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26,551 first names, 70,620 last names, 333,585 kanji variations.
one of the best Japanese name search tools for your baby!
Hotakun(ほたくん)
Hotarin(ほたりん)
Hotatchi(ほたっち)![]()
This name is considered unisex, but it's more commonly used for girls.
See the girls' version here.
This name is also used as a surname:
Hotaru
In Japanese culture, kanji are characters that originated from Chinese script, and the meaning of a name changes depending on the kanji characters chosen. The more variations of kanji a name has, the more common it is in Japan. Conversely, a name with very few kanji variations is considered unique and rare. Below are the kanji variations for "Hotaru," ranked by the total number of "Good!" votes.
蛍 means "firefly, glowworm."
Firefly - Fire (火) represents passion, purification, and the transformative power that forges strength. May your child burn with the fire of passion, purifying what is impure and forging strength from trials.
Glowworm - A gentle glow represents warmth, comfort, and the quiet radiance of inner peace. May your child glow with inner warmth, comforting all who come near their gentle light.
蛍 means "firefly, glowworm."
Firefly - Fire (火) represents passion, purification, and the transformative power that forges strength. May your child burn with the fire of passion, purifying what is impure and forging strength from trials.
Glowworm - A gentle glow represents warmth, comfort, and the quiet radiance of inner peace. May your child glow with inner warmth, comforting all who come near their gentle light.
瑠 means "lapis lazuli."
豊 means "abundant, rich, bountiful."
Fertile - Producing Abundantly; productive.
Abundant - Abundance represents the overflowing blessings that come from a generous universe. May your child live abundantly, overflowing with blessings to share.
Rich - Wealth represents abundance, resources, and the means to do good. May your child prosper in all ways and share their abundance.
Bountiful - Being bountiful represents a valuable quality that enriches character and life. May your child be bountiful, letting this quality guide their path.
Fertile - Fertile - Producing Abundantly; productive - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of fertile throughout life.
Large, Big - Largeness represents generosity, capacity, and the ability to encompass much. May your child have a large heart and mind, generous and encompassing.
Praise Prefix - Praise represents recognition, encouragement, and celebrating what is good. May your child give and receive praise, celebrating goodness in all.
隆 means "prosperity, high, noble."
Prosperity - Flourishing Condition; success.
Prosperous, Vigorous - Having a strong energy or momentum.
Prosperity - Prosperity - Flourishing Condition; success - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of prosperity throughout life.
High - Height represents lofty aspirations, nobility, and elevated thinking. May your child aim high, with noble aspirations and elevated thoughts.
Noble - Nobility represents high character, dignity, and the conduct worthy of respect. May your child be noble in character, dignified and worthy of respect.
Prosperous, Vigorous - Prosperity represents flourishing, abundance, and the success that comes from effort. May your child prosper in all good endeavors, flourishing in every season.
帆 means "sail, navigate."
樽 means "barrel, cask, keg."
Barrel - A wooden container for liquids.
Cask - A vessel for storing wine or sake.
Keg - A small barrel for beverages.
Barrel - The barrel represents containment, preservation, and storing value. May your child preserve what is valuable.
Cask - Containers hold and protect what is precious. May your child be a vessel for good things and protect what matters.
Keg - Small things often hold great importance; attention to detail matters. May your child appreciate small blessings and attend to fine details.
蛍 means "firefly, glowworm."
Firefly - Fire (火) represents passion, purification, and the transformative power that forges strength. May your child burn with the fire of passion, purifying what is impure and forging strength from trials.
Glowworm - A gentle glow represents warmth, comfort, and the quiet radiance of inner peace. May your child glow with inner warmth, comforting all who come near their gentle light.
琉 means "lapis lazuli, ryukyu."
Lapis Lazuli - Lapis lazuli represents the night sky, truth, and royal wisdom in many ancient cultures. May your child possess lapis lazuli's depth, embodying truth and royal wisdom.
Ryukyu - Earth represents stability, nurturing, and solid foundation. May your child stand on solid ground with deep roots.
穂 means "ear of grain."
Ear of Grain - The seed-bearing tip of a grain plant such as rice or wheat.
Grain Stalk - The part of a grain stalk where the grain is attached.
Grain-like Shape - An object with a shape similar to a grain stalk.
Ear of Grain - The ear of grain symbolizes the harvest, abundance, and the fruits of patient cultivation. May your child reap abundant harvests from the seeds of effort they plant.
