This Japanese girl names and meaning article will be the longest, so we highly recommend bookmarking it for later use. We spent a lot of time searching and investigating what these names mean in Japanese.
Names provide a form of identification but also have their meaning. Some Japanese names, whether female or not, have a singular meaning, while others could have two or more meanings due to usage. Most names in Japanese culture reflect beauty, flowers, and other traits that evoke a sense of beauty and acceptance.
Japan’s culture and names
Japan has a very strong cultural heritage running down hundreds of years and has been preserved through its architecture, poetry, artistic forms, and lifestyle that reflects nobility.
Japan is a conservative society and so has managed its relationship with the rest of the world carefully to remain relevant to the rest of the world without losing its cultural identity.
Being one of the most developed countries in Asia and holding such a high and longstanding cultural heritage, Japan has an allure of names that revolves around their experiences. Some have been ancient, and others have been more recent in pronunciation, spelling, and more. Names like Taro or Hatsu, for example, mean a first male child or first female child.
Japanese names are somewhat complex because of the multiplicity of meanings that could be associated with them.
It is also of grave importance that a Japanese baby only gets a temporal or informal name once it turns six days from birth. It then takes until age 16 before a child gets a proper naming ceremony with a formal name at this point.
Most popular Japanese female names earlier to the 1980s would carry such suffixes as “ko”; meaning child. In Kanji, you have “mi”, which means “beauty” or “sea” and “ka” which stands for “fragrant”.
Such names by parents help to depict beauty and other desirable traits. Examples of such names include Momo- Peach, Yuki – Snow, Anzu- Apricot, and Sakura- cherry blossom.
Over time and due to modern influence, many parents have begun adding more suffixes to their kids’ names to make them more fashionable. For instance, for a name like Nana, which means “seven” you could add “mi” to it, and then the meaning becomes “seven seas” in Kanji.
Most times, these popular suffixes like “ko”, “mi”, and “ka” are usually added to give the name a slightly different meaning. Again, you have names like “Aki” meaning “bright” and the inclusion “ko” which means “bright child” written in Kanji.
From the 80s to more recently, the use of shorter names or calling shorter forms of names has gradually become popular amongst Japanese due to the ease of calling the names.
Another fact about Japanese names that have gained much fame is the use of unisex names to be born by both males and females, which is clearly evident in many famous names.
Another noticeable trend of late is the use of short names. Others are without any meaning or significance except those attributed to them by the parents of the male or female child.
Such shorter names, including Yui, Aoi, Rei, and Rio, fall within a category of names created more recently. The whole essence of these names is to give their kids some uniqueness different from the names of the past.
As a result of some of the above, it is common to see some names are popular within a particular age bracket and be non-existent in another age bracket due to early or late adoption or when they were created. So underneath is a comprehensive list of female names in Japanese, their meaning, and a little more facts about those names.
What do Japanese female names mean?
- Ahmya: This Japanese girl’s name means black rain
- Ai is a prefix and independent name that means love or indigo blue.
- Aia: A ruler of the house, an influential person
- Aika: A song of love
- Aiko: speaks of love and affection for a child
- Ainu: a human-like goddess that brings about fertility
- Aira: popular Japanese name that deals with love and affection or jasmine
- Akane: red color dye or brilliant shade of red
- Akari: Means illuminated, bright, or lighted situation. You also have Aki, which means a sparkle, autumn, early morning sun, and a smart or bright person.
- Aki: is also an abbreviation for Akari. Akiari, on the other hand, is a unisex name that refers to a bright person. Akari also refers to red cold, profit, plum, or pear tree.
- Akiko: Akiko is a name with different meanings. It means being crystal clear, bright, sparkling, or beautiful autumn. It could also refer to Asia, queen, peaceful, hope, etc. when seen from another context.
- Akira: An intelligent person
- Akito: Unisex name for an intelligent person, just like autumn
- Amaya: it means night rain
- Ami: means Asia beauty, truth, or sea.
- Anzu is an apricot food
- Aoi refers to hollyhock or Althea, a seal of reflection, life clothing.
- Asami means the beauty of the morning in Japanese.
- Asuka reference to tomorrow in Japanese
- Atsuko: it has to do with a child that’s kind, plain, warm, honest child, etc.
- Aya means angel with magic.
- Ayaka are colorful flowers with a scent.
- Ayame is the one who sees clearly.
- Ayane means a wonderful and colorful sound.
- Ayeka means having a fast and analytical mind.
