Japanese anime girl names. - male and female. Japanese names in Chinese

03.09.2023

A Japanese given name (人名 jinmei) these days usually consists of a family name (surname) followed by a personal name.

Names are usually written in kanji, which can have many different pronunciations on different occasions.

Modern Japanese names can be compared to names in many other cultures. All Japanese have a single surname and a single given name without a middle name, with the exception of the Japanese Imperial Family, whose members do not have a surname. Girls who marry princes also lose their last names.

In Japan, the surname comes first, and then the given name. At the same time, in Western languages (often in Russian), Japanese names are written in the reverse order of first name - last name - according to European tradition. For convenience, the Japanese sometimes write their last name in CAPITAL letters so that it is not confused with the given name.

Names in Japan are often created independently from existing characters, so the country has a huge number of unique names. Surnames are more traditional and most often go back to toponyms. There are more names in Japanese than surnames. Male and female names differ due to their characteristic components and structure. Reading Japanese proper names is one of the most difficult elements of the Japanese language.

The surname in Japanese is called "myoji" (苗字 or 名字), "uji" (氏) or "sei" (姓).

The vocabulary of the Japanese language has long been divided into two types: wago (Japanese 和語 "Japanese") - native Japanese words and kango (Japanese 漢語 sinism) - borrowed from China. Names are also divided into the same types, although a new type is now actively expanding - gairaigo (jap. 外来語) - words borrowed from other languages, but components of this type are rarely used in names.

Modern Japanese names are divided into the following groups:
kunny (consisting of vago),
onny (consisting of kango),
mixed.
The ratio of Kun and Onn surnames is approximately 80% to 20%.

The vast majority of surnames in Japanese consist of two characters, surnames of one or three characters are less common, and four or more digit surnames are very rare.

Male names are the most difficult part of Japanese proper names to read, it is in male names that non-standard readings of nanori and rare readings are very common, strange changes in some components, although there are also easy-to-read names. For example, the names Kaworu (薫), Shigekazu (薫), and Kungoro: (薫五郎) all use the same character 薫 ("flavor"), but in each name it is read differently; and the common main component of yoshi names can be written in 104 different characters and their combinations. Sometimes reading is not at all connected with written hieroglyphs, so it happens that only its bearer himself can read the name correctly.

Japanese female names, unlike male ones, in most cases have a simple kun reading and a clear and understandable meaning. Most female names are composed according to the “main component + indicator” scheme, however, there are names without an indicative component. Sometimes female names can be written entirely in hiragana or katakana. Also, sometimes, there are names with on-reading, and also only in female names there are new non-Chinese borrowings (gairaigo).

Ancient names and surnames

Before the Meiji Restoration, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had surnames. The rest of the population of Japan was content with personal names and nicknames.

Women of aristocratic and samurai families also usually did not have surnames, since they did not have the right to inherit. In cases where women did have surnames, they did not change them upon marriage.

Surnames were divided into two groups - the surnames of aristocrats and the surnames of samurai.

Unlike the number of samurai surnames, the number of surnames of aristocrats has practically not increased since ancient times. Many of them date back to the priestly past of the Japanese aristocracy.

The most honored and respected clans of aristocrats were: Konoe, Takashi, Kujo, Ichijo and Gojo. All of them belonged to the Fujiwara clan and had a common name - "Gosetsuke". From among the men of this kind, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and wives for emperors were chosen from among women.

The clans of Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjō, Imaidegawa, Tokudaiji, and Kaoin were next in nobility. From among them, the highest state dignitaries were appointed. So, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial stables (meryo no gogen). Then came all the other aristocratic clans.

The hierarchy of nobility of aristocratic families began to take shape in the 6th century and lasted until the end of the 11th century, when the power in the country passed to the samurai. Among them, the clans of Genji (Minamoto), Heike (Taira), Hojo, Ashikaga, Tokugawa, Matsudaira, Hosokawa, Shimazu, Oda enjoyed special respect. A number of their representatives at different times were the shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.

The personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai were formed from two kanji (hieroglyphs) of a "noble" meaning.

The personal names of samurai servants and peasants were often given according to the "numbering" principle. The first son is Ichiro, the second is Jiro, the third is Saburo, the fourth is Shiro, the fifth is Goro, and so on. Also, in addition to "-ro", the suffixes "-emon", "-ji", "-zo", "-suke", "-be" were used for this purpose.

Upon entering the samurai during his youth, he chose a different name for himself than what he was given at birth. Sometimes samurai changed their names throughout adulthood, for example, to emphasize the onset of her new period (promotion or moving to another duty station). The lord had the right to rename his vassal. In the event of a serious illness, the name was sometimes changed to the name of the Buddha Amida in order to appeal to his mercy.

According to the rules of samurai fights, before the fight, the samurai had to give his full name so that the enemy could decide whether he was worthy of such an opponent. Of course, in life this rule was observed much less frequently than in novels and chronicles.

At the end of the names of girls from noble families, the suffix "-hime" was added. It is often translated as "princess", but in fact it was used in relation to all noble young ladies.

For the names of the wives of the samurai, the suffix "-gozen" was used. Often they were called simply by their husband's surname and rank. The personal names of married women were practically used only by their close relatives.

For the names of monks and nuns from the noble classes, the suffix "-in" was used.

Modern names and surnames

During the Meiji Restoration, all Japanese were given surnames. Naturally, most of them were associated with various signs of peasant life, especially with rice and its processing. These surnames, like those of the upper class, were also usually composed of two kanji.

The most common Japanese surnames now are Suzuki, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Sato, Sasaki, Kudo, Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kato, Ito, Murakami, Onishi, Yamaguchi, Nakamura, Kuroki, Higa.

Men's names have changed less. They all also often depend on the “serial number” of the son in the family. The suffixes "-ichi" and "-kazu" meaning "first son" are often used, as well as the suffixes "-ji" ("second son") and "-zo" ("third son").

Most Japanese female names end in "-ko" ("child") or "-mi" ("beauty"). Girls, as a rule, are given names that are connected in meaning with everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine. Unlike male names, female names are usually written in hiragana instead of kanji.

