Japanese names have a rich and beautiful history, from their meanings to the characters used to write them. Understanding Japanese names will help you connect with your Japanese family as you discover your family history.
The History Behind Japanese Names
Writer Mami Suzuki explains that as early as 300 BC, Japanese families were organized into clans. Clan names were used as family names, referred to as uji (氏). These names were often based on geographical features or the occupations of clan members.
Over time, powerful clans emerged, with the Yamato being one of the strongest. Eventually, the other clans united under the Yamato clan. In addition to their clan name, clans were given a kabane (姓), a type of aristocratic title. As a result, the combination of the uji and the kabane became a way to designate different clan groups within the Yamato kingdom. Japanese family names grew out of the uji-kabane system.
Conventions for Japanese Names
Japanese name order follows the East Asian style, with the family name first and the given name second. For example, in the name Suzuki Hiroshi, “Suzuki” is the family name, and “Hiroshi” is the given name.
By contrast, many Western nations—particularly those using the Latin alphabet—have given names first, followed by family names. Individuals from Japan who live in Western nations may follow the Western tradition of putting the family name second, especially when their names are written in Latin characters. For a time, even those living in Japan sometimes put their family names second when their names appeared in Latin characters.
Not everyone agreed with this adaptation, however, and on 1 January 2020, the Japanese government decreed that official documents should use the traditional order for names, even when those names are written in the Latin alphabet.
Traditionally, Japanese names do not include middle names. However, Japanese couples who live in Western cultures or who are of mixed ethnicity may adopt this practice for their children.
Japanese Honorifics
In Japanese culture, the correct use of honorifics, or titles, is very important. In fact, failing to use an appropriate title is considered a breach of etiquette.
Formal titles are added to a person’s family name and include the following:
- San is an all-purpose polite title; it is appended to a family name and can be used for men or women—for example, Suzuki-san. It is similar to the meaning of Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss.
- Sama is a more formal version of san. It is used to address someone of a higher rank than oneself and to refer to customers—for example, Okada-sama.
- Sensei is a title used for doctors, teachers, and others with similar professions—for example, Takahashi-sensei.
Less formal titles are used for family members and friends or by those of a higher rank toward those of a lower rank or status. These titles are typically used with a person’s given name rather than a family name. Here are the most common informal titles:
- Kun is typically used when addressing a young man or boy by his given name—for example, Hiroshi-kun.
- Chan is most often used for young girls, although it can also be used as a term of endearment for another adult—for example, Haru-chan.
Kun and chan can also be added to a shortened version of a person’s given name, such as Ma-kun for Masato or Yā-chan for Yasuyo. Adding kun or chan to a shortened version of a name is considered more familiar than adding it to a full name.
Characters Used in Japanese Names
Japanese names may be written in 3 ways. The most common way is to use kanji, which are Chinese-based logographic characters that are given a Japanese pronunciation.
Names written in kanji usually consist of 2 characters. These names are governed by the Japanese Ministry of Justice’s rules on kanji use in names.
Since the kanji used in names can have multiple meanings and pronunciations, furigana may be helpful. Furigana are small kana characters written next to or above kanji that serve as a pronunciation guide. Furigana are most often used in children’s books, but they may also be used in adult books when a person’s name might be hard to read or ambiguous. Applications or other forms may have spaces for both kanji and furigana.
Names may also be written in hiragana, which is a Japanese syllabary—a writing system in which each symbol stands for a syllable rather than a sound or a whole word. Another Japanese syllabary, katakana, may be used for foreign names.
Common Japanese Surnames and Their Meanings
The Enamdict Dictionary of Japanese Proper Names lists over 138,000 Japanese family names. As in most countries, some family names are found in greater concentrations in certain regions of the country. For example, the names Chinen (知念) and Shimabukuro (島袋) are frequently found in Okinawa but not as often in other parts of Japan.
Like many names from other cultures, Japanese names often have a meaning behind them, which may give clues as to their history, affiliations, or locations.
Here is a list of common Japanese surnames.
1. 佐藤 Satō
The name Satō is made up of two elements, with sa (佐) meaning “help,” and tō (藤) meaning “wisteria.” The name uses the same character (藤) as one of the characters in Fujiwara (藤原). Satō is thought to have originated with nobility related to the powerful Fujiwara clan.
2. 鈴木 Suzuki
The surname Suzuki means “bell tree” or “bell wood,” with 鈴 meaning “bell” and 木 meaning “tree,” “wood,” or “lumber.”
3. 田中 Tanaka
The meaning of the name Tanaka is “center of the rice paddy,” with the kanji 田 referring to a rice field. The kanji 中 has a number of connotations related to the word center, such as “middle,” “neutral,” “halfway,” and “between.”
4. 高橋 Takahashi
Takahashi means “high bridge,” with the kanji 高 meaning “high,” “famous,” or “excellent,” and 橋 meaning “bridge,” “span,” or “arch.”