- Ayumi: to make progress, peaceable, pleasure or sea
- Bashira means one who conveys good news.
- Chi: light or blood
- Chiaki: sparkle, light
- Chieko: wisdom child
- Chiharu: unisex name about the bright sky, springs
- Chihiro: a thousand springs
- Chika: having so much wisdom or intelligence. Chi stands for thousand, and ka means fragrance, flower, fruit, or excellent.
- Chinami: a thousand waves
- Chiyoko: a thousand generation
- Chizue: longevity, to endure
- Cho: nectar-eating an insect that flies, e.g. Butterfly
- Chouko: nectar-feeding insect such as butterfly
- Chuya: pure and crystal clear like water
- Danuja: Unisex name for a ruler or knight
- Doi: mountainous surface or earth.
- Emi: a beautiful smile to behold
- Emica: a blessed, charming, and beautiful girl
- Emiko: a girl that’s beautiful, prosperous, smiling, and blessed
- Ena: God’s gift
- Eri: hometown or picture of blessing, love, and cleverness
- Etsuko: Also pronounced as Etsudo, meaning child of joy
- Fuji: the reason for wealth, having a flourishing opinion
- Fumiko: an academician or intellectual, others say, a beautiful and wealthy child
- Gen: a spring
- Gina: of value like silver
- Hachi: A unisex name that means eight, flowerpot, or bee
- Haia: to be quick
- Hana: a flower, to blossom. It also speaks of One Love, Beginning Calm, First South or Name, at the start of Summer.
- Hanae: to blossom like a flower, favor, and blessing
- Hanako: fair, blossom, and flowery child
- Hanami: to have beauty, be flowery, and flower viewing
- Haru: time of spring, sunlight, clear
- Harue: A unisex name that means sunshine or a spring bough
- Haruka: far-off or long distance
- Harimu: a beautiful spring, clear weather
- Hatsu: first-child, the same thing as Hatsuko
- Hatsumomo: a peach, firstborn
- Hayami: an unusual kind of beauty
- Hibiki: echos
- Hide: This is one of the best Japanese girl names that means to be excellent.
- Hikari: shining brilliance
- Hikaru: unisex name for illumination or radiant child
- Himari: Benevolence in Sunflower, Light & Love home, Long Jasmine, Light ball
- Hina: greens and a sunny day
- Hinata: One Sunshine and sunflower, Ray of Eternity, a combination of the Best Vegetables
- Hiro: to be generous and enjoy an abundance
- Hiroko: generous, benevolent, and giving child
- Hisa: having a long story, everlasting
- Hisano: another version for Hisa meaning to be open and plain, having a long story, everlasting
- Hitomi: to be beautiful, have wisdom, and be an intellectual
- Hoshiko: Stars. The males bear Hoshi.
- Hotaru: a firefly
- Humiya: good health, history
- Ichika: the greatest Entertainer, a thousand flowers, first to increase
- Ima: now, immediate
- Isamu: vigorous, enriched, or enlarged
- Japan: a unisex name for a person with so much zest, drive, and ambition
- Jin: soft or fragile
- Jona: It’s a unisex name. Dove bird, it speaks of God’s graciousness. People who bear this name enjoy much admiration in society.
- Julieanne: an admirable and peaceful person with longevity
- Jun: obedient
- Junko: a child of purity, sincere and obedient
- Kaedé: maple leaf, a unisex name used across all ages, young and old
- Kagami: a mirror
- Kagome: to be lost
- Kaida: a little dragon
- Kairi: a village of the ocean, a unisex name
- Kairy: speaks of the sea.
- Kameyo: to live long, a symbol of tortoise
- Kanna: Also spelled as Kana, one who is powerful, The Nara Emperor, Beautiful Nara, Excellent Sound, Strong and Calm, Righteous South
- Kano: a versatile and skilled person
- Kaori: scented, woven, fabric or aroma
- Kaoru: to have fragrance, a unisex name
- Karou: fragrance, a unisex name
- Kasumi: a mist
- Katana: to be honorable or sword
- Katsumi: to conquer oneself, win beauty, substance
- Kaya: it speaks of native American, small but wise, Japanese Yew and African home.
