What's New

• 09/10/2025

  I’ve added more entries to English First Names in Japanese, bringing the list to 104,819 names. With this update, I’ve incorporated all names from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) baby names dataset, making it a lightweight database of U.S. baby names.

  I’ve also added the English First Name Search feature. Please give it a try. Enjoy!

• 09/04/2025

  As a new addition to My Name in Japanese, I’ve published English First Names in Japanese!

  For each name, you can view katakana, hiragana, and multiple kanji variations (ateji), with audio.

  Examples:
  John in Japanese
  Mary in Japanese
  David in Japanese
  Isabella in Japanese

  The first-name list is based on the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) baby names dataset. Thank you!

• 08/09/2025

  I’ve switched the name pronunciation voice from the female voice of Shikoku Metan to the male voice of Takehiro Kurono! Enjoy!

• 07/25/2025

  To keep system load in check, I had been limiting the number of results returned by the “meaning” search for names. Now that I’ve overcome those load issues, I’ve loosened that limit—ten‑fold as a test. You should see many more kanji and name matches in meaning searches.
  e.g., Japanese Girl Names Meaning ‘Flower’ Japanese Last Names Meaning ‘Field’ Enjoy!

• 07/18/2025

  Since I successfully reduced system load, I’ve increased the name search and generation system’s operational limit from 60 to 120 operations per hour. I’ve also made other site improvements. Enjoy!

• 06/28/2025

  I’ve fixed the issue that prevented names generated by the Japanese Name Converter from being added to My Favorites when using Safari on iPhone or iPad. Please clear your browser cache, but keep your cookies as they are, and give it a try. Enjoy!

• 06/20/2025

  Until now, this icon triggered the browser’s built-in speech synthesis, but we’ve now upgraded to the high-quality VOICEVOX ENGINE! Press the icon to hear crystal-clear, natural speech in Shikoku Metan’s voice. Enjoy!

• 06/07/2025

  On the Japanese Girl Names, Japanese Boy Names, and Japanese Unisex Names pages, I’ve added a list of popular English meaning searches under “Explore Names by Meaning.” Enjoy!

• 06/04/2025

  I’ve renamed My Favorite Names to My Favorites and added a new feature: you can now add individual kanji, hiragana, and katakana characters from the Japanese Name Character List straight to My Favorites. Enjoy!

• 05/22/2025

  I’ve made some updates to the search system for first names and last names. The search results should be slightly different. I also fixed some bugs to ensure the information displays correctly. If you notice anything unusual, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy!

• 05/08/2025

  I made some design adjustments to the site. If anything looks off, please try clearing your browser cache. No changes were made to the functionality, but if you notice any issues, feel free to reach out via the Contact page!

• 05/03/2025

  On the My Favorite Names page, list items used to be draggable by tapping anywhere on the item, which made it difficult to scroll down—especially on mobile when the list got long.
  Now, I’ve added dedicated ⋮⋮ drag handles to the left side of each item. You can drag and drop using just that handle to reorder your list more easily. Enjoy!

• 04/27/2025

  1. I’ve fine-tuned the name meaning search algorithm to match kanji even more closely to the words you enter.
  2. To keep things running smoothly and keep bots in check, the name search and generation system is now limited to 60 actions per hour. Thanks so much for your understanding!

• 04/03/2025

  For the name search feature, when using the English meaning search, the process is resource-intensive and may take a bit of time to render the page — so I’ve added a loading screen. Enjoy!

• 04/01/2025

  I’ve done a little spring cleaning on our unisex names. For cases where the number of kanji variations was hugely different between the male and female versions (95%+ difference—like “Yukina,” which had 553 female variations but only 3 male ones), I kept the version with more variations and tidied up the other. This helps keep things clearer and more useful for everyone!

• 02/27/2025

  I have updated the English transcription section on name detail pages to link to the respective detail pages if they exist.

  For example, on the first name Yuuka page, Yuka is now linked. Similarly, on the last name Satou page, Sato is now linked.

  

   

  

  This makes it easier to navigate between similar names! I’ve also made some minor visual adjustments. Enjoy!