Some modern girls do not like the "-ko" ending in their names and prefer to omit it. For example, a girl named "Yuriko" might refer to herself as "Yuri".

According to the law passed during the time of Emperor Meiji, after marriage, the husband and wife are required by law to take the same surname. In 98% of cases, this is the husband's surname.

After death, the Japanese receive a new, posthumous name (kaimyo), which is written on a special wooden tablet (ihai). This tablet is considered the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased and is used in funeral rites. Kaimyo and ihai are bought from Buddhist monks - sometimes even before a person's death.

Japanese surnames and their meaning

Abe - 阿部 - corner, shadow; sector
Akiyama - 秋山 - autumn + mountain
Ando: - 安藤 - calm + wisteria
Aoki - 青木 - green, young + tree
Arai - 新井 - new well
Arai - 荒井 - wild well
Araki - 荒木 - wild + tree
Asano - 浅野／淺野 - small + [uncultivated] field; plain
Baba - 馬場 - horse + seat
Wada - 和田 - harmony + rice field
Watanabe - 渡辺／渡邊 - to cross + surroundings
Watanabe - 渡部 - to cross + part; sector;
Goto: - 後藤 - behind, future + wisteria
Yokota - 横田 - side + rice field
Yokoyama - 横山 - side, side of the mountain
Yoshida - 吉田 - happiness + rice field
Yoshikawa - 吉川 - happiness + river
Yoshimura - 吉村 - happiness + village
Yoshioka - 吉岡 - happiness + hill
Iwamoto - 岩本 - rock + base
Iwasaki - 岩崎 - rock + cape
Iwata - 岩田 - rock + rice field
Igarashi - 五十嵐 - 50 storms
Iendo: - 遠藤 - distant + wisteria
Iida - 飯田 - boiled rice, food + rice field
Ikeda - 池田 - pond + rice field
Imai - 今井 - now + well
Inoe - 井上 - well + top
Ishibashi - 石橋 - stone + bridge
Ishida - 石田 - stone + rice field
Ishii - 石井 - stone + well
Ishikawa - 石川 - stone + river
Ishihara - 石原 - stone + plain, field; steppe
Ichikawa - 市川 - city + river
Ito - 伊東 - that, he + east
Ito: - 伊藤 - I + wisteria
Kawaguchi - 川口 - river + mouth, entrance
Kawakami - 川上 - river + top
Kawamura - 川村 - river + village
Kawasaki - 川崎 - river + cape
Kamata - 鎌田 - sickle, scythe + rice field
Kaneko - 金子 - gold + child
Katayama - 片山 - piece + mountain
Kato: - 加藤 - add + wisteria
Kikuchi - 菊地 - chrysanthemum + earth
Kikuchi - 菊池 - chrysanthemum + pond
Kimura - 木村 - tree + village
Kinoshita - 木下 - tree + under, bottom
Kitamura - 北村 - north + village
Ko:no - 河野 - river + [uncultivated] field; plain
Kobayashi - 小林 - small forest
Kojima - 小島 - small + island
Koike - 小池 - small + pond
Komatsu - 小松 - small pine tree
Kondo - 近藤 - close + wisteria
Konishi - 小西 - small + west
Koyama - 小山 - small mountain
Kubo - 久保 - long + maintain
Kubota - 久保田 - long + maintain + rice field
Kudo: - 工藤 - worker + wisteria
Kumagai - 熊谷 - bear + valley
Kurihara - 栗原 - chestnut + plain, field; steppe
Kuroda - 黒田 - black rice field
Maruyama - 丸山 - round + mountain
Masuda - 増田 - increase + rice field
Matsubara - 松原 - pine + plain, field; steppe
Matsuda - 松田 - pine + rice field
Matsui - 松井 - pine + well
Matsumoto - 松本 - pine + base
Matsumura - 松村 - pine + village
Matsuo - 松尾 - pine + tail
Matsuoka - 松岡 - pine + hill
Matsushita - 松下 - pine + under, bottom
Matsuura - 松浦 - pine + bay
Maeda - 前田 - behind + rice field
Mizuno - 水野 - water + [uncultivated] field; plain
Minami - 南 - south
Miura - 三浦 - three bays
Miyazaki - 宮崎 - temple, palace + cape
Miyake - 三宅 - three houses
Miyamoto - 宮本 - temple, palace + base
Miyata - 宮田 - temple, palace + rice field
Mori - 森 - forest
Morimoto - 森本 - forest + base
Morita - 森田 - forest + rice field
Mochizuki - 望月 - full moon
Murakami - 村上 - village + top
Murata - 村田 - village + rice field
Nagai - 永井 - eternal well
Nagata - 永田 - eternal rice field
Naito - 内藤 - inside + wisteria
Nakagawa - 中川 - middle + river
Nakajima／Nakashima - 中島 - middle + island
Nakamura - 中村 - middle + village
Nakanishi - 中西 - west + middle
Nakano - 中野 - middle + [uncultivated] field; plain
Nakata／ Nakada - 中田 - middle + rice field
Nakayama - 中山 - middle + mountain
Narita - 成田 - to form + rice field
Nishida - 西田 - west + rice field
Nishikawa - 西川 - west + river
Nishimura - 西村 - west + village
Nishiyama - 西山 - west + mountain
Noguchi - 野口 - [uncultivated] field; plain + mouth, entrance
Noda - 野田 - [uncultivated] field; plain + rice field
Nomura - 野村 - [uncultivated] field; plain + village
Ogawa - 小川 - small river
Oda - 小田 - small rice field
Ozawa - 小沢／小澤 - small swamp
Ozaki - 尾崎 - tail + cape
Oka - 岡 - hill
Okada - 岡田 - hill + rice field
Okazaki - 岡崎 - hill + cape
Okamoto - 岡本 - hill + base
Okumura - 奥村 - deep (hidden) + village
It - 小野 - small + [uncultivated] field; plain
Ooishi - 大石 - big stone
Ookubo - 大久保 - big + long + support
Oomori - 大森 - big forest
Oonishi - 大西 - big west
Oono - 大野 - large + [uncultivated] field; plain
Oosawa - 大沢／大澤 - big swamp
Ooshima - 大島 - big island
Oota - 太田 - large + rice field
Ootani - 大谷 - big valley
Oohashi - 大橋 - big bridge
Ootsuka - 大塚 - big + hill
Sawada - 沢田／澤田 - swamp + rice field
Saito: - 斉藤／齊藤 - equal + wisteria
Saito: - 斎藤／齋藤 - purification (religious) + wisteria
Sakai - 酒井 - alcohol + well
Sakamoto - 坂本 - slope + base
Sakurai - 桜井／櫻井 - sakura + well
Sano - 佐野 - assistant + [uncultivated] field; plain
Sasaki - 佐々木 - assistants + tree
Sato: - 佐藤 - helper + wisteria
Shibata - 柴田 - brushwood + rice field
Shimada - 島田 - island + rice field
Shimizu - 清水 - pure water
Shinohara - 篠原 - undersized bamboo + plain, field; steppe
Sugawara - 菅原 - sedge + plain, field; steppe
Sugimoto - 杉本 - Japanese cedar + roots
Sugiyama - 杉山 - Japanese cedar + mountain
Suzuki - 鈴木 - bell (bell) + wood
Suto / Sudo - 須藤 - by all means + wisteria
Seki - 関／關 - Outpost; barrier
Taguchi - 田口 - rice floor + mouth
Takagi - 高木 - tall tree
Takada／Takata - 高田 - tall + rice field
Takano - 高野 - high + [uncultivated] field; plain
Takahashi - 高橋 - tall + bridge
Takayama - 高山 - high mountain
Takeda - 武田 - military + rice field
Takeuchi - 竹内 - bamboo + inside
Tamura - 田村 - rice field + village
Tanabe - 田辺／田邊 - rice field + neighborhood
Tanaka - 田中 - rice field + middle
Taniguchi - 谷口 - valley + mouth, entrance
Chiba - 千葉 - a thousand leaves
Uchida - 内田 - inside + rice field
Uchiyama - 内山 - inside + mountain
Ueda/Ueta - 上田 - top + rice field
Ueno - 上野 - top + [uncultivated] field; plain
Fujiwara - 藤原 - wisteria + plain, field; steppe
Fujii - 藤井 - wisteria + well
Fujimoto - 藤本 - wisteria + base
Fujita - 藤田 - wisteria + rice field
Fukuda - 福田 - happiness, prosperity + rice field
Fukui - 福井 - happiness, prosperity + well
Fukushima - 福島 - happiness, prosperity + island
Furukawa - 古川 - old river
Hagiwara - 萩原 - bicolor lespedeza + plain, field; steppe
Hamada - 浜田／濱田 - shore + rice field
Hara - 原 - plain, field; steppe
Harada - 原田 - plain, field; steppe + rice field
Hashimoto - 橋本 - bridge + base
Hasegawa - 長谷川 - long + valley + river
Hattori - 服部 - clothes, subordinate + part; sector;
Hayakawa - 早川 - early + river
Hayashi - 林 - forest
Higuchi - 樋口 - gutter; drain + mouth, input
Hirai - 平井 - level well
Hirano - 平野 - flat + [uncultivated] field; plain
Hirata - 平田 - flat + rice field
Hirose - 広瀬／廣瀬 - wide fast current
Homma - 本間 - base + gap, room, luck
Honda - 本田 - base + rice field
Hori - 堀 - channel
Hoshino - 星野 - star + [uncultivated] field; plain
Tsuji - 辻 - street
Tsuchiya - 土屋 - land + house
Yamaguchi - 山口 - mountain + mouth, entrance
Yamada - 山田 - mountain + rice field
Yamazaki／ Yamasaki - 山崎 - mountain + cape
Yamamoto - 山本 - mountain + base
Yamanaka - 山中 - mountain + middle
Yamashita - 山下 - mountain + under, bottom
Yamauchi - 山内 - mountain + inside
Yano - 矢野 - arrow + [uncultivated] field; plain
Yasuda - 安田 - calm + rice field.

