top japanese girl names - japan 2020

top japanese girl names in japan for 2020, according to tamahiyo. ranked by reading/yomikata, not kanji
  1. Anna
    • Origin:

      Variation of Hannah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "grace"
    • Description:

      Anna has become the dominant form of the Ann family, offering a touch of the international to English speakers and a bit more style than the oversimplified Ann or Anne.
  2. Noa
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "motion; my love, affection"
    • Description:

      This Old Testament name has been one of the most popular girls names in Israel over the last decade and is also a favorite in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. First appearing in the US charts back in the 2010s, it now sits in the Top 300, and while it may feel like an attempt to make Noah unisex, it is in fact a separate, feminine name.
  3. Yuna
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese, Dutch
    • Meaning:

      "superiority, gentleness, or citrus fruit; lamb; willow, abundant, child, happy + to reach, to hold; jade + elegant, beautiful; June"
    • Description:

      An attractive, widely appealing, multicultural option, Yuna has its roots in Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese. KPOP singer Yuna may be attracting some attention to her name, as might influencer Yunabugs who shares her life with her eight dachshunds on Instagram. Also used in the game franchise Final Fantasy, it is a popular choice in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
  4. Sara
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      Sara, the streamlined form of Sarah, makes this ancient name feel more modern, but perhaps a bit lighter weight.
  5. Rio
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "river or place of the cherry blossoms"
    • Description:

      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 de Janeiro. A truly international name for a cosmopolitan baby!
  6. Sana
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "mountaintop, splendid, brilliant"
    • Description:

      One of the most easily imported Arabic names.
  7. Ema
    • Origin:

      Variation of Emma, German, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "universal; favor, benefit + flax"
    • Description:

      Streamlined and succinct, Ema is a multicultural choice with wide-reaching appeal and versatility.
  8. Rin
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Korean
    • Meaning:

      "dignified, severe; jade, clear"
    • Description:

      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 the Vocaloid Rin Kagamine.
  9. Hana
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Hawaiian, Maori, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "grace, work, glow, flower"
    • Description:

      Many things to many peoples: a flower name, also spelled Hanae, to the Japanese; a Czech and Polish short form of Johana; and an alternate form of the biblical name Hannah in the US. It also means "craft, work" in Hawaiian and "glow" in Maori.
  10. Mei
    • Origin:

      Chinese; Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful; plum"
    • Description:

      Homophonous with Mae and May, the beautiful (literally) Mei is poised to climb the charts. The hero of the 2022 Disney/Pixar film Turning Red is a Chinese-Canadian teen named Meilin "Mei" Lee, which may boost the name ever further.
  11. Akari
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "light; vermilion"
    • Description:

      Akari is a gender-neutral Japanese name used fairly evenly between the sexes in the US.
  12. Mio
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful, or, cherry"
    • Description:

      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.
  13. Aoi
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "bluish"
    • Description:

      A very popular girls' name in Japan with an unfortunate English pronunciation: picture a toddler with a hurt knee saying "owee."
  14. Hina
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "chick"
  15. Sakura
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "cherry blossom"
    • Description:

      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.
  16. Himari
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "sunflower; sunshine + hollyhock"
    • Description:

      A bright and pretty Japanese name, hugely popular in its native Japan.
  17. Nana
    • Origin:

      English, Greek, Hawaiian, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "grace; God is gracious; spring, beauty; vegetable, greens"
    • Description:

      To most English speakers, Nana is the dog in Peter Pan, the daughter played by Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love, and another name for Grandma, however, it is also a diminutive of Nancy and Anna (meaning "grace"), of Ioanna or Joanna (meaning "God is gracious"), and of a whole variety of similar sounding choices, such as Diana, Oriana, Fernanda, and Inanna.
  18. Riko
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "white jasmine or reason, logic"
    • Description:

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

      German
    • Meaning:

      "prosperity, riches"
    • Description:

      Medieval name that still hasn't crossed the ocean, known here primarily via actress/teacher Uta Hagen.
  20. Yua
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "to bind with affection"

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