Grain Stalk - The grain stalk stands tall, bearing the weight of the harvest it supports. May your child stand strong, supporting others and bearing fruit abundantly.
Grain-like Shape - Grain shapes represent the forms of abundance and nourishment. May your child appreciate the forms of abundance in their life.
樽 means "barrel, cask, keg."
Barrel - A wooden container for liquids.
Cask - A vessel for storing wine or sake.
Keg - A small barrel for beverages.
Barrel - The barrel represents containment, preservation, and storing value. May your child preserve what is valuable.
Cask - Containers hold and protect what is precious. May your child be a vessel for good things and protect what matters.
Keg - Small things often hold great importance; attention to detail matters. May your child appreciate small blessings and attend to fine details.
笑 means "laugh, smile, joy."
Laugh - Laugh - To express amusement - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of laugh throughout life.
Smile - Smile - A facial expression of happiness - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of smile throughout life.
Joy - Joy is the spontaneous happiness that arises from a heart at peace with itself and the world. May your child overflow with joy, spreading happiness to everyone they meet.
大 means "big, excellent, greatly."
Big - Large in Size; great in degree; many in number or quantity.
Excellent - Outstanding; magnificent; impressive.
Approximately - Roughly; generally; more or less.
Grand - Of great size, scope, or extent.
Honorific - A word of respect added before someone's name.
Prefix - A prefix indicating respect or greatness.
Respectful - Showing respect or reverence for someone or something.
Big - Bigness represents generosity, capacity, and the ability to embrace much. May your child have a big heart, with generous capacity to embrace all of life.
Excellent - Excellence represents the pursuit of the highest quality in all endeavors. May your child pursue excellence in all they do, always striving for their best.
Greatly - Greatness encompasses exceptional ability, noble character, and significant achievement. May your child achieve true greatness—not just in accomplishment, but in character.
Approximately - Approximately - Roughly; generally; more or less - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of approximately throughout life.
Grand - Grandness represents magnificence, noble ambition, and achieving great things. May your child dream grand dreams and achieve magnificent things with noble purpose.
Honorific - Honorifics reflect respect, social harmony, and proper recognition of others. May your child both earn and give respect appropriately throughout life.
Prefix - Food represents sustenance, sharing, and the gifts of the earth. May your child be well nourished and share food generously.
Proud - Proud - Arrogant; having a haughty attitude - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of proud throughout life.
Respectful - Respect (敬) is fundamental to Japanese social harmony, honoring the dignity of all beings. May your child show and earn respect, honoring others while being worthy of honor themselves.
星 means "star, celestial, suspect."
Star - A celestial body visible at night.
Celestial - Relating to the sky or heavens.
Suspect - A person under investigation.
Aim - A target, a goal.
Star - Stars represent hope, guidance, and the eternal connection between heaven and earth. May your child be a guiding star, leading others with wisdom and shining brightly even in darkness.
Celestial - Being celestial represents a valuable quality that enriches character and life. May your child be celestial, letting this quality guide their path.
Suspect - Children carry forward the hopes and dreams of their families. May your child fulfill the hopes placed in them and add their own.
Aim - Aim - A target, a goal - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of aim throughout life.
大 means "big, excellent, greatly."
Big - Large in Size; great in degree; many in number or quantity.
Excellent - Outstanding; magnificent; impressive.
Approximately - Roughly; generally; more or less.
Grand - Of great size, scope, or extent.
Honorific - A word of respect added before someone's name.
Prefix - A prefix indicating respect or greatness.
Respectful - Showing respect or reverence for someone or something.
Big - Bigness represents generosity, capacity, and the ability to embrace much. May your child have a big heart, with generous capacity to embrace all of life.
Excellent - Excellence represents the pursuit of the highest quality in all endeavors. May your child pursue excellence in all they do, always striving for their best.
Greatly - Greatness encompasses exceptional ability, noble character, and significant achievement. May your child achieve true greatness—not just in accomplishment, but in character.
Approximately - Approximately - Roughly; generally; more or less - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of approximately throughout life.
Grand - Grandness represents magnificence, noble ambition, and achieving great things. May your child dream grand dreams and achieve magnificent things with noble purpose.
Honorific - Honorifics reflect respect, social harmony, and proper recognition of others. May your child both earn and give respect appropriately throughout life.
