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Nanako 奈々子 – Japanese girl given name

Nanako (奈々子) is read ななこ and has 3 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 奈々子, the characters mean: Nara + child. This reading can be written with at least 61 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 5 to 14 strokes in total.

About the name Nanako

Nanako (奈々子 or 七子) means seven child or a soft sound plus child. A classic -ko name.

How to write Nanako in Japanese

KanjiReadingLiteral meaningStrokes
奈々子ななこNara + child11
七子ななこseven + child5
菜々子ななこvegetable + child14
七光ななこseven + ray8
魚子ななこfish + child14
菜子ななこvegetable + child14

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Nanako

奈
Nara, what?
8 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4
On: ナ、ナイ、ダイ Kun: いかん、からなし
子
child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM, first sign of Chinese zodiac
3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1
On: シ、ス、ツ Kun: こ、ね
七
seven
2 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1
On: シチ Kun: なな、なの
菜
vegetable, side dish, greens
11 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4
On: サイ Kun: な

Nanako in different scripts

RomajiNanako
Hiraganaななこ
Katakanaナナコ
Kanji (most common)奈々子

Full name examples

How to pronounce Nanako

Break it into 3 parts: na · na · ko. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 3 sound units are written ななこ.

Questions about Nanako

What does Nanako mean in Japanese?

Nanako has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 奈々子, combines these meanings: Nara + child. Other spellings include 七子 (seven + child), 菜々子 (vegetable + child), 七光 (seven + ray).

How do you write Nanako in kanji?

The most common way is 奈々子 (ななこ). It can also be written 七子, 菜々子, 七光, 魚子, 菜子.

How do you write Nanako in katakana?

Nanako is ナナコ in katakana and ななこ in hiragana.

Is Nanako a boy or girl name?

Nanako is mostly used for girls.

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Other names that use 奈

奈: Nara, what?

Names with a similar sound

Name data: JMnedict and KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Filtered, regrouped and annotated by NihonNames.