Personal names in Japan are the most difficult direction in the Japanese language. Women's names are no exception here. At first, reading the translations, it may seem that there is nothing complicated. In Japanese, the surname is pronounced first, and then the given name. In Russian, as in many Western languages, the first name is pronounced first, and only then the surname. But believe me - this is the smallest difficulty that you encounter when working with Japanese names. Although even such a trifle sometimes confuses people who are poorly familiar with Japanese culture.

In Japanese culture, and in particular personal names, over the past hundred years there have been dramatic changes. This also affected the spelling of names and their meaning. New hieroglyphs and signs for writing names were allowed. The last major change dates back to the nineties of the twentieth century. Then the Parliament of Japan amended the list of permitted characters for writing names. In principle, these signs are amended approximately every five years. But as they say, only a dead language does not change.

The change in attitude towards traditions is especially evident in the modern names of the Japanese. If Japan used to be an extremely traditional society, now it is fading away with every generation. Names from Japanese comics - manga are very popular among modern Japanese names for girls. Manga is one of the Japanese cultural phenomena, comics covering a wide variety of topics for both children and adults. Manga, in fact, is not the usual children's comic, but rather a serious literary and visual work. This cultural phenomenon is known and is already popular all over the world.

Another difficulty is the transliteration of Japanese names for girls. Transliteration of any language causes a lot of controversy, to say nothing of the language of the Land of the Rising Sun. Most often in Russian practice, the Polivanov system is used. It was introduced in the thirties of the twentieth century and since then has been an unofficially approved transliteration system from Japanese to Cyrillic.

Japanese girl names popular in 2009-2011

List of Japanese female names, their spelling and meaning.

Here is a list of female Japanese names compiled by our editors. Of course, these are not all possible female Japanese names, but according to statistics, these are the most popular. Japanese names are the most complex part of the Japanese language and therefore there are so many discrepancies in their translations. Enjoy watching.

