Japanese Names

An aquatic Japanese choice that would work well cross-culturally. American parents are starting to pick up on this short and sweet international choice, with over 100 baby girls receiving this name per year.
/br> Fans of One Piece may recognize this name as the Straw Hat Pirates' navigator. In the US, NAMI is the acronym for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Common Japanese name associated with contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.

Azami has a prickly image and feel — reinforced by the thistle's image in Eastern mythology as one of defiance. A name that spans two widely divergent cultures, Azami might make the perfect international choice, at once unusual and easy to comprehend.

This popular Japanese name has many various meanings (bright, clear, autumn), depending on the combination of kanji used to spell it. The final element is the character ko, meaning "child", which features in many Japanese feminine names. Akiko is one of the best unique names for autumn babies.

Popular Japanese name that also belongs to one of the most prestigious literary awards in Japan, the Naoki Prize.

Sweet Japanese choice.

Japanese classic with optimistic meaning.

In Japan, color names symbolize human qualities (in this case, fame); name of gifted violist Midori, but also a Japanese melon liqueur.

This simple, bright Japanese name is used on both boys and girls and has numerous meanings. It can be interpreted as meaning "righteous" and "prince", or a combination of mi meaning "beautiful" and ki meaning "hope", "seasons" and "valuable".

Simple and, yes, elegant -- until you think of the wrestlers.

Attractive but slight Asian alternative, with a 1970s nickname feel.

Well used in Japan, appreciated for its powerful meaning.

Hanako has a delicate sound and quaint meaning -- but there's a catch. According to widespread urban legend in Japan, Hanako is the name of the ghost of a little girl who haunts school bathrooms, who sometimes answers if you call her name.

Naoko is a common Japanese name with an admirable meaning, which, depending on how it's written, can translate to obedient, straight, honest, or green child. Naoko can also be spelled Nahoko.

Connotes a strong, solid character.

There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko.

Despite being etymologically unrelated, Aimi has a similar meaning to the name Amy, "beloved."

Concise and cool, Kota is a name with multiple origins, making it a versatile choice that travels well.

Katana is a male name in Old Persian and a well-used word in Japanese, but as a girls' name is these days found more often as Kitana, the name of a princess in the video game Mortal Kombat II.