Beautiful Japanese girl names
By C.C.
Updated Mon May 22 2023
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Beautiful, elegant Japanese names with inspirational meanings for little ladies. Not only include the well-known Japanese names like Sakura(cherry blossom), Yuki(Snow), Nozomi(Hope) or Sayaka(Bright), but also include unfamiliar names such as Yotsuba(Clover leaves), Manami(Sea of love), Shiho(Poem sail), Natsuki(Summer tree), and so on.
- Anna
Origin:
Variation of Hannah, HebrewMeaning:
"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.
- Yuna
Origin:
Japanese, Breton, Korean, Chinese, DutchMeaning:
"superiority, gentleness, 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.
- Maria
Origin:
Hebrew or EgyptianMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
As a highly popular girls' name in all Spanish-speaking countries, this saintly Latin variation of Mary retains a timeless beauty. Through the centuries, Maria remains one of the most widely-used girl names starting with M.
- Aya
Origin:
Japanese, Hebrew, Danish, ArabicMeaning:
"colorful, design; honey buzzard, bird; rock, lull, happiness; sign, verse"Description:
Aya, barely more than a breath, is an international favorite, with origins in several languages and cultures. Popular throughout Europe, It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2012.
- Mari
Origin:
Welsh, Breton, Scandinavian, Hungarian, Estonian, and Basque variation of Maria or MaryMeaning:
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"Description:
Mari enjoyed some mid-century popularity as a nicknameish version of Mary, but now deserves a second look as a multicultural classic. Mari is the name of the Basque goddess of fertility and weather and is also, for unrelated reasons, popular in Norway. The biggest problem with the potentially-lovely Mari will be getting people to say it the way you want. While some Europeans pronounce it as Marie, that will only confuse things more. Better to make it its own individual name by pronouncing it MAH-ree. As one commenter pointed out, in Estonian the name is not a Mary variation but means "berry" – all the more reason for us to like it!
- Rio
Origin:
Spanish, Portuguese, JapaneseMeaning:
"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!
- Rika
Origin:
Japanese, or diminutive of names that end in -rikaMeaning:
"beautiful village; peaceful ruler; estate ruler"Description:
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 Rika originated as a nickname for names such as Fredrika and Henrika.
- Asa
Origin:
Hebrew, Japanese, or ScandinavianMeaning:
"healer; morning; of the gods"Description:
A male Biblical name meaning healer, Asa is also an international gem. In Japanese, it means "(born in the) morning". And in Scandinavia, where it's generally spelled Åsa or Ása and pronounced O-sa, it's a popular diminutive form of Old Norse names beginning with the element áss "god".
- Kana
Description:
Kana is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Japanese, Kana (かな) refers to the Japanese syllabic writing system and can mean 'powerful' or 'one who possesses capabilities.' In Hawaiian, it means 'goddess of the moon.' The name also appears in various other cultures: it has Sanskrit roots meaning 'youngest' and exists in Finnish as a variant of Kaarina. Kana's brevity and melodic quality make it appealing cross-culturally. The name has gained moderate international recognition while remaining distinctive. Its simplicity allows for easy pronunciation across languages, contributing to its global appeal. Kana embodies different virtues depending on the cultural context, from strength to celestial beauty.
- Sora
Origin:
Japanese or KoreanMeaning:
"sky; conch shell"Description:
A simple and pretty multicultural name: as a Japanese name, it's unisex and means "sky"; as a Korean name, it's feminine and means "conch shell".
- Erika
Origin:
Spelling variation of EricaDescription:
This is a more spunky and Nordic looking variant of Erica, but the k also makes the connection to the beautiful flower less apparent.
- Mai
Origin:
Japanese, French, Welsh, Vietnamese, NavajoMeaning:
"dance; May; cherry blossom; coyote"Description:
Cross-cultural winner.
- Nana
Origin:
Diminutive of Anna and Nancy; also HawaiianMeaning:
"spring"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.
- Yuri
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"lily"Description:
Most familiar to American ears as the Russian variation of George. Not recommended for a daughter.
- Risa
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"laughing"
- Rina
Origin:
Diminutive of Caterina or other names ending in -rinaDescription:
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.
- Chihiro
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"thousand questions"Description:
A popular Japanese name used for the young heroine of the animated film, "Spirited Away."
- Yuki
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"snow; happiness"Description:
Succinct and memorable, Yuki is a Japanese name, which may relate to winter or joy, depending on the kanji used. It is a unisex choice, notably borne by singer Yuki Kuramochi (stylized as YUKI).
- Eri
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"loving reason; blessing + reason; hometown blessing; picture + pear"Description:
Short and sweet Eri is a common female name in Japan that could cross cultures quite easily.
- Maki
Origin:
JapaneseMeaning:
"true, reality, hope"Description:
Popular name in Japan in its own right, but also as a nickname for Miyako or Makiko. It appears in the visual novel Danganrompa, borne by the character Maki Harukawa.