A popular choice right now in Japan, where it recently ranked in the Top 10.

Akane

Akemi

Aki is a simple international name from two wildly divergent cultures.

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.
 Anna is the Latin form of Hannah, a Hebrew name that derived from root chanan, meaning "grace." European Christians embraced the name for its associations with the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna — known in English as Saint Anne.
Anna has been used for generations throughout Europe, from Russia to Italy, Spain to The Netherlands. While Hannah and Anna are the most common forms of the name, variations including Annie, Annalise, Anya, Anika, Nancy, and Anais also rank in the US Top 1000.
 
Classic and simple, Anna would be an excellent choice for parents in search of a name that will bridge two different cultures, say Jewish and Italian.
 
In literature, Anna is associated with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The name was given some fresh life when it was used for the adorable younger sister voiced by Kristen Bell in the animated film Frozen. Three current bearers are actresses Anna Kendrick, Anna Friel, and Anna Paquin.
 
Anya takes it more into international territory, and Anja, even further. Read more about Anna and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Anna

A representative Japanese name with a meaning symbolizing ripeness.


Anzu

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

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".

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.
 In the entertainment industry, Aya has two international bearers: Aya Korem, an Israeli singer-songwriter, and Aya Liu, a Taiwanese actress. And actress Hilary Swank named her twin daughter Aya (and her son Ohm).
 
Aya is also a Danish name (a creative spelling of Aja) and is a highly popular choice there.
 In Arabic, Aya meaning "sign, evidence" or "verse" and is a popular name in the Muslim community.

Ayane

Ayumi

Ayaka

Chiaki

Chiharu

A popular Japanese name used for the young heroine of the animated film, "Spirited Away."

Chihiro

Chihaya

Short and sweet Eri is a common female name in Japan that could cross cultures quite easily.

This is a more spunky and Nordic looking variant of Erica, but the k also makes the connection to the beautiful flower less apparent.

Erika

An extremely common Japanese name, especially among women.

Haruka

Light, bright unisex name. Hikari is more popular for girls in Japan these days.

Hikari

Himawari is the Japanese word for sunflower and modern word name. The most famous bearer is Himawari Akaho, a silver-medal-winning basketball player from Japan. Himawari is more frequently used as a character name, as in Himawari Uzumaki from Naruto and the anime series Himawari!

Himawari

Hina

Haruki

Hinami

Honami

Honoka

Kana

Kanami

Kasuka

Kotoba

Kotoka

Kotomi

Kotone

Popular name in Japan in its own right, but also as a nickname for Miyako or Makiko.

Maki

Mana

Like many Japanese names, Manami has several possible meanings. This sea-themed one is very appealing.

Manami

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!

 The meaning of Mary is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Mari

As a highly popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> 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 <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/m">girl names starting with M</a>.
 This widespread name understandably has produced notable namesakes in almost every field – opera's Maria Callas (born Sophia Cecelia), tennis's Sharapova, education's Montessori, ad infinitum. And she's been celebrated in song as well, from Ave Maria to the eponymous song in West Side Story to "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" in The Sound of Music. 
While the usual English pronunciation these days is the same as it is in non-English-speaking countries – mah-REE-ah – the British used to pronounce it mah-RYE-ah, like Mariah Carey.

 Maria ultimately dervies from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).

Maria

Mio is a lovely Japanese <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a> 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.

Misaki

Mitsuba

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.

Nana

Natsuki

Natsumi

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.

Rika

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.

Rina

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!

Risa

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.

Sakura

Sayuri

Common Japanese name with a bright floral meaning.

Shizuka

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".

Sora

Saki

Satsuki 

Sayaka

Shiho

Shiori

Wakana

Very popular girls' name in Japan not quite as easy to transport westward as the also-popular Rin.

An appealing Asian name with a nickname feel. 

Yuki

This Japanese name is easily accessible to English speakers, and has a cool archery meaning. It first made the US charts in 1960, and was given to under 47 girls in 2022: still rare, but more popular than it's ever been before.

Yumi

An attractive, widely appealing, multicultural option. KPOP singer Yuna may be attracting some attention to her name.

Yuna

Most familiar to American ears as the Russian variation of George. Not recommended for a daughter.

Yuri

Yotsuba

Yukari

Yukiho

Yukika

Yukina

Yukino

Yurika

Yuzuha

Yuzuki

C.C.'s list "Beautiful Japanese girl names" of 72 great name ideas: Akane - Yuzuki!

Beautiful Japanese girl names

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.