Pronunciation

Amaterasu

Writing

秋 and 明 and 晶

笃子 and 温子

彩花 and 彩华

彩乃 and 绫乃

顺子 and 纯子

和子 and 一子

后子 and 君子

爱美 and 爱海

雅子 and 昌子

直子 and 尚子

晴 and 春 and 阳

遥 and 遥 and 悠

裕 and 寛 and 浩

裕美 and 浩美

恵美 and 絵美

Meaning of the name

indigo/love

love song

love child

love beauty

bright red color

bright beauty

autumn/bright/sparkle

autumn baby

bright/clear

sun goddess

blue/mallow

morning beauty

flavor of tomorrow

kind child

island of apples

colorful/design

color-flower/flower petals

iris flower

my color / my design

pace/walk/walk

safe living.

obedient

obedient child

weaving fragrance

beauty victory

branch/first blessing

harmonious

harmonious beauty

chrysanthemum

honest, noble

noble child

pure child

pure beauty

harp sounds

happiness/light/peace

beautiful child

child of the city

circle/flower

dancing child

meaning / sincerity

tender beauty

true child of the village

elegant child

elegant beauty

true clarity

benefit the world

blessing

beautiful, wise child

beautiful child

beauty of flowering

shining baby

beautiful baby of the night

handsome generation child

beautiful moon

budding

one hundred blessings

forest child

obedient / respected

obedient tree

obedient child

above all beauty

summer beauty

lily/orchid

lovely baby

meaningful flavor

water lily

child of cherished beauty

favorite/flower

baby flower

spring/sun

distance

spring tree

spring baby

spring beauty

gorgeous baby

generous/tolerant

abundant beauty

long-lived child

Firefly

wisdom

wise child

thousand springs

scattered flowers

fragrant baby

a thousand generations

child of a thousand generations

long-lived baby

beautiful blessing/

beautiful child

blessed prize

joyful child

Japanese female names

Even in ancient times, the meanings of Japanese female names were determined. All female Japanese names, in most cases, are easy to read in kun, and they also sound clear in pronunciation and have a clear meaning. Girls of noble blood in their name acquired the component "hime", in other words, "princess".

But there were a lot of aristocratic girls, but there were very few real princesses. Therefore, the word "hime" became a little larger and also meant the presence of blue blood. It also happened that a nun became the owner of blue blood, so another particle “in” was automatically added to her name. This also applied to the male half of humanity.
But the “gozen” component was added to those women who were the wives of the samurai. But in everyday life, a name with such a component was practically not used. Most often, the wife of a samurai was called by his rank or surname.
Most Japanese female names end in "mi" for beauty or "ko" for child. For example, Minami, Yoshiko, Yuko, Yoko, Fujiko. But today, modern Japanese women are not satisfied with the soft and feminine words that are present in the name. And this is not at all surprising, because technological progress requires rigidity from women, which is not found in soft, feminine and playful names. That is why women, especially if they are business women, remove these particles in order to make their name sound more concise. Thus, they create an image of modernity for themselves.

The meaning of Japanese female names.

