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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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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).
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!
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!
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!
The boy’s name Tatsuou was added based on Yunari’s suggestion, thank you!
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!
I’ve published an article titled “A Naming Guide for Babies Born in February: Celebrating the Season When Winter Meets Spring.” Enjoy!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Now you can save the hiragana, katakana, and kanji names generated by the My Name in Japanese Converter to My Favorite Names! Since the My Name in Japanese Converter generates names randomly, we recommend saving your favorite names to My Favorites. The names will be saved under the Converted Names tab. Enjoy!
Thanks to the caching system reducing server load, I’ve increased the maximum number of names displayed in the list from 30 back to 100 in the Japanese Name Generator! Enjoy!
I have changed the font used for kanji name displays from Source Han Serif (源ノ明朝) to Klee One.
Klee One is a handwritten font, making it more approachable and fitting for everyday life in Japan. I’d like to express my gratitude to Fontworks Inc. for making such a wonderful font available. Thank you!
We have updated our website logo to make it slightly more formal and easier to read, especially for first-time visitors. We will continue to work on improving the site. We hope you continue to enjoy your experience with us!
We’ve set up a survey about a project that would allow you to purchase items printed with your generated Japanese kanji name on “My Name in Japanese.”
For example: https://japanese-names.info/my-name-in-japanese/?english_name=Jackson
If there is enough interest, we will consider implementing it. Thanks!
I’ve adjusted the font size and made design tweaks across the site. I also fixed some minor bugs. If you notice anything unusual, please let us know via the Contact page!
It has come to our attention that displaying a list of names in random order (using “sort by random”) was placing an excessive load on the server due to the dynamic calculations required each time. Unfortunately, we’ve had to implement caching, which means the order of the names is now fixed.
However, the list of names is still presented in a random order, so as you navigate through the pages, you should encounter new names. We hope you’ll make use of the paging feature. Happy Browsing!
Sort by Most Kanji Variations
This is the order of names with many variations of kanji.
Basically, names with more variations are more common and familiar to the Japanese.
Sort by Most Viewed
The names are sorted by the number of times they have been viewed on this site. This ranking is based on the behavior of users around the world, including Japan, so it does not mean that the names are commonly viewed by Japanese people only.
Please note that just because a name has been viewed more times does not mean it is a famous name in Japan.
What is Hiragana?
Hiragana is a syllabary used in written Japanese, which originated from the cursive style of Kanji.
What is Katakana?
Katakana is also a Japanese syllabary. Basically, the characters don't have any meaning by themselves, they only represent the sounds.
Japanese try to express the words came from foreign languages with the most similar sounds in Japanese using Katakana.
What is English Transcription?
English Transcription is a term used when translating Japanese names into English. It represents a romanised version of the name with the aim of reproducing the pronunciation as accurately as possible. English Transcription can also be used for name searches.
Japanese Style Nickname
In Japan, nicknames are commonly used to express familiarity and affection. Here are key features and contexts:
Shortened Forms: Names are often shortened for ease and intimacy, such as 'Yuki' from 'Yukiko' or 'Taka' from 'Takashi'.
Suffixes: Terms like 'chan' for girls and 'kun' for boys are added to names among close friends and family. However, 'chan' can also be used for boys during childhood. Additionally, among adults who are very close, like best friends, 'chan' may still be used to convey affection and familiarity. More Details
Usage and Cultural Aspects: Nicknames are typically used in informal settings among friends, family, or close colleagues, and are not suitable for formal or professional environments. The use of a nickname suggests a degree of intimacy and should reflect the nature of the relationship. Young people often demonstrate creativity in their social interactions by crafting unique nicknames.
Note: In Japanese, the long vowel sound is indicated by a special character called a "chōonpu" (長音符), which looks like a horizontal dash (ー). This character serves to extend the duration of the vowel sound immediately preceding it. For instance, in the name "あーちゃん" (A-chan), the "あ" (A) is extended, producing a prolonged "ah" sound, similar to the "a" in "father."
Households?
The names are sorted by the number of Japanese households where the surname is used.
The more households there are, the more famous and common the surname is.
About this site's data of last names