You might choose a Japanese name for your baby to reflect the child's heritage or because you like the sound of the name or its meaning. For example, a name that means sun can reflect your hopes for a cheerful and spirited child, or you may choose one that means beautiful, wise, or strong. Japanese names are noted with kanji characters, which often can be read in several different ways. In addition, since there are thousands of kanji to choose from, even the same name can usually be written using many different kanji combinations (some have more than 50 combinations). The kanji character for the zodiac animal for the year may also be used in boy names, but less often for girls. There is also a trend to use only one kanji character for girls' names, especially when choosing names that are associated with a plant or nature. You might also want to check out popular Chinese baby names. Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin Popular Japanese Baby Names for GirlsWhen looking for a name for your baby girl, consider these that have been popular recently or throughout the past few decades. Ai
Fun Fact: Besides love, Ai can be associated with the kanji for indigo. Airi
Fun Fact: Airi was both the sixth and the 13th most common name for girls in Japan in 2013. The variation using the symbol for "ri" that means white jasmine was more popular than the variation using the symbol of "ri" meaning pear. Akari
Akemi
Anzu
Aoi
Fun Fact: Besides meaning a plant, aoi can also mean a blue color, represented by different symbols. Chiyo
Fun Fact: Fukuda Chiyo-ni lived in 18th-century Japan and was the first notable woman haiku poet. Her most famous haiku is "Morning Glory." Chiyoko
Emiko
Fumiko
Fun Fact: Fumiko Hayashi was ranked 39th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2006. Her roles have included being the first female mayor of Yokohama, president of BMW Tokyo, and CEO of the Daiei supermarket chain. Hana
Haruka
Himari
Hiroko
Hisako
Ichika
Kanna
Kaori
Kazuko
Kei
Fun Fact: Kei was formerly mostly a male name, but it has new popularity in Japan for girl, often as a short version of Keiko. Keiko
Fun Fact: Keiko the orca portrayed the killer whale in the movie "Free Willy." After the movie, the orca was first given a home at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The Free Willy-Keiko Foundation attempted to return the orca to the wild in the ocean off of Norway. Kiyo
Koharu
Kokoro
Kumiko
Fun Fact: "Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter" is a 2014 movie based on an urban legend of a Japanese woman who goes searching for the ransom money buried in the snow in the movie "Fargo." Kyouko
Mai
Mami
Manami
Mayumi
Megumi
Mio
Mirai
Fun Fact: In 2018 Mirai Nagasu became the first American figure skater to land a triple axel at the Olympics. Misaki
Mitsuki
Miyoko
Nanami
Natsuki
Nozomi
Rin
Sachiko
Sakura
Fun Fact: Sakura Haruno is a fictional character who became the female lead of the "Naruto" manga and anime. Setsuko
Fun Fact: Setsuko Thurlow survived the Hiroshima nuclear blast although she was only a little over a mile from the center of the explosion. She was a founding member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and accepted the organization's 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. Shizuko
Tomoko
Yoshiko
Fun Fact: Yoshiko Kawashima was Manchu princess known as the "Eastern Mata Hari" for her exploits of spying for the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Youko
Fun Fact: Japanese-American artist Yoko Ono reached worldwide celebrity in her marriage to John Lennon of the Beatles. In recent decades she is known for her promotion of human rights and peace. Yua
Yui
Yuina
Yumiko
Yuuka
Yuuko
Yuzuki
Popular Japanese Baby Names for BoysThese names have been popular for boys in Japan both historically and in recent years. Asahi
Fun Fact: Asahi is also the name of a brewing company and several other companies in Japan. Daiki
Daiksuke
Haru
Fun Fact: Haru is a unisex name in Japan. Haruto
Hayato
Fun Fact: The Hayato were an ancient people in Japan who resisted being ruled by the Yamato. The samurai used their name as a title, hayato no suke. Hinata
Fun Fact: Hinata is also a female name in Japan and is the name of many female characters in manga. Hiroshi
Fun Fact: Hiroshi Yamauchi transformed Nintendo from a card game company into a video game empire. In 2008 he was regarded as Japan's wealthiest person. Hiroto
Isamu
Fun Fact: Isamu Akasaki received the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the blue LED, which made possible energy-saving white light sources. Itsuki
Jirou
Fun Fact: Documentary film "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" explores the 85-year-old sushi master and his 10-seat restaurant that has three Michelin stars. Kaito
Katsutoshi
Kazuya
Kenta
Kenzo
Kiyoshi
Makoto
Manabu
Masao
Masaru
Minato
Minoru
Fun Fact: Minoru Yamasaki designed the World Trade Center in New York City. He was born in Seattle, Washington and put himself through college with money earned working at a salmon cannery. Naoki
Osamu
Fun Fact: Osamu Tezuka is regarded as the Japanese Walt Disney and the father of manga. A museum of his works was built in Takarazuka. Ren
Reo
Riku
Fun Fact: Riku is also a popular masculine Finnish name, the Finnish form of Richard. Ryuu
Saburou
Fun Fact: Saburō Kurusu was the special envoy from Japan negotiating peace talks with the U.S. when his government bombed Pearl Harbor. He maintained throughout life that he was unaware of the plans for the bombing. Shigeru
Sho
Fun Fact: Sho Yano has been called a "real-life Doogie Howser." The child prodigy from Portland, Oregon entered college at age 9, earned a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology at age 18, and graduated from medical school at age 21. His residency was in pediatric neurology. Shota
Shun
Sora
Fun Fact: Sora is a unisex name in Japan. Sota
Susumu
Tadashi
Fun Fact: Founder of the company Fast Retailing, Tadashi Yahai was ranked the richest man in Japan and the 35th richest in the world by Forbes in 2019. Takumi
Takashi
Fun Fact: There may soon be a Saint Takashi. A radiologist and convert to Catholicism, during World War II he treated air raid victims and survived the atomic bomb detonation in Nagasaki. He has been designated a "Servant of God," the first step towards canonization by the Catholic Church. Takuya
Tetsuya
Tsubasa
Fun Fact: Tsubasa Oozora is the main character in the "Captain Tsubasa" manga series. Following the life of an aspiring soccer player, the character is so popular that there are statues in his honor in Katsushika, Japan. Youta
Yuki
Yutaka
Yuuma
Yuuto
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