Azumi - protecting from danger;
Azemi - a flower of a tartar, prickly burdock;
Ai - love;
Ayano - the color of silk fabric;
Akemi is a radiant, sparkling beauty;
Aki - extraordinary, brilliant, flashy;
Akiko is a wise, reasonable girl;
Akira - clear and bright sunrise;
Akane (old Japanese) - shining, scarlet;
Amaterezu - shining in the sky;
Amaya - evening rain;
Aoi - the color of a clear sky;
Arizu - highly moral, generous, noble;
Asuka - a pleasant smell, fragrance;
Asemi - beauty that occurs in the morning;
Atsuko - hard-working, heated, hot;
Aya - colorful, bright, expressive color of silk material;
Ayaka - a pleasantly smelling summer, a characteristic flower;
Ayako is a theoretical kid;
Ayam - the shell of the rainbow;
Banquo is a well-read and educated child;
Janko is a pure, chaste, innocent kid;
June - submissive;
Zhina - a brilliant gray color;
Izumi - fountain;
Izenami - a calling, alluring woman;
Yoko - unbending, persistent, sea woman;
Yoshi - a pleasantly smelling branch, a beautiful estuary;
Yoshiko - fragrant, fragrant, highly moral, interesting;
Yoshshi - pretty;
Kam - to live a long time;
Kayao - growing generation, charming;
Keiko is a prosperous, contented child, polite;
Kay is a polite girl;
Kyoko is a neat and tidy kid;
Kiku - chrysanthemum;
Kimi - a shortening of long names that begin with "Kimi ...";
Kimiko is a historically beautiful baby, a precious, beloved, sweet baby;
Kin is a golden girl;
Kyoko is the baby of the Motherland;
Kotoun - a sound from a multi-stringed plucked harp instrument;
Koheku - lemon, honey, orange;
Kumiko is a long-lived baby;
Kaed - maple;
Kezu - prosperous, happy, joyful, branch, harmonious;
Kazuko is a child full of harmony;
Kazumi is a harmonious beauty;
Kemeio is a long-liver;
Kemeko - a turtle - a long-living woman;
Keori - pleasant smell;
Keoru - good smelling;
Katsumi is a stunning beauty;
Marie is a beloved girl;
Megumi - worthy, fertile;
Miwa - harmonious, beautiful;
Midori - green color;
Mizuki is a beautiful moon;
Mizeki is a beautiful flower;
Miyoko is a child of the third generation, a beautiful baby;
Mika - fragrant, beautiful;
Miki - three beautiful trees standing side by side;
Miko is a happy child;
Minori is a beautiful village and harbor;
Mineko is a treasure;
Mitsuko is a round child who was born into a blessed family;
Miho is a beautiful bay;
Michi - path, path;
Michiko - following the right path, a thousand times more beautiful than other children;
Miyuki - happy, beautiful;
Miyako - the March baby will be very beautiful;
Mommo - peach;
Momo - many rivers and blessings;
Momoko - baby peach;
Moriko is a child of the forest;
Madoka - peaceful, serene, motionless maiden;
Mezumi - crowned with beauty, true innocence, virginity;
Mazeko is a controlled and obedient child;
Mathemy is a graceful, beautiful woman;
Mei - dancing;
Meiko - dancing child;
Mayumi - truly beautiful, submissive;
Mackie is a genuine, genuine record;
Maina - correct, true, undoubted;
Manami - beautiful love;
Mariko is the right child;
Mesa - abbreviation of long names that begin with "Mesa ...";
Nana is the seventh;
Naoki - sincere, faithful, direct;
Naomi is beautiful
Nobuko is a faithful kid;
Nori is short for a long name.
Noriko is a child of a postulate, a doctrine;
Neo - sincere, faithful, worthy;
Neoko - direct, fair;
Netsuko is a child of summer;
Netsumi - the beauty of summer;
Ran - water lily;
Reiko - amiable, respectful, beautiful;
Rei is a well-bred girl;
Ren - egg capsule;
Rika - a fragrant, peculiar smell;
Riko - baby jasmine;
Ryoko is a kind, pretty, handsome kid;
Sake - peninsula, ledge;
Setsuko is a modest, simple, unpretentious woman;
Sora - heavenly;
Suzu - voiced;
Susumu - developing, moving forward;
Suzyum is a sparrow;
Sumiko - innocent, virgin, bright, understandable, obvious;
Sayeri - a small yellow water lily;
Sakera - cherry sunrise;
Sekiko - an early, blooming baby;
Sengo - the skeleton of marine animals;
Sechiko - pleasing others;
Teruko is a bright child;
Tomiko - preserving beauty;
Tomoko - benevolent, friendly, wise;
Toshi - emergency;
Toshiko is a valuable and long-awaited child;
Tsukiko is the child of the moon;
Tekeko - highly moral, aristocratic, noble;
Tekera - jewel, treasure;
Tamiko - plentiful, generous;
Uzeji - rabbit;
Umeko - plum blossom;
Ume-elv - plum flowers;
Fuji is a tree-like climbing subtropical plant;
Fumiko - preserving beauty;
Hideko - chic, gorgeous;
Hizeko - living for a long time;
Hikeri - radiant, brilliant;
Hikeru - outstanding, extraordinary, bright;
Hiro - common;
Hiroko - abundant, generous, rich;
Hiromi - having beautiful external data;
Hitomi - this name is given to those girls who have beautiful eyes;
Hoteru - lightning bug, firefly;
Hoshi - heavenly star;
Hena is a favorite;
Heneko is a quitter;
Heruka - far away;
Heruki - spring tree;
Heruko is a spring child;
Harumi is a beautiful springtime;
Chi - complex, intricate, blessed;
Chiyo - many generations;
Chiyoko is a child of many generations;
Chica - folk wisdom;
Chico - blessed, intricate;
Chikeko - baby of wisdom;
Chinatsu - one 1000 years old;
Chiheru - 1000 springs in a row;
Chiesa - morning child;
Cho - butterfly;
Shayori - a mark that accompanies;
Shig - this is the short name for women whose name begins with "Shij ...";
Shigeko - numerous, rich, generous;
Shizuka - modest, silent, quiet, calm, unhurried;
Shizuko - pacify the baby;
Shika - affectionate deer;
Shinju - pearl;
Eiko - magnificent, chic, durable;
Eika - a song about love;
Eiko is a child born in love;
Aimee is a beautiful youth;
Eyumi - promenade, movement;
Amy - joyful facial expressions;
Emiko is a child who smiles;
Eri - satisfied;
Etsuko - joy;
Yuka is a fragrant, friendly child;
Yuki - snowy happiness;
Yukiko is a joyful, contented, snow child;
Yuko - suitable, beneficial; excellent;
Yumi - friendly, helpful;
Yumiko - beautiful, suitable, necessary;
Yuri - yellow water lily;
Yuriko is a baby egg, a priceless baby;
Yayoi - spring;
Yasu - peaceful, calm, restrained, quiet, humble;
Yasuko - sincere, fair, worthy;

Japanese female names are divided into several types at once, it all depends on which component name. There are names that denote an abstract meaning. In Japanese female names, the components most often used are "ma" - "truth", "ai" - "love", "yu" - "affection, sentimentality", "ti" - "smart", "an" - "order, serenity". ”, “mi” - “magnificence”. The owners of such names in the future want to have such qualities, this can be achieved thanks to just such components. No less common Japanese female names with plant or animal components. Previously, very often girls were given a name with an animal component associated with a four-legged animal, for example, deer, tiger, lion. Such names brought health to its owner. Today, in the modern world, such names are not called, because they have already gone out of fashion, which is why they began to use other names. An exception is the crane component. Today, names with plant meanings are popular in Japan. For example, hana - "flower", take - "bamboo", ine - "risk", yanagi - "willow", kiku - "chrysanthemum", momo - "peach", etc.

Japanese female names have quite a few different origins. Some of the names were borrowed from other countries. That is why you can meet women in Japan who have foreign names. For example: Scandinavian (Bianca, Donna, Mia…), Aramaic (Bartholomew, Martha, Thomas…), Muslim (Amber, Ali, Mohammed…), French (Alison, Bruce, Olivia…), English (Brian, Dylan, Kermit, Tara…), Persian (Esther, Jasmine, Roxanne…), Latin (Cordelia, Diana, Patrick, Victoria…), Greek (Angel, Christopher, George, Selina…), Italian (Brenda, Dustin, Eric…), Hebrew( Adam, David, John, Michelle…), German (Charles, Leonard, Richard, William…), Spanish (Dolores, Linda, Rio…), Slavic (Boris, Nadia, Vera…), Indian (Beryl, Opal, Uma… ) and others.

Japanese female names

Most Japanese female names have an abstract meaning. Usually such characters are used in such names as 美 mi "beauty", 愛 ai "love", 安 en "calm", 知 ti "mind", 優 yu: "tenderness", 真 ma "truth" and others. As a rule, names with similar hieroglyphs are given to girls as a wish to possess these qualities in the future.

There is another type of female names - names with hieroglyphs of animals or plants. Animal names with the characters 虎　 "tiger" or 鹿 "deer" were thought to be healthful, but these names are now considered old-fashioned and almost never used, with the exception of the character 鶴 "crane". Names containing hieroglyphs associated with the plant world are still often used, for example, 花 hana - "flower", 稲 ine - "rice", 菊 kiku - "chrysanthemum", 竹 take - "bamboo", 桃 momo - "peach ", 柳 yanagi - "willow", and others.

