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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!
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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 "Sogawa," 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
十 means "ten."
Ten - The number 10.
Tenth - The tenth in a series.
Many - A large number.
Perfect - Complete and satisfactory.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
曽 means "ancestor, formerly, once, before, ever."
Formerly - Used to describe something that happened in the past.
Multiple Layers - Describes something that is layered or has multiple layers.
Increase - Used to describe something that is increasing or growing.
In Other Words - Used to express the meaning of "on the other hand", "what", "really", etc.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
曾 means "ancestor, previous, once, ever."
Previously - Refers to something that has happened in the past.
Multiple Times - Refers to something that has happened multiple times.
Increase - Refers to something that is increasing or being added to.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
宗 means "religion, sect, denomination."
Ancestors - A family with the same ancestors.
Origin - The root or center of something.
Respect - To revere and honor.
Religion - The teachings of a founder or the beliefs of a group that follows them.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
蘇 means "revive, resurrect, return to life."
Revive, Come Back To Life - To come back to life or to be revived.
Ornament - A decorative ornament made from a bird's tail.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
租 means "rent, hire, lease."
Tax, Tribute - Paying a tax or tribute to a higher authority.
Saving, Accumulating - Setting aside money or resources for future use.
Renting - Paying money to enter into a contract and borrow something.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
祖 means "ancestor."
月 means "moon, month."
Moon - The moon visible in the sky, the satellite of the Earth.
Month - A period of time equal to one twelfth of a year. Every month, monthly.
Monday - One of the seven days of the week.
輪 means "circle, ring."
Wheel - A circular object, often used to refer to the wheels of a vehicle.
Vehicle - A counting word used to refer to a vehicle.
Circulate - To move around in a circle.
In Sequence - To take turns.
Surroundings - The shape or form of something.
Vertical - Referring to the north and south.
Grand - A large and impressive scale.
Flower - A counting word used to refer to a flower.
寒 means "cold, chilly, frigid."
Shivering - Feeling a chill or shiver.
Lonely - Feeling lonely or isolated.
Poor - Feeling poor or destitute.
Humiliated - Feeling humiliated or degraded.
Scarce - Having scarce resources or supplies.
Difficult - Having a difficult life or living conditions.
川 means "river, stream, brook."
The list contains people mentioned in Wikipedia. All JP links are in Japanese only. Sorry!
Last names that have the same initial of S.
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Sort by: Most Kanji Variations
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).
Sort by: Most Viewed
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