Aiko is a very common Japanese name with a lovely meaning that is rarely heard outside the Asian community.

Aiko

A popular Japanese name for both sexes that's migrated to the West because of its appearance in manga and video games.

Akira

The Spanish form of Amaya is both a given name and a surname, originating from the Spanish mountain and village of Amaya. In this context it means "mother city" or "the capital." Amaya can also be considered a derivation of Amaia, a Basque name meaning "the end." In Japan, Amaya is a surname.
 
Actors Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann are the parents of a young daughter named Amaya Josephine.

Amaya

A very popular girls' name in Japan with an unfortunate English pronunciation: picture a toddler with a hurt knee saying "owee."

Aika

Akemi

Amaterasu

Arisu

Ayako

A popular Japanese name used for the young heroine of the animated film, "Spirited Away."

Chihiro

Chieko

Pronunciation would not be obvious to Americans. 

As an English nickname, Emi can be short for anything beginning with (or containing) the popular "em" sound, such as Emily, Emilia, or maybe even Clementine.

 As a Japanese name, it can be formed of various different combinations of kanji characters, with different meanings.

Eiko

Emiko

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. The so-called "Hanako of the Toilet" has been the subject of countless fictional adaptations since the rumor started to circulate in the 1950s. Hanako was once such a common name that it was used in the Japanese equivalent of "Jane Doe," but it's gotten much less popular as the legend of Hanako-san has spread.

Hanako

A traditional possibility for a Japanese or Japanese-American child born in April or May. 

Haruko

Short and catchy form of traditional Asian name. 

Hoshi

Harumi

Hotaru

Ishi

Similarity to the English name Jean could be a plus in a Japanese-American or Chinese-American family. 

Kairi is the name of the main female character in the popular role-playing video game series, Kingdom Hearts. Voiced by Hayden Panettiere in the main series, Kairi is one of the seven Princesses of the Heart. Kairi entered the US Top 1000 in 2010 and was given to over 400 baby girls in one recent year.

Kairi

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".

Kazuko

Japanese classic with optimistic meaning. 

Keiko

Kiaria is pretty but sure to prove confusing given all the more familiar Kiara and Keira variations out there. 

Kiaria

Kimiko

Kaede

Kameko

Katsumi

Kazue

Machiko

An Asian name not widely known in the West.

Megumi

One of the most familiar Japanese names thanks to the first commoner to become empress of Japan and to New York Times book empress Michiko Kakutani. 

Michiko

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

Midori

Mieko

Mika is a Japanese girls' name that translates easily to English. As a male name, it's a short form of Mikael, the Scandinavian and Finnish form of Michael. Both are spelled and pronounced the same.

Mika

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

Miki

Mio is a lovely Japanese <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a> that has migrated beyond its native country. One Berry reports several young girls named Mio in Australia, and the name has potential in the rest of the English-speaking world for parents who want to move beyond Mia and Maya.

Maiko

Mariko

Minako

Misaki

Mizuki

Momoko

Moriko

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.

Naoko

Japanese name that would have no trouble assimilating — though many would associate it with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West use Nori as a nickname for their daughter North.
 
Nori entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, following the trend of "traveling lite" names, or simple, 2-syllable names ending in i such as Zuri, Ezri, and Leni that are quickly gaining popularity.

Nori

Naoki

Natsumi

Not as familiar as some other Asian imports; has a strong unisex feel. 

Orino

Distinctive and intriguing relative of Rae. 

Reiko

In Japan the lotus is the Buddhist symbol of purity and perfection. In the US, Ren can also be short for Lauren or Renee, but it could be misspelt as the more popular Wren.

A very popular girls' name in Japan whose sound is consistent with its meaning.  Another possibility is Ren.

Naming babies after precious gems as a protection against evil spirits is an ancient Japanese tradition. 

Ruri

Ruriko

Lovely Japanese name that would certainly be appreciated in Europe and the U.S. It was rarely used in Japan until the 1990s, and draws its current popularity from the fact that it is deeply connected to Japanese traditional culture without sounding frumpy and old-fashioned.

Sakura

Simple, Zen-like name of a mythological forest elf. 

Shiko

A simple and pretty multicultural name: as a Japanese name, it's unisex and means "sky"; as a Korean name, it's feminine and means "conch shell".

Sora

Sachiko

Sayuri

A lovely Japanese alternative to Tamara. 

Takara

Two similarly delicate names, Tamako and Tamaki, can be found in the Japanese community. 

Tamako

Japanese name with a special crossover/creative touch via its association with the colorful paintings of acclaimed Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo. 

Tamayo

Tazu

Toshiko

Tomiko

Toshi

Unfamiliar Asian choice that can work for a parent in search of something really different. 

Umeko

There are many in Japan, but for most Americans there's only one Yoko.
 
Yoko Ono writes her name with characters meaning "ocean" and "child".

Yoko

An appealing, usable Japanese choice, since there are so many familiar ori/ory-ending Western names. 

Yori

Popular name in Japan, wouldn't work too well outside that culture. 

Yoshi

Very popular girls' name in Japan not quite as easy to transport westward as the also-popular Rin.

An appealing Asian name with a nickname feel. 

Yuki

Yoshimi

Yumiko

Yuriko

ScarlettRobin's list "Japanese names for Girls" of 86 great name ideas: Aiko - Yuriko!