Japanese names: What they mean and how they work!

If you’re from an English speaking country, Japanese names can be confusing. There are many elements which are different from how names work in English. Japanese names tend to have more specific meanings than a Western name. This is because of the the symbolism of written Kanji characters.

In this article, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about Japanese names! There will also be lists of popular names if you’re looking to choose a Japanese name for yourself.

An Introduction to Japanese Names

In Japanese, the word for name is 名前なまえ (namae). The first name is called 下したの名前 なまえ(shita no namae). It means the “bottom name” because Japanese is often written vertically. The last name is 名字みょうじ (myouji). 

Name Order

The most obvious difference that you’ll encounter is that name order is different in Japanese. The last name is written before the first name. This is because last names are used most often in formal settings. From your school life to your professional life, teachers and work colleagues will generally call you by the last name with an honorific like さん (san).  When you introduce yourself by full name, you’ll want to say last name then first name.

For example, let’s take the name Taro (first name) Yamada (last name).

English: Taro Yamada
Japanese: 山田やまだ太郎たろう (Yamada Taro)

Note: When writing there is no space between last and first names in Japanese.

Importance of the written name

The way the name is written is extremely meaningful in Japanese. This is because the same name in pronunciation can have different kanji characters and meanings. 

Douglas Perkins, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Same name but different meanings

Here is an example of a situation when the same name in pronunciation can have very different meanings. 

Haruto is a boy name that can be written in different ways. It can be written as either 陽翔はると or 大翔はると. The first Haruto, 陽翔はると can mean “sunlight” (陽) and “to soar” ( 翔).   The second Haruto, 大翔はると, can mean “big” (大)  and to soar (翔 ). As you can see, the name meanings become different even though they are spoken the same way. 

When people introduce themselves in Japanese, it is common for others to ask how the name is written. This is to get an idea of the meaning of the name.

Hiragana names

First names can also be written in hiragana, which is the most basic of writing system in Japanese. Hiragana names are sometimes given to girls because people think it has a cute image. For example, さくら (Sakura) or あかり (Akari).

Stroke number (kakusuu)

There are also various superstitions with the number of strokes in the kanji character. Stroke number, or 画数かくすう(kakusuu), refers to the number of times you would draw a line without lifting a  brush or pencil in a given Kanji character. For example, the name 山田やまだ太郎たろう (Yamada Taro) has a total stroke number of 21. 

When naming a child, Japanese parents will think about what stroke number would be lucky for their child. Some people avoid certain numbers or avoid the same number for siblings.

No middle names

In Japanese, there are no middle names! This can be problematic for foreigners who have children in Japan. It’s impossible to put a middle name into official documents. The only way to do this is by combining the middle name with the first name. However, this makes the first name look like a combination of two names. 

Honorifics

When using Japanese names, it can be rude and offensive if you call someone by their name without any honorifics. 

We won’t go through all the honorifics here, but make sure not to call people only by their first or last names unless you know them well. Most people will either add a さん (san) to be polite. Even in casual situations, it’s popular to add ちゃん (chan) for girls and くん (kun) for boys.

In the case of the name, 田中たなか太郎たろう (Tanaka Taro), you would probably call the person 田中たなかさん (Tanaka san) if you want to be polite.

Japanese Last names

As in other countries, last names represent the family name in Japanese. These names are typically passed down through the male members of the family. Women will usually change their last name to the husband’s last name after marriage.

Rabe!, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Last names and history:

Before the 1800’s, only the nobility had last names. Popular last names like 田中たなか(tanaka), meaning “inside rice field”, came much later. During the Meiji period, the common people had to start using last names. Those who lived near rice fields started calling themselves 田中たなか(tanaka). There are many other last names that likely came about during this period, and have meanings related to where they lived.

Popular last names with meanings

佐藤さとう (Satou) – 佐 helpful, 藤 wisteria 

鈴木すずき (Suzuki) – 鈴 bell, 木 tree

高橋たかはし (Takahashi) – 高 tall, 橋 bridge

田中たなか (Tanaka) – 田 rice field, 中 inside 

吉田よしだ (Yoshida) – 吉 good luck, 田 rice field

渡辺わたなべ (Watanabe) – 渡 to cross, 辺 border

山本やまもと (Yamamoto) – 山 mountain, 本 book

中村なかむら (Nakamura) – 中 inside, 村 village

小林こばやし (Kobayashi) – 小 small, 林 forest

加藤かとう (Katou) – 加 increase, 藤 wisteria

Popular Japanese names for Girls

Names for girls usually carry cute and feminine meanings. They are often inspired by flowers and light. Girl names can sometimes be written in hiragana characters so that there is a softer and girly image.

Kazuhisa Togo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

陽葵ひまり (Himari) – 陽 sunshine, 葵 hollyhock, a type of pink Japanese flower

結菜ゆいな (Yuina) – 結 tie together, 菜 leafy greens

莉子りこ (Riko) – 莉 jasmine, 子 child

芽衣めい (Mei) – 芽 sprout, 衣 clothing / garment

紬つむぎ (Tsumugi) – Silk cloth

さくら (Sakura) – Cherry blossom

ひかり (Hikari) – Light

陽菜ひな (Hina) – 陽 sunshine, 菜 leafy greens

結月ゆずき (Yuzuki) – 結 tie together, 月moon

愛あい (Ai) – Love　

Popular Japanese names for Boys

In Japan, boy names often have meanings relating to strength and Buddhism.  Boy names are almost always written with Kanji characters.

蓮れん (Ren) – Lotus flower

蒼あおい (Aoi) – Blue

陽翔はると (Haruto) – 陽 sunshine, 翔 to soar or fly

樹いつき (Itsuki) – Tree

湊みなと (Minato) – Harbour or port

悠真ゆうま (Yuuma) – 悠 permanence, 真 true or reality

律りつ (Ritsu) – Law

朝陽あさひ (Asahi) – 朝 morning, 陽 sunshine

大和やまと (Yamato) – Name for Ancient Japan

暖 だん(Dan) – Warmth

I hope that this article can help you understand how names work in Japanese! As you can see, there are deeper meanings within Japanese names relating to how it is written. Next time a Japanese person introduces themself, try asking how they write their name and what it means. It could be an interesting conversation topic. If you’re interested in more Japanese language learning blog content, be sure to check out Japanese Dialects: Accents from Hokkaido to Okinawa and Japan in Japanese: Is it Nippon or Nihon?

~ Tanuki