Japanese Names

Streamlined and sleek Japanese name with a sweet, fragrant meaning.

The childhood name of the heroine of Memoirs of a Geisha is pretty and accessible. Chiyiko is a pet form.

Commonly used in Japan, and so much more distinguished than Jen.

Bright, just like its meaning.

Riko is a hugely popular name for baby girls in contemporary Japan, and one that easily translates to the West.

Sweet Japanese name that would work well as an alternative to the now-dated Alyssa and Marissa.

Well-used in Japan, this name refers to the suzu, a tiny metal bell often placed in a silk charm bag and attached to a girl's undergarment so that a lovely tinkling sound is heard as she moves, and originally thought to frighten demons.

The lead character of the Oscar-nominated 2016 film "Kubo and the Two Strings" lives in Edo-period Japan, but his name is more often heard as a surname in Japan. Still, fans of the animated movie may want to consider it.

A springtime baby name appropriate for either sex.

As a Japanese name, Umina derives from umi, meaning "sea", combined with a range of other kanji characters.

Most common in Japan in the mid-20th century, but to Western ears it doesn't sound dated.

Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and the first to reach the summits of the tallest peaks on all seven continents.

Momoko is a Japanese name meaning "peach child." It's also the name of a character in the popular Sailor Moon manga series.