There are still names with numerals, but they are very few in number and are quite rare. Such names most likely come from the old tradition of naming the girls of noble families in order of birth. Currently, the commonly used characters for numerals are 千 ti "thousand", 三 mi "three", 五 go "five", and 七 nana "seven".

Quite often there are also names with the meanings of the seasons, natural phenomena, time of day and many others. For example: 雪 yuki "snow", 夏 natsu "summer", 朝 asa "morning", 雲 kumo "cloud".

It happens that syllabic alphabets are used instead of hieroglyphs. At the same time, the record of such a name is constant, unlike words that can be written in different ways (alphabet, hieroglyphs, mixed). For example, if a female name is written in hiragana, then it will always be written that way, although it can be written in a hieroglyph in its meaning.

By the way, it is very fashionable and exotic instead of classic female names to use foreign names: あんな Anna, まりあ Maria, えみり Emiri, れな Rena, りな Rina and others.

An indicator of Japanese female names.

A typical Japanese female name ends with the character -子 (child) - ko. (Maiko, Haruko, Hanako, Takako, Yoshiko, Asako, Naoko, Yumiko, etc.). And currently, about a quarter of Japanese female names end in -ko. Until 1868, this name was used only by members of the imperial family, but after the revolution, this name became quite popular, especially in the middle of the 20th century. However, after 2006, this indicator of a female name ceased to be fashionable due to the emergence of a new fashion for names, and many girls searched for it from the name, and began to call them simply Yumi, Hana, Haru, etc.

The second most used character is 美 mi "beauty" (up to 12%), unlike many other indicators of the gender of the name, it can occur anywhere in the name (Fumiko, Mie, Kazumi, Miyuki).

Also, about 5% of Japanese female names contain the component 江 e "bay" (Mizue, 廣江 Hiroe).

Many other characters are used to indicate that this is a female name, each of which occurs in less than 4% of female names: 代 yo "era", 香 ka "smell", 花 ka "flower", 里 ri "measure of the length of ri" ( often used phonetically), 奈 na is used phonetically, 織 ori "cloth" and others.

However, there are female names consisting of several hieroglyphs that do not have indications that this is a female name. Examples: 皐月 Satsuki, 小巻 Komaki.

Popular Japanese names and their meanings

Since 2005, the Japanese company Benesse Corporation has annually published a ranking of popular Japanese names among newborns. In 2011, from January 1 to May 31, 34,500 people were born, of which 17,959 were boys and 16,541 were girls.

Popular Japanese names for men

№	Name hieroglyphs	Name reading	The meaning of the hieroglyphs of the name	Number of boys	% boys
1	大翔	Hiroto	big + flying	119	0,66
2	蓮	Ren	lotus	113	0,63
3	悠真	Yuma	calm + honest	97	0,54
4	颯太	So:ta	dashing + big, fat, great	92	0,51
5	蒼空	sora	blue sky	84	0,47
6	翔太	Sho:ta	flying + big, fat, great	79	0,44
7	大和	Yamato	big + peaceful, soft, gentle	73	0,41
8	陽斗	Haruto	solar + measure of capacity, ladle	79	0,44
9	陸	Riku	dry land	64	0,36
10	陽翔	Haruto	sunny, positive + flying	64	0,36

Popular Japanese female names

№	Name hieroglyphs	Name reading	The meaning of the hieroglyphs of the name	Number of girls	% girls
1	結衣	Yui	tie+clothes	109	0,66
2	葵	Aoi	mallow, marshmallow, geranium, etc.	104	0,63
3	結愛	Yua	connect + love	102	0,62
4	凛	Rin	majestic; imposing	100	0,60
5	陽菜	hina	sunny, positive + vegetable, greenery	99	0,60
6	結菜	Yuina	connect, form, finish + vegetable, greens	99	0,60
7	さくら	Sakura	Sakura	74	0,45
8	愛菜	mana	love + vegetable, greens	74	0,45
9	咲希	saki	bloom + rarely, desire	71	0,43
10	優奈	Yu:on	excellent, graceful, friendly + phonetic NA	66	0,40

Japanese nicknames/nicknames/nicknames

From each name, one or more diminutive names can be formed by adding the nominal suffix -chan or -kun to the base. There are two types of name stems. One consists of a full name, for example Taro: -chan (Taro:), Kimiko-chan (Kimiko) and Yasunari-chan (Yasunari).

Another type of stem is an abbreviation for the full name. Ta:-chan (Taro:), Kii-chan (Kimiko), Ya:-chan (Yasunari), Ko:-kun, Ma:-kun, Sho:-chan, etc. The second type of abbreviation has a closer relationship (for example, between friends).

There are other ways of forming short names, for example, a girl with the name Megumi can be called Kei-chan, since the character that begins the name Megumi (恵) can also be read as Kei.

The common Japanese practice of creating abbreviations, which is to combine the first two syllables of two words, is sometimes applied to names (usually celebrities).

For example, Kimura Takuya (木村拓哉), a famous Japanese actor and singer, becomes Kimutaku (キムタク). This is sometimes applied to foreign celebrities as well: Brad Pitt, whose full name in Japanese is Buraddo Pitto (ブラッドピット) is rather known as Burapi (ブラピ), while Jimi Hendrix is shortened to Jimihen (ジミヘン). Another slightly less common method is to double one or two syllables in a person's name. For example, Mamiko Noto, may be called MamiMami.

Japanese names in Chinese

As a rule, Japanese names are written in hieroglyphs. And hieroglyphs, like many other things, the Japanese borrowed from the Chinese. Those. Japanese and Chinese will read the same hieroglyph differently. For example, 山田太郎 (Yamada Taro:) the Chinese will read something like "Shantien Tailang", and 鳩山由紀夫 (Hatoyama Yukio) - "Jiushan Youjifu". That's why the Japanese don't understand their names when they read them in Chinese."