- Kayda: have the looks of a dragon
- Kaylen: a warrior that keeps many keys
- Kayo: a beautiful generation
- Kazane: a sound made by the wind
- Kazashi: an ornament or hair
- Kazue: first blessings or branch
- Kazuko: symbolize harmony
- Kazumi: a unisex name that means a symbol of beauty and harmony
- Kei: a unisex name that means to be wise, a square jewel, or blessed
- Keiko: celebrated child, blessed child, value for a child
- Keina: of prosperity
- Keon: state of pure beauty
- Kerrian: it is a yellow Japanese rose
- Kiaria: have a lot of fortune
- Kichi: to be fortunate
- Kiko: to have hope
- Kiku: speaks of chrysanthemum.
- Kimi: a century of beauty, a beautiful story
- Kimika: to be noble
- Kimiko: a valuable child
- Kioka: mirror
- Kioko: shares happiness with the world, a happy child
- Kimmi: to be righteous
- Kin: a unisex name that means to be golden
- Kioka, means a mirror.
- Kirika: to have natural beauty
- Kita: of the North
- Kitara: a blade from the northern region
- Kiyoko: child of purity, clean child
- Kiwa: to be born on the border
- Koemi: smiling
- Koge: a scented flower
- Kohaku: a unisex name that speaks of amber
- Koharu: small spring or heart of spring, a late summer season
- Kosuke: a unisex name that speaks of the rising sun
- Koto: beautiful harp
- Kozue: a Chinese black pine tree
- Kukiko: snowy
- Kuma: a unisex name that speaks of a bear
- Kumi: a case of forever beautiful, fruit, or nine seas
- Kumiko: a companion child
- Kura: house of treasure
- Kuri: a chestnut
- Kyo: a village or to unite
- Kyoko: a mirror
- Kyou: a unisex name that speaks of a capital city
- Machiko: a child of good fortune
- Madoka: circle of flowers, a window of aroma
- Maeko: a truthful child
- Maemi: wearing a truthful smile
- Maho: an always honest and trustful person
- Mai: bright, radiant flower, an individual who dances with so much grace
- Maiko: dancing child, a child that loves dancing always
- Maiya: rice valley
- Majime: earnest one
- Makaira: a person who brings happiness
- Maki: a unisex name that speaks of truth
- Makiko: a child of a person who is truthful
- Mako: a grateful and truthful person
- Makoto: a unisex name for a plan and open person
- Mameha: name for Geisha
- Mamiko: true beauty in a child, hemp, daughter of the sea
- Manami: love, beauty, sea
- Mao: a plain and genuine girl
- Mari: truth, reason, or jasmine
- Mariko: an open person
- Marri: an eloquent dance party or a ball
- Masae: when a person is elegantly blessed
- Masako: Be truthful and honest (Name born by Japan’s Crown Princess Masako and the first female player of Billiards in the World Billiards Tournament, Masako Katsura).
- Masami: one to become beautiful
- Masumi: true beauty and purity that increases
- Mayuko: baby of Mayu
- Mayumi: female with true beauty
- Matsuko: a pine tree
- Michi: a unisex name meaning a path of uprightness
- Michiko: a beautiful, knowledgeable, wise child of a thousand beauties, a well-behaved child, and a notable child. Empress Michiko, the wife of Emperor Akihito, bore the name Michiko.
- Midori: green life girl, one of many colors
- Mie: divided into three ways
- Mieko: bright light
- Miho: beauty sail, walk, care, ear of grain, and future steps
- Mihoko: child shielded by love
- Mikan: means orange or tangerine
- Miki: stem of a flower
- Mikie: the main branch
- Mikasa: a word of Nara that speaks of three hats of bamboo or means to resolve
- Miku: beautiful time and beautiful sky
- Miné: means the peak, a strong protector.
- Minako: beauty apple tree for a child, uncommon beauty for a child, or “beauty, vegetable, child
- Minami: one who lives in the south or from the south
- Mio: beautiful thread of cherry blossom
- Mirai: futuristic, time to come
- Misaki: the bloom of beauty
- Misa: beautiful sand or bud
- Misaki: a beautiful and freshly grown flower
- Misako: the child that fascinates, sea or sand of beauty
- Misao means fidelity
- Mitsu: illumination, shiny reflection
- Mitsue: illumination or shiny ray of light
- Mitsuki: gracious and beautiful moon
- Miu: a feather of beauty
- Miwa: three rings and harmonious beauty
- Miya: a sacred temple or house of beauty
- Miyah: a sacred house or temple
- Miyo: unisex name for a charming beauty for a child, a generation of beauty
- Miyoko: Unisex name for a child of beauty for a beautiful generation
- Miyu: beautiful, tender, and gentle. Deep and tender, sea, light, and beauty are reasons when written in Kanji.
