400+ Japanese Dog Names

Baby names that started off as diminutives -- Ena, Ita, Etta -- seem too insubstantial for a modern female.

Parents searching for a simple, peaceful name may be attracted to this one.

Kiba means "fang" in Japanese, and while not a common name for boys in Japan, it's popped up multiple times for fictional characters. Kiba Inuzuka is a Naruto character with a strong attachment to his dog.

A unisex cultural crossover that has seen a little use from the 1990s onwards. In Japanese mythology, Inari is an androgynous deity associated with rice, tea and foxes. In Finland, it is the name of a region, lake and village which is a center of Sami culture.

Older Japanese name given new life in the anime series One Piece.

Yuta Okkotsu is a major character in the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen. The kanji used in the Japanese manga give his name the meaning "grief," in reference to the loss of his dear childhood friend, Rika. In practice, men who bear this name use the kanji meaning "gentle."

To most English speakers, Nana is the dog in Peter Pan, the daughter played by Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love, and another name for Grandma.

In Greek mythology, Sao was one of the 50 Nereids, daughters of the sea god Nereus. A moon of Neptune is named in her honor. In modern times, it works equally well for a son.

While Meron looks like a variation of Maren or Marion, her origins are in Ethiopia: Meron is the name of the holy oil used for christenings in the Ethiopian Orthodox church.

A unisex cultural crossover that has seen a little use from the 1990s onwards. In Japanese mythology, Inari is an androgynous deity associated with rice, tea and foxes. In Finland, it is the name of a region, lake and village which is a center of Sami culture.

Frequently cited as an example of cruel baby naming, à la Ima Hogg.

A modern Greek form of the mythological name Hero, or a Japanese name meaning "color." Iro is also a name in Finnish mythology, derived from Irina and Irene. Iro was the mother of the three main gods of Finnish legend.

Strong Japanese unisex choice. Dragons are a symbol of power in Japan.

Japanese-born fashion designer Issey Miyake, known for his techno-clothes, could provide baby naming inspiration.

This Japanese name is easily accessible to English speakers, and has a cool archery meaning. It first made the US charts in 1960, and was given to under 47 girls in 2022: still rare, but more popular than it's ever been before.

Sweet and springy Japanese name.

Notably used for characters in Spirited Away and Naruto.

Japanese city name not yet on the map for babies, but why not?

Kazuko is a Japanese feminine name that combines the character kazu ("harmony") with ko ("child"), creating a name that in total symbolises a child of peace. In Japan, names ending in ‘ko’ are rarely used as they now sound oldfashioned. More ‘trendy’ names are Kazumi (which means beautiful peace and can me used on both boys and girls), Kazuki (a masculine name meaning hope of peace) and Kazuo (also a masculine name meaning man of peace). The emphasis is on the first syllable, so it is said "KA-zoo-ko".

Spelled Noë, this name is common among baby girls in the Netherlands. The umlaut clarifies the two-syllable pronunciation, at least to Europeans, and the spelling variation may help sidestep gender confusion.