5. 渡辺/渡邊 Watanabe
The meaning behind the name Watanabe is “crossing or boundary.” It uses the kanji 渡, which means “to cross,” “to pass through,” or “to pass on.” The kanji 辺 means “the edge, periphery, or side of an object” and can also refer to a polygon.
6. 伊藤 Itō
The kanji for this name (伊藤) mean Fujiwara of Ise, referring to the ancient Japanese clan.
7. 山本 Yamamoto
Yamamoto translates to “in the mountains” or “at the foot of the mountain.” The kanji 山 refers to “mountain,” and in this context 本 means “base.”
8. 加藤 Katō
Most bearers of this name have ties to the Fujiwara of Kaga. The name is most common on the southeastern side of Japan and in the Ryukyu Islands. The kanji 加藤 means “increasing wisteria.”
9. 中村 Nakamura
Nakamura (also written 中邑) means “village in the middle.” It is an ancient place name and was a city in Japan before it was merged with Nishitosa to become the city of Shimanto.
10. 小林 Kobayashi
A popular surname in central Japan, Kobayashi (小林) means “small forest.” This name is also commonly found in the Ryukyu Islands in south Japan.
Popular Japanese Male Names
While family names follow consistent rules, given names vary more in both pronunciation and characters used. Unusual pronunciations have become more common since the 1990s.
As in other cultures, some names are more frequently used for boys and others for girls. Boy names may include a number indicating the child’s birth order. For example, the name of novelist Oe Kenzaburō (大江健三郎) indicates that he is the third son.
Here is a list of popular Japanese male names:
1. 蒼 Aoi
Aoi can have multiple meanings, but it commonly refers to the colors blue and green. It is often associated with the sky or ocean waves.
2. 凪 Nagi
The kanji for Nagi means “calmness” or “a lull.” It often refers to a peaceful sea or a peaceful state of being.
3. 蓮 Ren
The kanji for the name Ren means "lotus."
4. 陽翔 Haruto
The name Haruto refers to the sun or sunlight. It also has connotations of strength, positivity, and growth.
5. 湊 Minato
The name Minato simply means “harbor,” which may suggest peace or safety.
6. 颯真 Sōma
Sō (颯) means “sudden” or “the sound of the wind,” and ma (真) means “genuine or real.”
7. 碧 Ao
The kanji 碧 (Ao) has a number of meanings that revolve around different shades of green. This name could also mean “vivid color.”
8. 樹 Itsuki
The 樹 kanji means “tree,” “plant,” or “to stand firmly.”
9. 大和 Yamato
The name Yamato is likely connected to the ancient Yamato dynasty of Japan. The 大 kanji signifies “great” or “large,” and 和 signifies “harmony.”
10. 悠真 Yūma
The name Yūma, with the kanji 悠 and 真, means “truth” and “genuine.” It may also mean “unaltered,” “precise,” and “reality.”
11. 暖 Dan
The name Dan, with the kanji 暖, means “warm,” “mild,” and “gentle.”
Popular Japanese Female Names
Here is a list of popular Japanese female names, along with the meanings of their kanji.
1. 陽葵 Himari
The name Himari, with the kanji 陽 and 葵, means “sun” or “sunflower.”
2. 凛 Rin
This name means “to face a situation head-on.” It can also mean “to attend or be present.”
3. 詩 Uta
Uta means “poem” or “poetry.”
4. 晴成 Haruna
This name may have different meanings, depending on the kanji used to write it. The kanji 晴 means “bright,” while the kanji 成 signifies “successful.”
5. 結菜 Yūna
The kanji 結 means “to tie or bind.” It also means “knot.” It could also refer to the act of concluding something or connecting things together.
6. 杏 Anzu
Anzu, or An, means “apricot tree” or simply “apricot.”
7. 芽依 Mei
The name Mei most likely means “bud or sprout” and “reliant.” The kanji 芽 refers to “buds,” “sprouts,” “signs,” and “starts,” and 依 means “dependable,” “ ”trustworthy,” or “someone to follow.”
8. 莉子 Riko
Riko means “jasmine” or “truth,” with the kanji 莉 referring to jasmine and pear trees, beauty, and fragrance. The kanji 子 has a number of meanings, including “thinker,” “child,” or “seed.”
9. さくら Sakura
Sakura means “cherry blossom,” calling to mind the beautiful pink flowers of cherry trees.
10. 咲茉 Ema
The name Ema combines 咲, meaning “to bloom, laugh, smile, or unfold,” and 茉, meaning “jasmine, fragrance, or beauty.”
Your Japanese Heritage
These brief samples listed here give a window into the beauty and diversity of Japanese names. What Japanese surnames and family names do you have in your tree? Try searching for some unfamiliar names, and then learn their significance to deepen your connection with your Japanese heritage.
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