Japanese names may be something that has taken your eye recently and you’re keen to use one of them for your impending new arrival. Japanese names are a fabulous choice and the history, culture, and meaning behind them mean they’re beautiful names for any baby.
Some common and sweet Japanese names that you may have heard of are names such as Ema, Minato, Imari, and Haruki. In this article, we’ll take a look at some different Japanese names and the meanings behind them which may help you choose a name for your bundle of joy on the way!
Popular Japanese Names
| Name | Meaning |
| Akari | Lights |
| Himari | The sun |
| Mei | Gorgeous or plum |
| Ema | Whole or universal |
| Minato | Harbor |
| Haruki | Spring child |
| Sōta | Smoothly or thick/Big |
Popular Japanese Baby Names for Girls
There are many Japanese sweet names that are quite popular and meaningful, especially for girls. If you’re awaiting a girl in the next few coming months then some of these names could be the perfect fit for you.
Ai
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Love
Alternative Spellings: Kanji, Katana, Hiragana
Famous People: Ai Ogawa who is a poet, Ai Uemura who is a singer
Popularity: Unfortunately, this name is not in top 1000 names in the United States
Akari
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: The meaning behind this name is quite complicated as the name combines the words red with cold or even plum tree
Alternative Spellings: 丹凛, あかり, 明理
Famous People: Akari Hayami who is a singer and actress
Popularity: This name also hasn’t been in the top 1000 names in the United States
Ema
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Whole or universal which suggests lots of potential
Alternative Spellings: Emma, Emah, Emmah
Famous People: Ema Kogure who is a Japanese voice actress or Ema Burgic who is a tennis player
Popularity: This name has been declining in popularity since the 1880s but started gaining popularity again in the early 2000s
Fumiko
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Beautiful child and a child of treasured possession or beauty
Alternative Spellings: 芙美子 or 富美子
Famous People: Fumiko Hayashi who was a Japanese writer and poet or Fumiko Aoki who is a cross country skier
Popularity: This name is currently not in the top 100 names in the popularity charts at the moment
Himari
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: The sun and the home of love
Alternative Spellings: 光愛里, 久茉莉 or ひまり
Famous People: Himari Noihara who is a fictional character in the Omamori Himari manga series, written by Milan Matra
Popularity: Unfortunately, this name also didn’t rank in the top 1000 names in the United States
Ichika
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Excellent or the best
Alernative Spellings: 伽, 佳, いちか
Famous People: Ichika Nito who is a male guitar prodigy however, this name is still often used for girls across Japan
Popularity: This name has not been in the top 1000 girls names in the United States
Kumiko
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Eternally a beautiful child
Alternative Spellings: 久美子
Famous People: Kumiko Asō who’s a famous actress or Kumiko Ogura who’s a badminton player
Popularity: This name has not been in the top 1000 names for girls in the United States
Mei
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Plum or gorgeous
Alternative Spellings: 麻衣, 真愛
Famous People: Mei Miura who is a Japanese ice hockey player or Mei Kurokawa who is a Japanese singer and actress
Popularity: This name isn’t listed in the top 1000 names for girls in the United States either.
Nozomi
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: There are many meanings to this name, some of these including hopeful heart or truth
Alternative Spellings: 希心, 希実
Famous People: Nozomi Tsuji who is a famous Japanese singer
Popularity: In 2017, this name was the most popular Japanese girls name in Japan but it has not been in the top 1000 names for girls in the United States.
Shizuko
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: a timid child
Alternative Spellings: 静子
Famous People: Shizuko Hoshi who is an actress or a famous Politician from Peru called Susana Shizuko Higuchi Miyagawa
Popularity: This name also hasn’t been in the top 1000 baby names for girls in the United States.
Popular Japanese Baby Names for Boys
Daiki
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Shining brightly or big tree
Alternative Spellings: 大輝, 大樹
Famous People: Daiki Asaoka who is a Japanese footballer or Daiki Arioka who is a singer and an actor
Popularity: This name has not appeared in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States
Haruki
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Spring child and shows all things new
Alternative Spellings: 終わる, 終る
Famous People: Haruki Murakami who is a Japanese translator and writer
Popularity: This name ranked as number 947 on Nameberry’s website in 2023.
Itsuki
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Trees of the spring
Alternative Spellings: いつき
Famous People: Itsuki Asai who is a Japanese baseball player or Itsuki Hirata who is a Japanese Mixed Martial Arts Fighter
Popularity: This name also hasn’t appeared in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Kaito
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Going through or soaring
Alternative Spellings: かいと, 海翔
Famous People: Kaito Chida who is a Japanese footballer or Kaito Ishikawa who is a Japanese voice actor
Popularity: Once again, this name has unfortunately not appeared in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Minato
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: A harbor or the harbor
Alternative Spellings: カナデ, 湊, ソウ
Famous People: A lot of individuals actually have this name as a last name such as Yusuke Minato who is a Japanese Nordic Combined Skier or Kanae Minato who is a Japanese murder mystery author
Popularity: This name hasn’t ranked in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Osamu
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Study or discipline
Alternative Spellings: 修
Famous People: Osamu Abe who is a rower or Osamu Akimoto who is a Japanese manga artist
Popularity: This name has not been in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Sho
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: To soar or soaring
Alternative Spellings: Shou
Famous People: Sho Araki who is a Japanese footballer, Sho Kosugi who is an actor
Popularity: This name hasn’t appeared in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Sōta
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Smoothly or thick, big or the sound of the wind
Alternative Spellings: Souta, Sota or 颯太
Famous People: Sota Fukushi is a Japanese Actor or Sota Higashide who is a Japanese footballer.
Popularity: This name has not been in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Takumi
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Skillful or truthful
Alternative Spellings: 拓海,匠, 拓実
Famous People: Takumi Abe who is a footballer or Takumi Nakayama who is a Japanese Mixed Martial Artist.
Popularity: This name hasn’t been in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Yuki
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: Snow or happiness
Alternative Spellings: 由紀, 雪, 幸
Famous People: Yuki Baba who is a politician or Yuki Ebihara who is a javelin thrower for Japan.
Popularity: This name has not been in the top 1000 names for boys in the United States.
Japanese or Not
Whether you are considering a Japanese name because of your heritage or just simple because you love the names, there are definitely plenty to choose from.
Consider the meaning of each name and how it may translate back to your mother tongue as you don’t want your child to end up with a name that has a less than desirable meaning do you.