• 02/23/2025

  I have added 4,901 Japanese individuals born before 1900 to the Real Persons database. These are mainly historical figures with recorded birth and death years.

  e.g.
  First Name Nobunaga: The name of Oda Nobunaga, a warlord from the Sengoku period.
  Last Name Tokugawa: The surname of the Tokugawa family, starting with Tokugawa Ieyasu (founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan).

• 02/21/2025

  I reviewed and fixed an issue with anchor links, e.g., https://japanese-names.info/first-name/haruka-2/#%E7%BE%8E%E6%B5%B7, that were not working correctly.
  Since the ad needs time to load, the scrolling is now slightly slower. I recommend clearing your browser cache!

• 02/18/2025

  I have added 53,070 Japanese individuals born in 1900 or later to the Real Person database. Their names are now displayed on each first/last name detail page. I also plan to add records from before 1900 in the future!

• 02/15/2025

  I have added lists of historical figures and real people to each first/last name detail page.

  e.g.
  https://japanese-names.info/first-name/haruka-2/#real-persons

  https://japanese-names.info/last-name/watanabe/#real-persons

  The database is still small, but I plan to expand it over time. Enjoy!

• 02/12/2025

  The boy’s name Tatsuou was added based on Yunari’s suggestion, thank you!

• 02/11/2025

  I have adjusted the selection of kanji and their ordering for name searches by English meaning. The earlier a kanji appears in the list, the closer it is to the exact meaning.

  e.g.
  ・Japanese First Names Meaning ‘Ring’
  ・Japanese Last Names Meaning ‘God’

  Let me know if anything seems off via Contact!

• 02/07/2025

  I’ve published an article titled “A Naming Guide for Babies Born in February: Celebrating the Season When Winter Meets Spring.” Enjoy!

• 01/23/2025

  I’ve published a guide article titled “A Guide to Choosing a Name for a Baby Born in January: Embracing the Beauty of Winter and the Hope of a New Year“, featuring names inspired by January births.

• 01/20/2025

  I’ve reviewed and expanded the article on What’s in a Japanese name? Introduction to how Japanese names work. I hope you enjoy it!

• 12/14/2024

  I’ve implemented a feature that displays possible kanji combinations based on the meaning when no results are found in the database during an English meaning search.

  e.g. Japanese First Names Meaning ‘Evil Moon’
  e.g. Japanese Last Names Meaning ‘Sadness Tears’:

  In Japanese naming culture, it is customary to choose names with auspicious meanings, and names with negative meanings are rarely used. This feature should be particularly useful when searching for names with negative connotations. Enjoy!

• 12/05/2024

  Since it’s winter, I changed the background image of the main visual on the TOP page to Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gifu Prefecture. Have a great day!

• 11/21/2024

  I have reviewed the processing for English meaning searches in First Name and Last Name searches.

  First Name Search: Searching for “ocean wind”
  https://japanese-names.info/first-names/search-result/meaning-ocean+wind/
  First Name Search: Searching for “ocean wind” (with Exact match checked)
  https://japanese-names.info/first-names/search-result/meaning-ocean+wind_exact-1/

  Last Name Search: Searching for “blue tree”
  https://japanese-names.info/last-names/search-result/meaning-blue+tree/
  Last Name Search: Searching for “blue tree” (with Exact match checked)
  https://japanese-names.info/last-names/search-result/meaning-blue+tree_exact-1/

  When “Exact match” is checked, the search will be more specific, which may result in fewer matches. The Free Word search can handle up to 4 words, but please note that the more words entered, the longer the processing time may be. Thank you for your understanding!

• 11/11/2024

  Enjoy smoother organization on the My Favorite Names page with our updated drag-and-drop feature. Items now slide smoothly into place as you arrange your lists. We hope you like the upgrade!

• 10/22/2024

  I have implemented URL saving for the Name Filter. For example, the URL https://japanese-names.info/first-name/yukina-2/?filter=snow will display a list of kanji names filtered to include “snow” using the Name Filter. Additionally, the number of matches found is now displayed in real-time when using the filter.

  This feature has been implemented on all pages with filter functionality, such as First Names detail pages, Last Names detail pages, Japanese Name Generator, and Japanese Naming Characters List. Enjoy!