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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!
In Japanese culture, kanji are characters that originated from Chinese script, and the meaning of a name changes depending on the kanji characters chosen. Even surnames with the same pronunciation can have different meanings based on the kanji used. Below are the kanji variations for "Kotani," listed in order of popularity based on household usage in Japan.
Introduction to how Japanese names work About this site's data of last names
小 means "small, little, tiny."
Small - Refers to something that is of a small size or amount.
Insignificant - Refers to something that is not important or of little value.
Young - Refers to someone who is young in age.
Humble - Refers to someone who speaks of themselves in a humble manner.
Prefix - Used as a prefix to modify the meaning of a word or phrase.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
古 means "old, ancient, antique."
Old - Describes something that is from the past or has been around for a long time.
Ancient - Describes something that is very old or from a distant past.
Antiquated - Describes something that is old-fashioned or out of date.
Former - Describes something that was once in use but is no longer.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
児 means "child, young of animals."
Child - A young child or infant. Used to count the number of children a person has. E.g. 3児の母 (Mother of 3 children).
Self Reference - A word used by a child to refer to themselves when speaking to their parents.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
木 means "tree, wood."
Tree - A large plant with a trunk and branches, typically providing shade and shelter.
Lumber - Wood that has been cut into boards or other shapes for use in construction.
Material - Wood used as a material for making things.
Element - One of the five elements in Chinese philosophy, representing the east and the color blue.
Plain - Unadorned and without decoration.
Numb - Losing sensation or feeling.
Musical Instrument - An instrument made of wood, one of the eight tones (gold, stone, thread, bamboo, gourd, earth, leather, and wood).
Thursday - One of the seven days of the week.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
戸 means "door, household, family, counter for houses."
House - A house or dwelling.
Amount Of Alcohol - The amount of alcohol that can be consumed.
Name - Used as a name or place name.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
粉 means "powder, flour, dust."
Powder - Finely ground grains. To grind into a powder. To reduce to powder.
Lime - Decorating or coloring.
Decimeter - A unit of length. Ten centimeters.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
小 means "small, little, tiny."
Small - Refers to something that is of a small size or amount.
Insignificant - Refers to something that is not important or of little value.
Young - Refers to someone who is young in age.
Humble - Refers to someone who speaks of themselves in a humble manner.
Prefix - Used as a prefix to modify the meaning of a word or phrase.
渓 means "ravine, mountain stream."
子 means "child, offspring, young, junior, small thing."
Child - A child born from parents.
Boy - For usage with "子" for boys and "女" for girls.
Respectful Address - A respectful address for teachers, masters, and people of knowledge and status.
Thinker - A person knowledgeable in scholarship and philosophy, as well as their writings and thoughts.
Seed - A fruit or a biological egg.
Rank - The fourth rank of the five-rank peerage system (公・侯・伯・子・男).
Direction - The first of the twelve directions, representing the north.
Time - The twelfth hour of the night, and the two hours before and after it.
Rat - The first of the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
虎 means "tiger, fierce, brave."
Tiger - A fierce animal of the cat family.
Bravery And Courage - An example of something brave and courageous.
Fierceness - Something that is fierce and powerful.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
固 means "firm, hard, solid."
OriginallyOriginallyOriginally - Naturally, without saying.
Stubborn, Unwavering - Unmovable and unshakeable.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
胡 means "hu, foreign, barbarian."
A question word used to express doubt.
Longevity, living a long life.
Ebisu - An ancient ethnic group living in the north and west of China.
Chaotian - Carelessly.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
小 means "small, little, tiny."
Small - Refers to something that is of a small size or amount.
Insignificant - Refers to something that is not important or of little value.
Young - Refers to someone who is young in age.
Humble - Refers to someone who speaks of themselves in a humble manner.
Prefix - Used as a prefix to modify the meaning of a word or phrase.
溪 means "valley. a river in a valley. valley."
故 means "reason, cause, circumstances, deceased, late."
Old, Ancient - Describes something that has been around for a long time.
Former, Previous - Describes something that was in the past.
Origin, Originally - Describes something that has been around since the beginning.
Therefore, Consequently - Describes the result of something.
Intentionally, Deliberately - Describes something done on purpose.
谷 means "valley, ravine."
孤 means "solitary, alone, orphaned."
Orphan - A child who has lost one or both parents.
Alone - One, solitary, or without help.
Reject - To turn away from goodwill or expectations.
Humility - A phrase used by kings and lords to humble themselves.
渓 means "ravine, mountain stream."
The list contains people mentioned in Wikipedia. All JP links are in Japanese only. Sorry!
Last names that have the same initial of K.
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Sorts names by how many different kanji spellings they have. In general, names with more variants tend to be more familiar and widespread in Japan (with some exceptions).
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Sorts names by page views on this site. Views reflect global traffic (including Japan), so this does not represent popularity among Japanese people only. A high view count does not necessarily mean the name is famous in Japan.
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 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.
About our last-name data