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Japanese Names

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Japanese Names
What is Japanese Names?

Japanese names have been gaining popularity in the United States due to cultural influences, unique meanings, and a growing appreciation for Japanese culture.

Treendly Index Treendly Forecast Google YouTube
MOM: +6.12%
How much search volume does it get?
Google searches
60.5K/mo
Who is interested in this?
Gender
Female
79%
Unspecified
13%
Male
8%
Age
18-24
67%
25-34
24%
35-44
6%
45-49
4%
50-54
4%
55-64
4%
65+
4%

Is Japanese Names trending?

Yes. Japanese Names growing with a month-over-month change of 1.38% over the past 5 years, with approximately 60,500 monthly searches.


Why is Japanese Names trending?

1
Cultural Influence
The rise of Japanese media, including anime, manga, and films, has introduced many Americans to Japanese culture, leading to an interest in Japanese names.
2
Unique Meanings
Many Japanese names have beautiful meanings and are often derived from nature, virtues, or historical figures, making them appealing to parents looking for meaningful names.
3
Diversity and Inclusion
As society becomes more diverse and inclusive, parents are increasingly choosing names from different cultures, including Japanese names, to reflect their values.
4
Trendy and Stylish
Japanese names often have a modern and stylish sound, which appeals to parents looking for unique and trendy names for their children.
5
Influence of Celebrity Culture
Celebrities and public figures who have Japanese heritage or who embrace Japanese culture can influence naming trends, leading to increased popularity of Japanese names.

What are people saying?

47 threads
AI Insights Positive sentiment
Discussions revolve around the significance and nuances of Japanese names in various contexts, including anime, culture, and historical references. Participants express appreciation for Japanese storytelling and the complexity of names within that culture.
Cultural Appreciation
Many users express admiration for the depth of Japanese culture and the storytelling techniques that are often reflected in the names used.
Transliteration Challenges
There are discussions about the difficulties in translating Japanese names and the subtleties involved in transliteration.
Historical Context
Some threads reference historical events involving Japan, discussing the significance of names in understanding those events.
Anime and Character Names
A considerable focus is on the unique names found in anime, with users sharing their thoughts on how these names contribute to character development and storytelling.
Humor and Creativity
Participants also share humorous takes on names, particularly in gaming contexts, indicating a lighter side to the discussion.
Common questions
  • What are some common Japanese names and their meanings?
  • How do Japanese names differ from Western names?
  • What is the significance of names in Japanese culture?
  • Why do some people prefer original Japanese names over translated ones?
  • How do you properly transliterate Japanese names?
Pain points
  • Frustration with the complexity of transliterating names.
  • Confusion around the cultural significance of certain names.
  • Challenges in understanding the nuances of Japanese storytelling.
  • Difficulty in finding accurate translations for Japanese names.
  • Concerns about misrepresentation of Japanese culture in Western media.
forums.spacebattles.com
RE:Corazonin
... the makings of a subtle Japanese accent. "Kodoku! You killed me... eyes. "Just fucking— I need names. People. I need to know...
SleepyBird · Apr 11, 2026
boards.cruisecritic.com
RE:Live - Majestic TA - April 3 - 17, 2026
... they are Japanese Cedars.    Unfortunately, I am terrible at names and this...
jaycruising · Apr 10, 2026
rangefinderforum.com
RE:Silly, Funny, and Amusing Camera Names. A Whimsical Baker's Dozen!
Silly, Funny & Amusing Camera Names: A Whimsical Compendium What ...There have been many marvelous names for cameras over the ... Other memorable and effective camera names include Retina (coined by Dr....a small percentage of camera names that are laughable, lamentable ...unable to compete with the Japanese onslaught. Today the Rectaflex is...the folks at Shinano, the Japanese company that brought forth the ...
Jason Schneider · Apr 10, 2026
www.pistonheads.com
RE:RE: New Denza Z9GT is 1156hp Taycan demolisher
I look at these cars as my parents must have looked at the influx of Japanese car brands in the 70s & 80s - confusing one brand for another constantly. They all look... generic. I'll wait for the dust to settle before I commit to learning any of their names.
