Japanese Girl Names by ViVi

Kiaria is pretty but sure to prove confusing given all the more familiar Kiara and Keira variations out there.

Short and catchy form of traditional Asian name.

A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara.

Commonly used in Japanese families.

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

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.

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.

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.

Tazu has a certain snazzy appeal.

Simple, Zen-like name of a mythological forest elf.

An appealing, usable Japanese choice, since there are so many familiar ori/ory-ending Western names.