{"id":62682,"date":"2019-04-05T09:12:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T00:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/top-10-popular-japanese-names-boys-girls\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T17:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T08:36:09","slug":"top-10-popular-japanese-names-boys-girls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/ja\/top-10-popular-japanese-names-boys-girls\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese baby names: Top 20 most popular names for boys and girls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Japan has a unique naming system. In Japanese , pronunciation and the meaning of the kanji are the main considerations. Usually, one Japanese name can be written in different kanji.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When naming their children, pronunciation and the meaning of the kanji are the main considerations. For example, the boy’s name “\u304b\u3044\u3068”(Kaito) can be written as \u6d77\u6597, \u5feb\u6597,\u9b41\u4eba and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to this unique feature of the Japanese naming system, many Japanese names<\/a> sound the same but are expressed in different kanji. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, Japanese baby names all depend on the parents’ intentions and what they hope for their child to become. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to that, most Japanese names are a combination of two kanji characters, which means you’ll likely get more combinations just from the possibility of matching one kanji with a different kanji. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a Japanese Name for Boys and Girls<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weird Japanese Names for Boys and Girls: Kira Kira<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Popular Japanese Names and Pronunciations for Boys <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Popular Japanese Names and Pronunciations for Girls <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a Japanese Name for Boys and Girls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Generally, families will opt for names for their newborns that carry positive meanings: beauty, intelligence, strength and virtue. Other times, the kanji might have vague, basic meanings, like \u6708 (moon or month).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, if you have upper-level Japanese skills, you’ll probably recognize the meaning of these Japanese baby names just by hearing the word or looking at the kanji. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Western names, Japanese baby name trends come and go. For example, during winter, parents can name their baby girl “yuki”, which can be written both \u96ea (yuki) or \u512a\u5e0c (yuuki). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might want to choose a Japanese name for different reasons. Maybe it’s because of the characters’ meanings, or family heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, we hope this list inspires you to raise a wise, strong and happy child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weird Japanese Names for Boys and Girls: Kira Kira<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


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Recently, to make their child stand out from the crowd, some young parents name their child with rarely used kanji or unusual pronunciations which convey other meanings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example,\u00a0 \u7687\u5e1d (\u3057\u3044\u3056\u3042, or shiizaa) sounds like the English word “Caesar”. Moreover, the Kanji word “\u7687\u5e1d” means\u00a0emperor. Such names are called “kira kira names<\/a>” “(\u30ad\u30e9\u30ad\u30e9\u30cd\u30fc\u30e0)”. Kira kira names are bizarre-sounding Japanese names that are completely different from traditional names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why would parents choose to name their kids with unconventional pronunciation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have to think about the incredible popular culture of Japanese anime, manga and movies. Similar to the TV shows<\/a> in America, the Japanese subculture has influenced Japanese parents. Most of the time, the kanji of characters\u2019 names are used as a phonetic symbol instead of for the meaning<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second reason would be the opening of Japanese culture to Western influences and the introduction of foreign names. Among the perfect example to underline this tendency, you will find \u201cMakkusu\u201d for Max (\u771f\u4e5d\u5dde) and \u201cMashyuu\u201d, an equivalent of Matthew (\u99ac\u5468). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Japanese parents believe that such names would, later on, have a positive influence on their children\u2019s career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n