- Miyuki: a beautiful fortune, deep snow, a beautiful reason for history or happiness. Japanese voice actress Miyuki Sawashiro in Japan bears the name.
- Mizuki: having auspicious hope, a pleasantly beautiful moon
- Momiji: maple tree or red leaves
- Momo: a peach
- Momoka: flowers in their hundreds
- Momoko: peaches in their hundreds, a lot of children
- Morika: fragrance from the forest
- Moriko: a child from the forest
- Mura: originate from the village
- Nagi: a person that’s cool-headed and calm
- Namie: receiving little help or blessings
- Namika: the flower of the wave
- Nana means seven
- Nanako: child of greens
- Nanami: Seven seas, beauty, fruit, life, or green. Nanami is a name that has gained popularity amongst Japanese anime characters.
- Nao: to be honest, always truthful
- Naoko: a child that’s respectful and submissive
- Nara: an oak that symbolizes stability, superiority, or extraordinary floret or blossoms from dreamland.
- Nariko: a tender child
- Narumi: seed or beauty
- Natsu: unisex name which speaks of summer, reminiscent, yearning or stamp Child
- Natsuko: to be born during the summer season
- Natsuki, a green plant, tree, vegetable, or fruit, or a bright moon
- Ne: the sound of a musical instrument
- Nikaio: one that belongs to the Japanese Daimyo
- Niko: Red Child or Offering, child number two, Two Hearts or Lakes
- Nisbett: one that could be dependent on, trusted, and relied on
- Nori: the law and traditions, to look like moral standards, a good example
- Norita: based on traditions, customs, laws, acts, and decrees
- Nozomi: to have hope, be dependable and trustworthy
- Nyoko: rare gem or treasure. For Sanskrit words, it means moha- infatuated or
- Ohta: a unisex name that means the Almighty God’s eye, to be dirt or impurity-free
- Okemia: another way to spell the name Cornelia, meaning a war horn. It also means to have mercy or pity.
- Oki: a master or champion in multiple disciplines
- Okimi: a bright shiny light
- Orino: field for workers
- Ran: an orchid flower
- Rei: lovely and beautiful bell
- Reiki: a unisex name that talks about practicing the spirit of healing
- Reiko: a heart of gratitude, a thankful child
- Ren: is being in love with lotus
- Rie: to have value, blessings, another name for Ria
- Rieko: a child who is of blessed benefit
- Rika: genuine fragrance
- Rikka: a rich and powerful ruler
- Rikku: a dominative, rich, and powerful ruler
- Riko: childlike lavender, jasmine’s daughter. It’s a name that was popularly given to Japanese females in 2015.
- Rin: a unisex name for a person with dignity, cold and severe
- Rina: park, a Japanese village
- Ringo: a person like an apple
- Rini: having the semblance of a sweet little bunny
- Rio: white jasmine, village center, thread, or cherry blossom. A name with much popularity amongst Japanese females as in 2013.
- Risa: homegrown flowers
- Ruga: a lovely bright blue flower
- Rumi: the beauty of lapus lazuli
- Ruri: an emerald
- Ryoko: a good child, a female like a dragon
- Sachiko: blissful child or child of happiness or good luck. A popular figure who bears that name is Princess Hisa Sachiko of Japan, daughter of Emperor and Empress Showa and Kojun of Japan.
- Sada: the pure one
- Sadako: a chaste child with integrity
- Sadashi: an ambitious person
- Saeko: a peaceful child
- Sai: means paint
- Saiua: is a ripe fruit
- Sajonara: farewell, goodbye
- Sakae: To be prosperous
- Sakai: living in prosperity
- Saki: to blossom and be hopeful. Japanese girls of the younger generation bear Saki mostly.
- Sakiko: a blossoming child
- Saku: a unisex name that means to remember the Divine
- Sakura: cherry blossom. A name popular amongst Japanese females in 2015.
- Sakurako: child of cherry blossom
- Sana: Three Seven, Calm or Love, a helpful Calm or helpful South person
- Sanae: seedling
- Sango: coral
- Sanyu: a unisex name that means happiness
- Saori: sand color
- Saory: a nicely woven cloth
- Sara: It has varied meanings, experiencing good fortune. It also means music that comforts roman aid, blossom, and love with clarity.