Reading Japanese names and surnames

Reading names in Japanese is very difficult. The hieroglyphs of the same name can be read in different ways, and at the same time, the pronunciation of the same name can also be written in different ways ... More about the features of reading Japanese names can be

Japanese nominal suffixes

In Japan, when referring to a person, it is customary to use a surname or a given name (usually the Japanese refer to each other by their surname) to use nominal suffixes, more about them in brief written

Names and Surnames of Japanese Emperors

Japanese emperors do not have surnames, and their lifetime Japanese names are tabooed and not used in official Japanese documents, and instead the emperor is addressed by a title without a name. When an emperor dies, he receives a posthumous name, which consists of two parts: the name of the virtue that glorifies him and the tenno title: "emperor". For example:

During the life of the emperor, it is also not customary to address him by name, since in general it is not polite to address him by name, and even more so to the emperor, and various titles are used instead. For example, as a child, Akihito had a title - Tsugu-no-miya (Prince Tsugu). Such titles are mostly used as long as the person is an heir or has not received a special name.

The modern Japanese name in its composition follows the tradition characteristic of Chinese, Korean and a number of other cultures. According to this tradition, a Japanese name consists of a family name or surname followed by a personal name. Names in Japan are most often written in kanji, which have different pronunciations in different cases.

All modern Japanese have a single surname and a single given name; they do not have a patronymic. The only exception is the imperial family, whose members have only a first name without a surname.

The Japanese pronounce and write their last name and first name in reverse order than is customary in the West. Last name comes first, then first name. However, in Western languages, Japanese names are written in the order familiar to Europeans - the surname follows the given name.

Often Japanese names are created independently from existing characters. As a result, this country has a large number of unique, non-recurring names. More traditional are surnames, which by their origin often belong to toponyms. Thus, there are more names in Japanese than surnames. The difference between female and male names is expressed in the use of component names characteristic of each species and their structure. It should be noted that reading Japanese names is perhaps the most difficult element in the Japanese language.

Transcription of Japanese names

Most often, in other languages that use the Latin or Cyrillic alphabet, Japanese names are written according to their transcription, as well as ordinary Japanese text, according to the rules of a particular system - for example, romaji, the Polivanov system. Not less common is the recording of Japanese names in non-standard transliteration, for example, “shi” is used instead of “si”, and “ji” instead of “ji”, which is explained by an attempt to transliterate from the Latin spelling of the name according to the romaji system. For example, the name and surname Honjou Shizuka by Russian-speaking readers in most cases is read as Honjo "at Shizu" ka, and not Honjou Shizuka.

In Latin and Cyrillic transcription, Japanese names most often go in the usual order for Europeans - first the first name, then the surname, i.e. Yamada Taro is usually written as Tarou Yamada. This order is found in news feeds, magazines and journalistic publications. Less commonly, the Japanese spelling order is used, but in this case, the surname in Latin spelling is written in full capital letters. The Japanese traditional order of indicating the surname and name can be found in professional linguistic publications.

Sometimes you can find the Latin spelling of the name using standard Latin abbreviations of the name to the initial. Vowels in Japanese have different lengths, which may be shown in transliteration in a spelling way (for example, Tarou Yamada), or may not be shown at all (for example, Taro Yamada). In Cyrillic writing, vowel length is usually not shown. The exception is educational publications, where the length of vowels is shown in brackets after writing in hieroglyphs and is indicated by a colon.

In Japanese, the relationship of interlocutors to each other is expressed by a suffix that is added after the name. So, san is typical for respectful neutral communication, kun is used in a conversation between two men, a classmate or work colleagues of equal rank, and tyan is an analogue of diminutive suffixes in Russian. The last suffix is usually used in close acquaintance, when referring to girls or children.

Most Japanese refer to each other by their last names. Only in the circle of friends and good acquaintances is it possible to address by name without a suffix, in other cases such an appeal will be considered familiar.

As mentioned above, the choice of a name in Japan is not limited by anything, names can be created from any hieroglyphs allowed for this. Of course, many Japanese use popular names that take into account certain traditions.

Female Japanese names

Most Japanese names are easy to read and write, but there is a trend among parents to choose characters with unusual spellings or readings. It is for this reason that a large number of interpretations of both the meaning and reading of Japanese names have appeared. This trend has been actively manifested since the end of the 20th century.

This phenomenon was especially active in women's names. It is for this reason that the popularity of a particular female name is not as stable as that of a male one. For the past 20 years, Misaki and Sakura have continued to stay in the top 10, but they have been squeezed out by names such as Hina, Aoi, Rin and Yui, who have not been in the top five most popular female names in the last 100 years.

Japanese girl names have a clear and understandable meaning and are easy to read. Most of the female names are composed of the main component and the indicator, although there are names that do not have an indicative component. Depending on the value of the main component, it can be divided into several types.

Many female names fall into the group of names with an abstract meaning. These names are based on components meaning "love", "calm", "tenderness" and others. Such names are given as a wish to possess certain qualities in the future (Kiyoko, Michi).
The next group of names are names that have animal or plant components in their composition. In the past, girls were often given similar names. It was believed to promote health. However, today the fashion for names with animal components has passed. Only the component denoting "crane" is still popular. And the hieroglyphs associated with the world of flora do not go out of fashion to this day. Very often you can find names with components denoting "chrysanthemum" or "bamboo" (Sakura, Hana, Kiku).
It is very rare to find names with numerals that take their roots in the ancient tradition of naming girls from noble families in order of birth (Nanami, Anko).
You can also find names that have in their composition a component with the meaning of seasons, time of day, etc. (Yuki, Kasuma)
Fashion for foreign names (Anna, Maria and others).

Beautiful Japanese names. The greatest changes have occurred among female names. New signs and hieroglyphs were added to record the name, the view on the general use of female names changed - more European-sounding names began to appear that resemble European names, although they are traditionally written in hieroglyphs and compiled according to traditional Japanese traditions. Examples would be the names - Naomi, Mika, Yuna.

At present, beautiful Japanese names contain less and less a component of animals or plants, and more and more often they began to use abstract concepts and desirable meanings of good qualities, future success (Haruto, Hina, Yuna, Yamato, Sora, Yua). Although the name Sakura does not leave the top ten most popular female names, the female name Aoi (mallow) and the male name Ren (lotus) are firmly in the top five.

The previously common component of the name with the ending “-ko”, which literally means “child”, has become considered unfashionable, out of date, therefore it is used less and less, although it has not completely lost its position (Asako, Yumiko, Takako).