BFleming · Apr 10, 2026
forums.spacebattles.com
RE:To Kill With Kindness (Naruto/Celestial Gambler Isekai)
... dishes with very foreign sounding names with no meaning. In a... make sense to a medieval Japanese world already. The thing with... that she knows both the japanese that these people speak and... from her last life. And Japanese people also call it Margarita ...) she is translating word in Japanese, but we as audience dont ...
Priyansh · Apr 10, 2026
forums.spacebattles.com
RE:Higher Duty (MHA/Worm CYOA SI)
... was more south asian than Japanese with some hint of middle-eastern..., when it comes to homemade Japanese food, Mother has few equals... frequent updates. Notes on the names Long-story short, 2022 k4rn0 is ...if the protagonist has two names he's called by?' 2026 ... settled on an explanation. The Japanese names (Shinji and Aiko) are used ... in casual settings. The Arabic names (Muhammad and Zaynab) are used ...
k4rn0 · Apr 9, 2026
r/bleach
The best part of Yhwach's plot twist is that the name "Zangetsu" is actually too short in Japanese to require all that space to cover it
submitted by /u/kitano_Fehn to r/bleach [link] [comments]
kitano_Fehn · Apr 5, 2026
r/shiba
I bet your Shiba’s name is Japanese and has 2 syllables.
submitted by /u/Due-Desk-4556 to r/shiba [link] [comments]
Due-Desk-4556 · Mar 26, 2026
r/namenerds
Would it be too weird for a white looking child to have a Japanese name?
This probably sounds weird without any context, but there is a good reason for this. My husband's mother is Japanese. We had never considered a Japanese name before, but we're expecting our second daughter and recently he's really liked the idea of giving her a Japanese name. He particularly loves the name Mei, that's his first choice, but he also likes Yuna, Kiko, and Yumi or Ayumi. I do like a lot of these. The problem is that my husband took after his father, and with our older daughter, she also doesn't really look particularly Japanese either. You never know and I'm not going to assume what she will look like, but most likely she'll look European, white. And with a Japanese name, I'm worried it would seem weird, make us seem weird. I don't know because she will be Japanese, but she probably won't look Japanese. So I don't know how people would react to that. We live in Australia, for reference. submitted by /u/No_Papaya7643 to r/namenerds [link] [comments]
No_Papaya7643 · Mar 20, 2026
r/hockey
My japanese partner's attempt at naming your team
We live in Japan and she hears me talk about hockey. I often have the games playing in the background at home. submitted by /u/NekoNoCensus to r/hockey [link] [comments]
NekoNoCensus · Mar 16, 2026
r/lies
Spell your name in japanese
submitted by /u/Hard_Stitch to r/lies [link] [comments]
Hard_Stitch · Feb 25, 2026
r/TeenagersButBetter
What’s your name in Japanese?
submitted by /u/EconomicsOdd6557 to r/TeenagersButBetter [link] [comments]
EconomicsOdd6557 · Feb 25, 2026
All threads (47)
Thread Source Author Date
RE:Corazonin
... the makings of a subtle Japanese accent. "Kodoku! You killed me... eyes. "Just fucking— I need names. People. I need to know...
forums.spacebattles.com SleepyBird Apr 11, 2026
RE:Live - Majestic TA - April 3 - 17, 2026
... they are Japanese Cedars.    Unfortunately, I am terrible at names and this...
boards.cruisecritic.com jaycruising Apr 10, 2026
RE:Silly, Funny, and Amusing Camera Names. A Whimsical Baker's Dozen!
