Japanese Word Names

Word names are all the rage these days. But if you don't want your kid to be one of the many nouns in his/her classroom but like the meanings, looking to words in other languages might help. An exotic language such as Japanese can provide many alternatives to virtue and word names but mean the same thing. They also have the added value of Kanji script.
  1. Amari
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, Sanskrit, Latin, Yoruba
    • Meaning:

      "eternal, goddess, loved, strength"
    • Description:

      Amari is a name that's rising in popularity in the US for both boys and girls. Last year, about 1000 baby girls and 2000 baby boys were named Amari in the US, making it one of the Top 20 gender neutral names.
  2. Tori
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Victoria, English, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "victory; bird"
    • Description:

      A more modern nickname for Victoria than Vicky, Tori is used fairly frequently on its own, kept in the public eye by singer Tori Amos and actress Tori Spelling. Still, it's far from fashionable, sinking in the polls significantly since reaching a peak of Number 142 in 1994. It dropped out of the US popularity charts in 2021, and even earlier in the UK, perhaps owing to the sound-alike political party nickname.
  3. 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.
  4. Ami
    • Origin:

      Japanese, Sanskrit, or variation of Amy
    • Meaning:

      "second beauty; second ocean; second truth; nectar; beloved"
    • Description:

      A multicultural unisex choice that peaked for girls at the same time as Amy. Ami is also the French word for "friend."
  5. 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.
  6. Midori
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "green; beautiful bird"
    • Description:

      In Japan, color names are used to symbolize human qualities, and the green hues of Midori name are said to represent fame. While it is a unisex choice in its native Japan, Midori is predominantly used on girls.
  7. Tora
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "thunder"
    • Description:

      Tora is the female version of Tor or Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn chose it for her daughter.
  8. Kirei
    • Nene
      • Natsu
        • Haru
          • Sutekina
            • Kawaii
              • Kintama
                • Hito
                  • Hitori
                    • Murasaki
                      • Keitai
                        • Kiiro
                          • Kuro

                            Introducing the Nameberry App

                            Nameberry App
                            Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
                            • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
                            • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
                            • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
                            • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
                            • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
                            Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
                            Nameberry App Logo