Male Japanese names

Male names are incredibly difficult to read. It is in them that non-standard readings of nanori and rare readings are used, sometimes some components change in a non-standard way. So, the names Kaoru, Shigekazu and Kungoro have the same hieroglyph in their composition, but in each individual name it is read differently. Also, the same component of yoshi names, which is very common in Japan, can be written with 104 different characters or their combinations. It happens that only its bearer can read the name correctly.

Often one-component names come from verbs or adjectives. For example, Kaoru comes from the verb "to smell sweet" and Hiroshi comes from the adjective "wide". Male names that include two hieroglyphs use the hieroglyph denoting the male name as the second hieroglyph, showing also the way the name is read. Three-component names have a similar two-component index (Katsumi, Macao, Naoki, Sora).

Time does not stand still, and modern trends have made their own adjustments. Now, among the male names, traditional ones continue to prevail, but now they have different reading options. Popular male names in 2005 were such names as Sho, Shota, Hikaru, Tsubasa, Yamato, Takumi and various variations of the name Hiroto.

The traditional male name Hiroto now has alternative readings and "romanized" transcriptions. In the Russian version of pronunciation and recording, these are as if completely different and not at all close, not similar names, because the whole thing is in writing the hieroglyph and voicing it. Modern twins for the name Hiroto - Haruto, Yamato, Daito, Taiga, Sora, Taito, Masato, all of them are used in modern times along with their progenitor.

Most often, male names are divided into the following groups, but these are only the most basic ones.

The name contains the "-ro" component, which is interpreted as "son" (Ichiro, Shiro, Saburo). But also this part of the name is assigned the meaning of “light”, “clear”, which can add various shades to the meaning of the name.
The "-to" component is considered masculine and is very rare among female names. Means either "person" (Yuto, Kaito), or "fly", "soar" (Hiroto).
The "-dai" component means "big, great". Used only in male names (Dai, Daichi, Daisuke, Daiki).
Desirable names are popular, in which the boy is credited with masculine features, future successes and a wonderful life (Takeshi, Niboru, Ken).
Traditional Japanese names are related to natural phenomena, seasons, natural materials (Kita, Montaro, Kohaku, Akiyama).

List of Japanese names with descriptions

List of Japanese names with meanings

Ai (Ai) - love

Ayaka - colorful flower

Aiko - beloved child

Aina (Aina) - loving

Akemi - dazzlingly beautiful

Aki (Aki) - born in autumn

Akiko (Akiko) - autumn child

Akira (Akira) - smart, quick-witted

Akihito - bright, friendly

Akiyama - autumn mountain

Amaya (night rain)

Ami (Ami) - beautiful Asian

Amida is the Japanese name for Buddha Amitabha.

Anzu - apricot

Anko (Aneko) - older sister

Aoi (Aoi) - pink mallow

Arisu (Arisu) - noble (Japanese analogue of the name Alice)

Atsuko (Azuko) - a kind child

Ayame - iris

Ayana - beautiful sounding

Bachiko - happy child

Botan (Botan) - long life, longevity

Gin / Gin (Gin) - silver

Goro - fifth son

Daiki - great tree, great radiance

Daisuke - great help

Izumi - fountain

Ima (Ima) - now

Isamu - peppy

Itsu (Etsu) - delightful, charming

Ichiro (Ichiro) - the first son

Ishi - stone

Yoko (Yuko) - bright / sunny child

Yori - trustworthy

Yoshi - reeds

Kagami - mirror

Kazuko (Kazuko) - a harmonious child

Kazuo - the man of the world

Kaze - wind

Kazuki - hope for the world

Kazuya (Kazuya) - harmonious, cheerful

Kaito (Kaito) - elusive

Kameko (Turtle child) (symbol of longevity)

Kana - diligent

Kano (Kano) - male power, opportunity

Kasumi (Kasumi) - haze, fog

Katashi (hardness)

Katsu (Katsu) - victory

Katsuo (Katsuo) - victorious child

Katsuro - victorious son

Keiko - blessed child, happy child

Ken (Ken) - strong, healthy

Kenji - strong second son

Kenshin - the heart of the sword

Kenta (Kenta) - healthy and bold

Kiyoko - purity

Kiyoshi (quiet)

Kiku (Kiku) - chrysanthemum

Kimiko (child of noble blood)

Kin - gold

Cinema (Kino) - air, forest

Kita - North

Kichiro (Kichiro) - a lucky son

Koko - stork

Koto (Koto) - the name of the national musical instrument of the Japanese - "koto", melodic

Kohaku - amber

Kohana - small flower

Kumiko - forever beautiful

Kuri - chestnut

Mai (Mai) - bright, leaf, dance

Maiko (Maeko) - an honest child

Makoto (Makoto) - sincere, true, truthful

Mami (Mami) - true beauty

Mamoru - earth, protector

Manami - the beauty of love

Marise - infinity

Matsuo - pine

Maemi (sincere smile)

Midori - green

Mika - first sound, three trees

Mina (Mina) - beauty

Mira (Mirai) - treasure

Misaki - flowering of beauty, beautiful flowering

Miu (Miu) - a beautiful feather

Mizuki - beautiful moon

Mitsuko - child of light

Michi (Michi) - fair, road

Miya (Miya) - three arrows

Montaro - mountains

Momoko (Peach Child)

Nami (Nami) - wave

Nana (Nana) - apple, seven

Nanami - seven seas

Naoki - straight tree

Naoko - obedient child, honest child

Naomi (Naomi) - beautiful

Nara - oak

Nariko - sissy, thunder

Natsuko - summer child

Natsumi - beautiful summer

Niboru - famous, rising

Nikki - new hope

Nori (Nori) - law, ceremony, rite

Nyoko - gemstone

Oki (Oki) - the middle of the ocean

Osamu (observant of the law)

Reiko - grateful child, thanksgiving child

Renzo - third son

Ryo (remote reality)

Ryota - obese, fat

Riko - child of jasmine, child of reason

Riku (Riku) - land, land

Rin (Rin) - unfriendly, cold

Rini (Rini) - little bunny