Silly, Funny & Amusing Camera Names: A Whimsical Compendium What ...There have been many marvelous names for cameras over the ... Other memorable and effective camera names include Retina (coined by Dr....a small percentage of camera names that are laughable, lamentable ...unable to compete with the Japanese onslaught. Today the Rectaflex is...the folks at Shinano, the Japanese company that brought forth the ...
rangefinderforum.com Jason Schneider Apr 10, 2026
RE:RE: New Denza Z9GT is 1156hp Taycan demolisher
I look at these cars as my parents must have looked at the influx of Japanese car brands in the 70s & 80s - confusing one brand for another constantly. They all look... generic. I'll wait for the dust to settle before I commit to learning any of their names.
www.pistonheads.com BFleming Apr 10, 2026
RE:To Kill With Kindness (Naruto/Celestial Gambler Isekai)
... dishes with very foreign sounding names with no meaning. In a... make sense to a medieval Japanese world already. The thing with... that she knows both the japanese that these people speak and... from her last life. And Japanese people also call it Margarita ...) she is translating word in Japanese, but we as audience dont ...
forums.spacebattles.com Priyansh Apr 10, 2026
RE:Higher Duty (MHA/Worm CYOA SI)
... was more south asian than Japanese with some hint of middle-eastern..., when it comes to homemade Japanese food, Mother has few equals... frequent updates. Notes on the names Long-story short, 2022 k4rn0 is ...if the protagonist has two names he's called by?' 2026 ... settled on an explanation. The Japanese names (Shinji and Aiko) are used ... in casual settings. The Arabic names (Muhammad and Zaynab) are used ...
forums.spacebattles.com k4rn0 Apr 9, 2026
RE:CV12Hornet's Snippet Thread
.... His eyes widened at the names on the list. Well, great, ..., you guys work with the Japanese, have you ever asked about ...? They hadn't worked with the Japanese that much… oh! "Yeah, this ... fix that, dammitall!" "The big Japanese op in the Philippines just ... draw but strategic defeat. The Japanese were unable to get past ... fleet there, if the entire Japanese kanmusu force couldn't pry that ...
forums.spacebattles.com CV12Hornet Apr 9, 2026
Re: Is Tesla a good investment?
...." I also like that he names names of companies doing advanced work... itself in the marketplace. The Japanese Panic of the 70s was ...
forum.mrmoneymustache.com Financial.Velociraptor Apr 9, 2026
RE:Heiliger Weltkrieg: Heritage of Blood and Fire
... such as Midway to the Japanese government and to revoke all ... the rebirth of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. One of the ... immortalized in history showed a Japanese general embracing a German general ... in Kriegsmarine history by two names: "The Final Sacrifice" and "The ...
forums.spacebattles.com EirichUlrich Apr 9, 2026
RE:General Chatter
... and windfall taxation (suspect strong Japanese pressure is being applied and... be interesting to see the names of the subscribers. I’m happy...
hotcopper.com.au Fitz65 Apr 9, 2026
RE:[Voting] Official tagging consensus for the name tag in Algeria
... `name`. Even if we add japanese to it, none will query... list of commune, villages, hamlets, names or regions, or bus stations... generic name in Algeria in Japanese (or may be a fallback... lang agent or fallback to (japanese) sorry, I mean to (loc_name) ...
community.openstreetmap.org ButterflyOfFire2 Apr 9, 2026
The Chosen people of the devs are Chinese players
... in your life? I have (Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.), and what... consist almost exclusively of Asian names is mainly due to this...
steamcommunity.com Mr_Schlagsahne Apr 9, 2026
Will there be an option to use the japanese voices with the Korean names?
might as well look for a voice mod.
steamcommunity.com RyuuichiKusanagi Apr 9, 2026
really? we had your back
... a trans character who dead names themselves in 45 seconds of... quite literally just a thing japanese games do, because of the...
steamcommunity.com Kituki Apr 9, 2026
RE:Are there specifc terms for those anime phenomena?
