Home / Dark Japanese Names (Night, Shadow and Black)
Dark Japanese Names (Night, Shadow and Black)
Dark names in Japanese are mostly about night, shadow, black and evening. They are real, in use, and often quietly beautiful, such as Yoru (night) and Kuro (black).
Why dark names are rare
Parents tend to choose bright images for children, so dark kanji are rarer in given names. They are more common in surnames, pet names and fiction.
First names
| Name | Kanji | Reading | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asuka girl | ææ„ | ăăă | bright + day |
| Eiko girl | ć¶ć | ăăă | occupation + child |
| Aya girl | ćźé | ăă | relax + plains |
| Sayoko girl | ć°ć€ć | ăăă | little + night + child |
| Eisaburo boy | èĄäžé | ăăăă¶ăă | defense + three + son |
| Miyo girl | çŸä»Ł | ăżă | beauty + substitute |
| Miyoko girl | çŸä»Łć | ăżăă | beauty + substitute + child |
| Isayo girl | ć代 | ăăă | achievement + substitute |
| Sayo girl | ć°ä»Ł | ăă | little + substitute |
| Eimi girl | æ èŠ | ăăăż | reflect + see |
| Saya boy | çŽäč | ăă | gauze + to be |
| Yuzuki girl | ç”æ | ăă„ă | tie + month |
| Yuhi girl | ææ„ | ăăăČ | possess + day |
| Einosuke boy | èĄäčć© | ăăăźăă | defense + of + help |
| Miya boy | ćźé | ăżă | reality + plains |
| Kurea girl | ä»Łäœ | ăăă | substitute + what |
| Asa girl | ćźäœ | ăă | relax + make |
| Eiichiro boy | èĄäžé | ăăăăĄăă | defense + one + son |
| Eitaro boy | èĄć€é | ăăăăă | defense + many + son |
| Nayu girl | äžćȘ | ăȘă | seven + tenderness |
| Serena girl | ć°ć€ | ăăăȘ | little + night |
| Yukana girl | ç±ć„ | ăăăȘ | wherefore + play music |
| Toyo girl | ć代 | ăšă | ten + substitute |
| Yuno girl | ç”éł | ăăăź | tie + sound |
| Eishi boy | èĄć | ăăă | defense + child |
| Shu girl | ç§ćȘ | ăă ă | autumn + tenderness |
| Yuya boy | ç±é | ăă | wherefore + plains |
| Seiya boy | è„żć€ | ăăă | west + night |
| Ayoko girl | ćźä»Łć | ăăă | relax + substitute + child |
| Kazuya boy | äžć « | ăăă | one + eight |
| Toshiya boy | ć©ćź¶ | ăšăă | profit + house |
Last names
| Name | Kanji | Reading | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yogo | äžćŸ | ăă | bestow + behind |
| Yukawa | ç”ć· | ăăă | tie + stream |
| Nakaya | äžćź¶ | ăȘăă | in + house |
| Yabe | ć «éš | ăăč | eight + section |
| Yuda | æç° | ăă | finger + rice field |
| Ogura | ć€§è” | ăăăă | large + storehouse |
| Kuroda | é»ç° | ăăă | black + rice field |
| Kurosawa | é»æČą | ăăăă | black + swamp |
Kanji behind these names
These are the characters in the names above that carry this meaning, with their readings. Mix them to see why one reading can have many spellings.
| Kanji | Meaning | Readings | Strokes | Seen in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ć€ | night, evening (taught in grade 2) | ă€ăăăăă | 8 | Sayoko, Serena, Seiya |
| é» | black (taught in grade 2) | ăłăŻăăă | 11 | Kuroda, Kurosawa |
How to choose a spelling
When two spellings share the same sound, compare the literal meanings in the table and say both aloud. Pick the one whose meaning you like and whose characters look balanced together. If the name is for something permanent, ask a native speaker to read it back to you.
Questions
What Japanese names mean dark?
Names built from night (ć€), black (é»), shadow (ćœ±) or evening (ć€) give a dark feel.
Related pages
More: girl names · boy names · unisex names · names by meaning