Japanese names are often beautiful sounding even to the most Americanized ears. If you are looking for a Japanese baby name for the latest addition to your family, this page will help you find resources for understanding Japanese names.
It is important to note that even though you are choosing a Japanese baby name, some sources (even those in print) might mislead you regarding the meaning of the names you are considering. Be sure to check and double check the meaning of your child’s name.
Japanese baby names, like Hawaiian baby names, do not often have consonant clusters. This means that there are many vowels in Japanese names. Japanese baby names do not include a middle name, and they list the family name of the baby first, followed by the given name. (The English equivalent would be writing a name like Smith John—it follows the order of lastname firstname).
There are some recurring elements in many Japanese baby names. Names that end in –ro are common for little boys, as it means “son” as well as “bright and clear.” Japanese baby names for girls often end in –mi, which means beauty. The combinations ichi and kazo both mean first son, and ji means second son. These are often found in names for Japanese babies. Japanese names, like many other names of foreign languages, are originally written in a different language (and in the case of Japanese, can be taken from three different alphabets), which makes spelling them in English an act of transliteration, where varying spellings would be acceptable for one name.
In Japanese, it used to be common to name baby girls names that end in –ko, which means “child.” This can be in the sense of Mariko, child of Mari, or Mamiko, child of Mami. Currently, however, many Japanese women drop the –ko suffix to their name when they become adults, and it is growing less popular in Japanese baby names.
Here are some beautiful Japanese baby names for girls: Keiko (beloved, adored), Kiku (chrysanthemum), Etsu (delight), Akina (spring flower), Matsu (pine tree), Nami (wave, in the water), Nara (oak tree), Rei (gratitude), Sachi (joy), Toyo (plentiful), and Taka (honourable). There are also many beautiful Japanese baby names for boys, which include: Akira (intelligent), Mamoru (earth), Fudo (the God of fire and wisdom), Kiyoshi (the quiet one), Yukio (God will nourish), Hiroshi (generous), and Haru (born in the spring).
Some Japanese names can be used for both baby boys and baby girls. These unisex names include Masa (which means good and straightforward) and Tama (a jewel: this word in Polynesian, however, means son).
As with names from any other culture, you might find yourself attracted to Japanese names because of characters in literature or film. Consider Keiko (beloved) from the Star Trek series, or Ronan (samurai without a master) from the comic book world. You might find that literary or cultural references to certain Japanese baby names add attraction for you or make the baby names lose their luster.
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