... that calls anime by their Japanese name and watches stuff other... the whole “people who use Japanese names” thing isn’t a separate group...
myanimelist.net ColourWheel Apr 9, 2026
RE:Mars Zeon Plan Quest
Blazer66 said: I think minerva? Nah, it's a UC Gundam thing where characters have names that sound almost but not quite real. ミネバ, "Mineba" (B and V are interchangeable in Japanese)
forums.spacebattles.com DragonOfAtlantis Apr 8, 2026
RE:FGONA: Kumano Hot Springs Case Event Discussion! 3/30
...... From my limited understanding of Japanese both Elice and Erice are ... the R/L issue with Japanese. Of course I could be... likely to be the intended names.
gamefaqs.gamespot.com AndyYagami Apr 8, 2026
RE:FGONA: Kumano Hot Springs Case Event Discussion! 3/30
...... From my limited understanding of Japanese both Elice and Erice are ... the R/L issue with Japanese. Of course I could be... likely to be the intended names.
gamefaqs.gamespot.com AndyYagami Apr 8, 2026
RE:Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in Cliché Cultivation World
I wonder what will Ning name the bird I feel that Suzaku (Japanese name of the vermillion bird) or Yatagarasu could be decent names but I bet there are few other good mythical bird name like Huginn and Muninn
forums.spacebattles.com null-polaris Apr 8, 2026
RE:Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in Cliché Cultivation World
I wonder what will Ning name the bird I feel that Suzaku (Japanese name of the vermillion bird) or Yatagarasu could be decent names but I bet there are few other good mythical bird name like Huginn and Muninn
forums.spacebattles.com null-polaris Apr 8, 2026
RE:Snip-snip-snip MF (Tart's Snippet Thread of Ideas to turn into a fic later, maybe, probably)
... any of the hired help names either, that was reserved for... the rider in fluent fucking Japanese. "But right here…right now...
forums.spacebattles.com Tart Apr 8, 2026
RE:John Carreyrou (journalist who first exposed Theranos) claims to have unmasked Satoshi Nakamoto
... that span, more than 100 names had been put forward, including... Irish cryptography student, an unemployed Japanese American engineer, a South African...
www.resetera.com 345 Apr 8, 2026
RE:Amnesia Motif?
.... Ask someone to write the names of all 7 dwarves in ... or Doc simply because their names are different. However, put a... list of 30 names and say "Pick out the... those doing this knew the names in the first place of .... And yeah, it's not just japanese games. Lots of western games ...
gamefaqs.gamespot.com MeepleLardicle Apr 8, 2026
RE:Amnesia Motif?
.... Ask someone to write the names of all 7 dwarves in ... or Doc simply because their names are different. However, put a... list of 30 names and say "Pick out the... those doing this knew the names in the first place of .... And yeah, it's not just japanese games. Lots of western games ...
gamefaqs.gamespot.com MeepleLardicle Apr 8, 2026
RE:Amnesia Motif?
.... Ask someone to write the names of all 7 dwarves in ... or Doc simply because their names are different. However, put a... list of 30 names and say "Pick out the... those doing this knew the names in the first place of .... And yeah, it's not just japanese games. Lots of western games ...
gamefaqs.gamespot.com MeepleLardicle Apr 8, 2026
The best part of Yhwach's plot twist is that the name "Zangetsu" is actually too short in Japanese to require all that space to cover it
submitted by /u/kitano_Fehn to r/bleach [link] [comments]
reddit.com kitano_Fehn Apr 5, 2026
I bet your Shiba’s name is Japanese and has 2 syllables.
submitted by /u/Due-Desk-4556 to r/shiba [link] [comments]
reddit.com Due-Desk-4556 Mar 26, 2026
Would it be too weird for a white looking child to have a Japanese name?