- Satchiko: a child of luck or a fortunate child
- Satoko: a child of wisdom, enlightened or village child, a child born by Sato
- Satomi: speaks of being wise, having beauty, holy
- Sawako: a sweet, refreshing, brilliant, and graceful child
- Satsuki: the month of May, 5th month
- Sayaka: being clear
- Sayua: being swift and fast as an arrow
- Sayuri: an early but small lily talks about assistance, reason, hundred, hometown, assistant, reason, hometown. A popular name born by songwriter and J-Pop artist Sayuri Nitta Sakamoto of the novel Memoirs of Geisha.
- Seijun: a state of purity and clearness
- Seika: summer of purity
- Seiko: a holy, blue, fine, or clean child, a sincere child
- Seiren: a star that’s refined
- Sen: a wood fairy
- Shigeko: a child with all necessities of life
- Shiho: have will and a sail
- Shika: a gentle deer
- Shiki: a unisex name that talks about all four seasons of the year
- Shiko: a stone made of female
- Shiniqua: a female victor
- Shino: a female that looks like a bamboo stem
- Shinobu: a unisex name that speaks of giving support, a very enduring person
- Shinon: a flower that means remembrance, a flower type called Aster tataricus.
- Shion: a person with good memory and does not forget things easily
- Shiori: to serve as a guide, a poem, or a weave.
- Shizu: to be quiet or clear
- Shoko: an auspicious child
- Shun: a unisex name for a talented person with speed
- Shynah: a female victor
- Sora: female like the sky
- Sorano: to be of the sky
- Subaru: a unisex name for one who unites. It refers to the constellation Taurus, a Pleiades star cluster
- Sueko: the youngest member of the family
- Suki: a beloved one
- Sumiko: a female who is a beautiful child that brings goodness
- Sumire: a lovely violet
- Sunako: a dark-sided view or sand child
- Sushi: raw fish
- Suzuë: a branch of little bells
- Suzuki: a bell of woods
- Suzume: a sparrow
- Taka: to be honorable, peregrine and tall
- Takako: filial piety for a child, an aristocratic child
- Takara: a real treasure, a jewel to cherish
- Takarra: item of high value
- Také: a bamboo
- Taki: a plunging waterfall
- Tamaki: an armlet or bracelet
- Tamami: a beautiful female jewel or gem
- Tamane: the sound produced by a necklace
- Tamashini: a unisex name for a person full of life or soul
- Tami: people who are blessed
- Tamiko: child of an abundance of beauty
- Tamiqua: refers to people
- Tamura: village of rice
- Taney: means girl of the valley
- Taree: a branch of a bending girl
- Tarua: a unisex name for a large body of water, sea
- Tatsu: it means dragon but is used as Ryu. Tatsu is an ancient Japanese indigenous name for a dragon
- Tatsuo: a dragon girl
- Taura: a lot of lakes or rivers
- Toki: time and opportunity
- Tokiwa: to be constant till eternity
- Tomiju: a life of longevity and wealth
- Tomo: been knowledgeable or intelligent
- Tomoe: a friend as a blessing
- Tomoko: refers to intellect and wisdom and was mostly used in Japan from the 60s to the 70s. A knowledgeable and amiable child
- Tonica: offered to the people something for the race
- Tora: a tigress
- Toru: a unisex name that represents a large bed of water, a sea
- Toshi: image in a mirror
- Toshiko: a valuable and ancient child
- Tsubame: to accept and believe in something
- Tsubasa: means an extension or section of a thing
- Ume: to be plum or blossom
- Umi: an ocean
- Utano: songs field
- Wattan: homeland
- Yoko: represents sunlight or ocean. Born by Yoko Ono, the wife of the late John Lennon Yoko
- Yori: to be trusted and dependable
- Yuna: a gentle heart, dream, or summer dream. Yuna is a name used by one of the popular characters in the program Final Fantasy series and was quite popular as a name in 2013.
- Yoshino: a profitable and fertile field
- Yuka: a friendly blossom with fragrance
- Yume: to have a dream
- Yumi: an excellent beauty
- Yui: Speaks of help, a place for help or reliability, a helpful life. It also means to tie or bind clothing and gentility or superiority. It was popular in 2012.
- Yuina: Speaks of tying a knot or vegetables. A popular name for Japanese female babies in 2013.
- Yuri: a lily, both the younger and older generation used to bear Lily in Japan.
Conclusion
Names have significance in a person’s life; hence they come from meanings and other experiences relating to one’s beliefs, culture, and more. The above list of Japanese girl names does not claim to be exhaustive but provides a rich enough basis to guide you in picking female names for your kids.