Prefix - Food represents sustenance, sharing, and the gifts of the earth. May your child be well nourished and share food generously.
Proud - Proud - Arrogant; having a haughty attitude - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of proud throughout life.
Respectful - Respect (敬) is fundamental to Japanese social harmony, honoring the dignity of all beings. May your child show and earn respect, honoring others while being worthy of honor themselves.
流 means "flow, current, style."
Current - A body of moving water.
Counting - A way of counting flags or brooms.
Exile - To exile as a punishment, to send away to a distant place.
Fellowship - Companions, bloodline, same kind.
Spread - To spread, to disseminate, to pass on.
Status - Quality, class, rank, social standing.
Stream - A stream, a flowing river, a changing state.
Unfounded - Something without basis, something done carelessly, something uncertain.
Flow - Flowing represents natural movement, ease, and going with life's currents. May your child flow through life with natural grace.
Current - The current represents moving forward, flowing energy, and the power of momentum. May your child ride life's currents wisely.
Style - Style - A Manner; a school of thought - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of style throughout life.
Counting - Noble titles carry both honor and responsibility to serve others. May your child carry themselves with dignity and serve others honorably.
Exile - Places hold meaning, memory, and the context for our lives. May your child find their place in the world and make it better.
Fellowship - Fellowship - Companions, bloodline, same kind - carries meaning in Japanese naming tradition. May your child embody the positive aspects of fellowship throughout life.
Spread - Spreading represents sharing, expansion, and the dissemination of good. May your child spread kindness and knowledge wherever they go.
Status - Noble titles carry both honor and responsibility to serve others. May your child carry themselves with dignity and serve others honorably.
Stream - Streams represent freshness, the beginning of journeys, and the purity of mountain springs. May your child carry the freshness of a mountain stream, pure of heart and full of life.
Unfounded - Objects serve purposes and remind us of what matters. May your child value things for their true worth and purpose.
The list contains people mentioned in Wikipedia. All JP links are in Japanese only. Sorry!
Names that have the same gender and start with H.
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What is Hiragana?
Hiragana is one of the two Japanese syllabaries. Each character represents a sound (mora), not a meaning. It is used for native words, grammatical particles, verb/adjective endings (okurigana), and to show pronunciation above kanji (furigana). It developed from cursive forms of kanji.
What is Katakana?
Katakana is one of the two Japanese syllabaries. Each character represents a sound (mora), not a meaning. It is mainly used to write foreign words and names, loanwords, onomatopoeia, and for emphasis.
What are English Syllables?
A syllable is a unit of pronunciation in English — it’s the beat you hear when you say a word.
Here are a few quick examples:
cat = 1 syllable
ba-by = 2 syllables
beau-ti-ful = 3 syllables
On this site, English Syllables show how a name naturally breaks into sounds when spoken in English. This helps you understand how English speakers naturally say the name and where they pause between sounds.
What are Japanese Morae?
A mora (plural: morae, Japanese: 拍 Haku) is the basic unit of sound in Japanese — think of it as one rhythmic “beat” when speaking.
Here are a few quick examples:
あ (a) = 1 mora
あい (a-i) = 2 morae
きょう (kyo-u) = 2 morae
On this site, Japanese Morae show how many “beats” a name has in Japanese. Most Japanese names have about 2–4 morae, which affects how natural and rhythmic the name sounds to native speakers.
This helps you see how the name fits into the natural rhythm of Japanese speech.
What is English Transcription?
“English transcription” (romanization) is the romanized form of a Japanese name, intended to reproduce its pronunciation as closely as possible. It is also useful for searching names on this site.
Japanese-Style Nicknames
In Japan, nicknames are used to express familiarity and affection. Typical features include:
Shortened forms: Names are often shortened for closeness, e.g., “Yuki” from “Yukiko” or “Taka” from “Takashi”.
Suffixes: Terms like “-chan” (often for girls, also for young children) and “-kun” (often for boys) are used among family and close friends. Among very close adults, “-chan” may still be used. More details
Use & context: Nicknames are informal—common among friends, family, or close colleagues—and are not suitable for formal or professional settings. Their use implies a certain degree of intimacy.
Long vowels: The long vowel mark “chōonpu” (ー) extends the preceding vowel. For example, “あーちゃん” (A-chan) lengthens the “あ” sound.
Households
Sorts surnames by the estimated number of Japanese households that use them. More households generally indicates a more common or well-known surname.
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