This probably sounds weird without any context, but there is a good reason for this. My husband's mother is Japanese. We had never considered a Japanese name before, but we're expecting our second daughter and recently he's really liked the idea of giving her a Japanese name. He particularly loves the name Mei, that's his first choice, but he also likes Yuna, Kiko, and Yumi or Ayumi. I do like a lot of these. The problem is that my husband took after his father, and with our older daughter, she also doesn't really look particularly Japanese either. You never know and I'm not going to assume what she will look like, but most likely she'll look European, white. And with a Japanese name, I'm worried it would seem weird, make us seem weird. I don't know because she will be Japanese, but she probably won't look Japanese. So I don't know how people would react to that. We live in Australia, for reference. submitted by /u/No_Papaya7643 to r/namenerds [link] [comments]
reddit.com No_Papaya7643 Mar 20, 2026
My japanese partner's attempt at naming your team
We live in Japan and she hears me talk about hockey. I often have the games playing in the background at home. submitted by /u/NekoNoCensus to r/hockey [link] [comments]
reddit.com NekoNoCensus Mar 16, 2026
Spell your name in japanese
submitted by /u/Hard_Stitch to r/lies [link] [comments]
reddit.com Hard_Stitch Feb 25, 2026
What’s your name in Japanese?
submitted by /u/EconomicsOdd6557 to r/TeenagersButBetter [link] [comments]
reddit.com EconomicsOdd6557 Feb 25, 2026
Genuinely sick of Japanese players ganging up on you if you have an English name.
Full disclosure, I’m half Japanese myself but I have my English name on my Z-A account. I have noticed since release that if you end up in a lobby with only Japanese players, 90% of the time they will ALL gang up on you and spawn camp you. Such a shame to see such petty behaviour, can’t we all just get along and play fairly? I literally had a charizard and I was STILL getting chased down by a glaceon lol when the map was full of garchomps. It feels v intentional sometimes because I don’t notice this behaviour ever when I play with English named players. submitted by /u/Aggressive_Turnip_17 to r/LegendsZA [link] [comments]
reddit.com Aggressive_Turnip_17 Feb 21, 2026
TIL that an Englishman named Collingwood Ingram helped reintroduce an extinct Japanese cherry tree after recognizing it in a painting, having seen the same tree growing in England
submitted by /u/Climatize to r/todayilearned [link] [comments]
reddit.com Climatize Feb 5, 2026
Japanese names that you like
Looking for either sex, thank you. submitted by /u/turtlesupsidedownup to r/namenerds [link] [comments]
reddit.com turtlesupsidedownup Dec 20, 2025
Looking for modern Japanese names.
I’ve been wondering which girl names are popular among teenagers in Japan right now. Are there certain names that are trending, or styles that are common amoung Japanese teen girls these days? I’d love to know what the most common Japanese girl names are at the moment. submitted by /u/Possible-Dark-5142 to r/namenerds [link] [comments]
reddit.com Possible-Dark-5142 Dec 16, 2025
TIL a Japanese veterinarian officer by the name of Hiroshi Yamasaki deserted the army after witnessing the Rape of Nanking. He then went on to dedicate the rest of his life for humanitarian cause by open up a clinic to treat poor people, often without a charge.
submitted by /u/Superior_Cosmos to r/todayilearned [link] [comments]
reddit.com Superior_Cosmos Nov 27, 2025
Why do Westerners pronounce Japanese names more accurately than Chinese names?
submitted by /u/No-StrategyX to r/answers [link] [comments]
reddit.com No-StrategyX Nov 22, 2025
Are Japanese name like native American names?
submitted by /u/borninthesummer to r/languagelearningjerk [link] [comments]
reddit.com borninthesummer Oct 17, 2025
I bought a fan in a Japanese store and the cashier wrote my name on it
I told her my name was Juan Carlos and she wrote Juan as “Wan”, I was expecting her to do フアン (fuan) but I dont dislike this alternative tho as F or H dont accurately represent the sound they made when speaking. Also many Anglo people pronounce Juan as “one” 💀so thats a thing. submitted by /u/Puchainita to r/LearnJapanese [link] [comments]
reddit.com Puchainita Sep 28, 2025
Are there any Japanese names that don’t immediately scream “weeaboo” in the U.S?
