The childhood name of the heroine of Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty and accessible. Chiyiko is a pet form.

Attractive but slight Asian alternative, with a 1970s nickname feel.

Dainty and doll-like.

Sachiko was one of the first Japanese names familiar to Americans when it was used in the 1950s by actress Shirley Maclaine for her daughter, called the adorable short form Sachi. While Sachiko does not rank on the US Social Security baby names list, Sachi was given to 25 girls in the most recent year counted.

Not as familiar as some other Asian imports; has a strong unisex feel.

Tetsu is a female name with an unusually strong and powerful meaning. It sounds spunky and cute too.

If you're planning to have a younger one.

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 sense of humor.

A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara.

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.

Closely tied to the widow of John Lennon.