from the Portuguese and Spanish word for river, and the Brazilian city Rio…

Ruri

Japanese

"lapis lazuli"

Naming babies after precious gems as a protection against evil spirits is an ancient Japanese tradition.

Ruriko

Ruriko is a feminine Japanese name with rich cultural significance. Typically written in kanji characters, its meaning can vary depending on the specific characters used, but common interpretations…

Ryo

Japanese

"fact, reality, understand; distant; defy"

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…