Expecting our first and my fiancé has Japanese heritage and grew up there so we’re exploring all our options for baby’s first and middle names. Dilemma is he looks mostly Hispanic and I’m white so I don’t want to come off as those people that just give our kids names from random cultures, so I’m wondering if there’s any Japanese names that sound more ambiguous in English? His suggestions were not helpful lol submitted by /u/PeachBlossomSprite to r/namenerds [link] [comments]
reddit.com PeachBlossomSprite Aug 12, 2025
Why do all zanpakuto in bleach have japanese names? Could a zanpakuto be named James?
submitted by /u/iTrecz to r/bleach [link] [comments]
reddit.com iTrecz Dec 19, 2024
I once got asked if my Japanese last name is from a 12 year old anime. I’m 20 years old.
I’m Japanese and share a last name with a character from a popular anime. I was picking up my order and my full name was on the paper and the lady looked at my name, says “oh did you get last name from haikyuu?” I awkwardly laugh say no and leave. submitted by /u/Throwaway4skinluvr to r/mildlyinfuriating [link] [comments]
reddit.com Throwaway4skinluvr Apr 30, 2024
Japanese names that are “modern”
My spouse and I are both mixed-Japanese American, but have limited roots in Japan. We’re expecting a baby very shortly! We are getting anxious about missing some cultural context on our name choices that might come back to bite us/them—since we hope to bring them back more often than we had. We had settled on a “gender neutral” name that one of the grandparents has convinced us isn’t gender neutral, and is also very antiquated. Looking at the rates of use in Japan, they’re definitely right about it being an old name! I ran our list by a younger Japanese friend with more cultural connection who agreed our whole list sounds dated…. But the last few years of popular names are so short and feel too trendy in the US (looking at ‘Aoi’). Hoping for a middle ground name that will sound like those we like, but doesn’t sound like a Japanese “Mildred.” Also trying to avoid any anime/media buzz names like Akira. Here’s our list; I would love any recommendations: Kaito Akari Hideo / Hideki Kokichi, Yusuke, Shoji / Shohei Takumi Kenji Izumi (we definitely need more “girl name” options..) General themes are: three consonant/characters (in hiragana, to match our own) and Relatively easy to read for an English speaker (we’ve avoided ‘tsu’ and ‘r/l’ consonants). We are not looking for “English” names that also work in Japanese. Meaning is less important; one of our parents who is Japanese from Japan will be helping us choose the kanji. ETA: noting that gender neutral isn’t so important! It’s a nice bonus but not make or break on any name. submitted by /u/Puzzleheaded_Ad_8725 to r/japan [link] [comments]
reddit.com Puzzleheaded_Ad_8725 Jul 29, 2023
TIL A Japanese YouTuber sparked outrage from viewers in 2021 after he apparently cooked and ate a piglet that he had raised on camera for 100 days. This despite the fact that the channel's name is called “Eating Pig After 100 Days“ in Japanese.
submitted by /u/delano1998 to r/todayilearned [link] [comments]
reddit.com delano1998 May 23, 2023
Which Japanese names are actually dated and/or weird for a young adult to have by todays standards? Especially ones that are commonly (mis)used in American media?
Additionally, is there a resource for name popularity in Japan by year from the 1900s to now? Thanks. Edit: wow I didn’t expect this! Thank you so much for all of your comments! This is super helpful 😊 I know it’s a bit late to add another question, but I’ll ask here first before posting another one. I saw that Naomi is dated, and I was wondering if there are other names that work in both English and Japanese are considered “normal” for young adults in Japan? Like Sara, Darian, Maria, Nina, Ken, Alan, Ray, Leo, etc? If so, do any of these names have kanji spellings, or only katakana? submitted by /u/Hopeful_Y to r/japan [link] [comments]
reddit.com Hopeful_Y Mar 8, 2023
TIL about the Asoh defense, a term for just taking the blame when you're at fault. It’s named after a Japanese pilot named Kohei Asoh, who crash landed a full passenger jet in the San Francisco Bay. When asked what happened, he said: “As you Americans say, I f-cked up.”
