Japanese Baby Names

690 Japanese names with researched meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

Clear vowels, gentle rhythm, meaning stitched into every syllable — Japanese baby names feel calm on the tongue and strong on the page, which is exactly why so many families outside Japan have fallen for them.

Popular Japanese Girl Names

For girls the sound is airy and open. Amaya and Amayah have crossed firmly into mainstream use, and Hana, Mina, Emi and Aya are the kind of short names that never feel small. Yuna, Kaiya, Kairi and Kiyomi offer a little more melody.

Strong Japanese Boy Names

The boys’ side runs bolder. Kai is now a genuine international favourite, and Raiden, Ronin and Kenzo land with real force. Koda and Kenji feel friendlier; Kaizen and Ren are for parents who want something spare and modern.

What Makes Japanese Names Special

They are short, but never plain. Most are easy for English speakers to say on the first try, and many read comfortably as unisex — Akira and Kai among them.

Every name below links to its own page with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, famous bearers, and a clear audio pronunciation — so you can hear it before you choose.

Japanese Girl Names

Amaya#180 in the U.S.Night rain — from Japanese ama (rain, heaven) + ya (arrow, valley, or night)▶Kyomi#548 in the U.S.From Japanese, commonly written with kanji combining kyo (京, 'capital city,' or 清, 'pure, clean▶Mina#597 in the U.S.From Persian mina meaning 'blue glass' or 'enamel,' also used as a diminutive of Wilhelmina (fr▶Aya#644 in the U.S.In Arabic, aya means verse of the Quran, sign, or miracle; in Hebrew it means bird of prey, spe▶Hana#658 in the U.S.In Japanese, hana means flower or blossom; in Arabic and Hebrew, a variant of Hannah meaning gr▶Kiyomi#765 in the U.S.Pure beauty or clean and beautiful; from the Japanese elements kiyo meaning pure or clean and m▶Amayah#841 in the U.S.A variant of Amaya (Japanese: night rain; Basque: the end) combined with a Hebrew-style -yah su▶Emi#882 in the U.S.In Japanese, Emi can be written with characters meaning beautiful blessing (e: blessing, mi: be▶Yuna#952 in the U.S.In Japanese, Yuna can be written with kanji meaning kindness, gentle, or moon among other meani▶Kaya#966 in the U.S.Rock; from Turkish kaya (rock, cliff)▶Akira#983 in the U.S.Japanese name typically written with kanji meaning bright, clear, or intelligent, among other m▶Kamiyah#985 in the U.S.A creative blend possibly combining Japanese kami meaning god, spirit, or divine with the Hebre▶Kaiya#994 in the U.S.From Japanese kai meaning ocean, sea, or forgiveness, combined with the suffix -ya or from Hawa▶Nori#1013 in the U.S.Law or rule (Japanese: nori/noru); also edible seaweed in Japanese culinary tradition; or a sho▶Kairi#1030 in the U.S.Sea; from Japanese kai (sea) + ri (reason, logic, village) — also the name of a character in th▶Kimora#1054 in the U.S.Possible African origin (Swahili/Yoruba region) or a creative blend; not definitively documente▶Kai#1133 in the U.S.Sea; from Hawaiian kai (sea, ocean)▶Miya#1403 in the U.S.Beautiful, three arrows; temple shrine▶Tori#1412 in the U.S.Bird; also victory as a Victoria short form▶Sana#1449 in the U.S.Radiance, brilliance, resplendence▶Yuri#1491 in the U.S.Lily▶

See all 382 japanese girl names →

Japanese Boy Names

Kai#93 in the U.S.Sea — from Hawaiian kai▶Kaizen#364 in the U.S.From the Japanese 'kai' (change) and 'zen' (good, better) — meaning 'continuous improvement' or▶Koda#411 in the U.S.From Lakota Sioux koda or kola meaning friend or ally; also a short form of Dakota; in Japanese▶Raiden#432 in the U.S.From Japanese Raijin (thunder god), combining rai meaning thunder and den or jin meaning lightn▶Ronin#504 in the U.S.From Japanese rōnin (浪人), literally 'wave person,' referring historically to a samurai who had ▶Kobe#519 in the U.S.Has multiple possible origins: as a Japanese place-name (the port city of Kobe, 神戸, meaning 'go▶Akari#542 in the U.S.From Japanese, commonly written with kanji meaning 'bright' or 'light' (明, 灯, or 光); Akari mean▶Kenzo#630 in the U.S.From Japanese, commonly written as 健三 (health/strength + three) or 賢三 (wise + three), or 健蔵. Th▶Kasai#639 in the U.S.Primarily a place name from the Kasai River in the Democratic Republic of Congo; used as a give▶Kaisen#800 in the U.S.Continuous improvement or change for the better; an Americanized given name inspired by the Jap▶Kannon#904 in the U.S.English variant of Cannon (the artillery weapon, from French canon; or from canon meaning a chu▶Kenji#944 in the U.S.Japanese name commonly written with kanji meaning strong and healthy or wise and second son, th▶Zen#959 in the U.S.Meditation; from Japanese zen, from Chinese chan, from Sanskrit dhyana (meditation, absorption)▶Jiraiya#990 in the U.S.Japanese name from the classic folk tale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (The Tale of the Gallant Ji▶Aizen#1003 in the U.S.Love and wisdom; from Japanese ai (love) + zen (wisdom/meditation), popularized as a character ▶Ren#1145 in the U.S.Lotus; love; from Japanese ren (lotus, water lily) and Chinese rén (benevolence, humaneness)▶Nikko#1289 in the U.S.Victory of the people; sun and light▶Torao#1430 in the U.S.Torao is a Japanese boy's name in romaji, most often read as tora, 'tiger', plus o, 'man' or 'm▶Ryu#1449 in the U.S.Dragon, the dragon▶Xion#1742 in the U.S.Coined from Japanese shion (aster, 'remembrance') and shio ('tide')▶Kaito#2030 in the U.S.Sea, ocean▶

See all 308 japanese boy names →

Explore More Name Origins

English Baby Names American Baby Names Hebrew Baby Names Latin Baby Names Greek Baby Names Arabic Baby Names Spanish Baby Names French Baby Names All Origins →← All Baby Names

Japanese Names by Meaning

Girl Names That Mean Beauty Boy Names That Mean the Sea Girl Names That Mean God Girl Names That Mean Gift Boy Names That Mean Gift Boy Names That Mean Light Boy Names That Mean God

Frequently Asked

What are popular Japanese baby names?

Kai, Raiden, Ronin and Kenzo lead for boys, while Amaya, Hana, Mina and Yuna are the girls’ names families reach for most often.

What is a strong Japanese name for a boy?

Raiden and Ronin have the most power behind them, with Kenzo, Kenji and Kaizen close behind. All four are short, confident and easy to pronounce.

Are there unisex Japanese baby names?

Several work beautifully for any child. Akira and Kai are the best known, and Aya and Ren are used widely across genders too.

How many Japanese baby names are on More4Kids?

More4Kids lists 690 Japanese baby names, each with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, and an audio pronunciation.