submitted by /u/That-Situation-4262 to r/todayilearned [link] [comments]
reddit.com That-Situation-4262 Dec 6, 2022
Just some Japanese names I like
Okay, I know this could be controversial. I'm not Japanese(practically half of this sub will know where I'm from), and I am not claiming to be throughly versed in Japanese culture. But I do have some knowledge concerning Japanese naming, and I have been learning Japanese for five years now, so I'm not 100% ignorant of how the system works. But I know I'm a foreigner, so Japanese people, please feel free to correct me or point out where I was being offensive and/or ignorant. Before I go on, Japanese naming is really, really, bleep-bleep-bleep really complicated. Heck, the language itself is complicated to begin with. Two letter systems AND Chinese letters a.k.a. Kanji incorporated, it's such a throughly complex system that I'm lucky to have been born in a Sino-based culture to understand it with moderate ease. Kanji reading in Japanese makes my head hurt, and I'm pretty used to reading Chinese letters. I could go on forever about this. The main issue with talking about Japanese names in a non-Japanese context is that 1)a single kanji can have multiple readings and 2)multiple kanji can produce the same sound. Number 2 is relatively easy in a Sino-based context, but number 1... Basically speaking, the kanji can be read by its meaning(hundoku), or it could be read by its sound(ondoku), and there can be multiple hundoku's and ondoku's possible. I'm not going too deep here, it involves way too much history and linguistics. The point is that a single name can have various meanings by using different kanji. Did I mention hiragana names are also possible as well? As said, complicated. So, I'm going to list the names like this: Name written with the alphabet/hiragana for the name (an example of possible kanji - meaning of that kanji) [my thoughts and/or relevant stuff] Finally, in Japanese there are only five vowel sounds, written as a, i, u, e, and o with the alphabet. The 'a' sounds like ah, the 'i' is like the i in ick, the 'e' sounds like eh, the 'o' is like the o in orange, and the 'u' is a sound that's something like between 'oo' as in zoo and 'ugh'. (I still can't pronounce the u properly, it's a difficult sound. The point is that it's not pronounced like the u in umbrella nor like in use.) Rambling over, here's my list. Male names Kenta/けんた (健太 - to grow well and strong) [Got to love the name because of this guy, the kanji here is from his name. The name itself is a pretty popular name for his generation.] Yuto/ゆうと (祐人 - a person with happiness and good fortune) [The kanji given here is the one Yuto from Pentagon uses, his grandfather had a list of names for his future grandchildren, and his parents used those names for their children. The name itself seems quite popular for baby boys these days.] Yuta/ゆうた (悠太 - with endless depth and width) [Kanji from Yuta from NCT. Another name that's currently popular.] Ritsu/りつ (律 - the way things should be, natural law, the right way, etc.) [Simple and sweet, and not too strictly masculine. It doesn't seem to be that popular these days, but I love it nonetheless.] Yuzuru/ゆずる (結弦 - 'pulled bowstring', one who has strong will, dignity, and diligence) [These are Hanyu Yuzuru's letters, his father picked the kanji himself (pretty uncommon kanji for names, but that's only my opinion). I admit that Hanyu is one of the reasons I like the name, but the name itself is great as well. Rolls smoothly off the tongue, feels soft yet firm, and has a unique quality to it. I also adore the meaning Hanyu's father placed on those kanji, 'pulled bowstring' instantly brings an image of supple strength, graceful dignity, and traditional East Asian values. Lovely.] Ryou/りょう (凉 - cool weather/wind/temperature/etc.) [Other names using Ryou like Ryouta or Ryouji are also to my liking, but I like just Ryou the best. There are a whole lot of kanji possible for Ryou, but this one is personally to my liking. It conjures up images of early summer days, when it's not that hot yet and cool breezes course through the branches.] Keisuke/けいすけ (啓介 - one who opens others' eyes) [I like most Kei names, Kei, Keita, Keito, so on and so forth, but Keisuke has this traditional, noble feel to it that's quite pleasing.] Tetsuya/てつや (哲也 - with wisdom, bright, talented, etc.) [A bit old-fashioned as far as I know, but it's still pleasing to the ear, and like Keisuke it has that traditional, noble quality.] Takahiro/たかひろ (高広 - one who is high and far-stretching) [Lots of great kanji possible, I picked the one that I like best. It's masculine but not overly so, has a smooth flow, and is easy to pronounce. Great name.] Kaede/かえで (楓 - maple tree) [I adore the sound of this name. I can't pinpoint exactly what's so pleasing, but I just love saying it out loud even with my shitty pronunciation. The name itself is unisex, but I like it better on a boy.] Hideki/ひでき (秀喜 - has excellence and happiness) [This is a name that feels along the same vein as Vincent for me. Sharp yet not harsh, and a pretty smooth flow as well.] Tooru/とおる (亨 - everything goes well) [I'm usually not a fan of verb names/verb-looking names, but there are some exceptions. Tooru is one, it's just pleasing to my ears.] Kaoru/かおる (薫 - a refreshing scent) [Another exception. Although Kaori is the feminine form, Kaoru has a bit of a feminine quality as well, and I think that's what makes me like it as a boy's name. The form itself is masculine, but the sound has a feminine quality. Gender neutral-ness, so to speak.] Minato/みなと (湊 - harbor/port/where water forks) [I got this from a list of 'Traditional&Historical Japanese Names' list (in Japanese), and it does feel quite traditional Japanese. Probably because it reminds me of Yamato.] Female names Nagisa/なぎさ (渚 - waterside) [Another name on the Traditional&Historical list. I had always liked this name, it just sounds so soft and beautiful like a noble lady's name.] Akari/あかり (明 - bright light) [Makes me think of a bright-eyed country girl with a ponytail and a tan. Cute, lively, spunky.] Anzu/あんず (杏 - apricot) [Seems pretty popular these days. It's an adorable name, short and sweet.] Haruka/はるか (春花 - spring flower) [For some reason, this was the first name I thought of 'Japanese girls' names' when I was a kid. I still agree with seven-year-old me, it's a nice, pretty name.] Ritsuka/りつか (律香 - the right way+good scent) [I can't help it, ritsu is such a nice letter. I prefer adding -ka or something else than -ko to make a name more feminine, so Ritsuka it is.] Shiho/しほ (志穂 - grain of will/determination) [I first saw this name from Yano Shiho. She uses 志保 for her name, nonetheless great name, simple and delicate.] Mizuho/みずほ (瑞穂 - fresh grain of rice) [Thanks to Kusanagi sensei for her work and introducing me to a great name. I'm usually not a fan of hiragana names, but in this case I like it written in hiragana as well. It has a traditional feel to it as well, since upon googling I found that one of the ancient nicknames for Japan was 瑞穂の国, 'Land of fresh rice grains'.] Honoka/ほのか (芳乃香 - youthful and fair+good scent) [Most people seem to choose to use hiragana. I prefer using kanji, but either way a strong yet smooth name.] Karen/かれん (佳蓮 - fair lotus flower) [It's not care-en, it's ka-ren. I love this name, have no idea why but I do. It seems to be out of style now, nevertheless I'm all for it.] Misuzu/みすず (美鈴 - beautiful bell) [Feels soft, smooth, delicate, and I picture a sheltered lady with pale skin and a lovely yet feeble smile.] Akane/あかね (茜 - madder flower) [It's similar to Akari but feels a bit more subtle. I picture a seemingly shy, bookish girl that actually loves going on adventures and doesn't blink an eye while watching horror films.] Koharu/こはる (小春 - little spring) [This name grew on me, the more I said it out loud it seemed quite adorable. A little girl around five with short pigtails would wear it spectacularly.] Kanna/かんな (栞菜 - canola flower used as a bookmark) [This name apparently comes from the Canna flower, so writing it with hiragana or katakana seems pretty common. I just like how it sounds tbh.] Azusa/あずさ (梓 - wild-walnut tree) [I get a classy, elegant vibe from this name, but only when it's written in hiragana. One of the rare cases where I actually prefer hiragana over kanji, actually. I picture a mature, sophisticated woman in a business suit.] submitted by /u/Ichatdelune to r/namenerds [link] [comments]
reddit.com Ichatdelune Jul 11, 2018