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Naoko 生子 – Japanese girl given name

Naoko (生子) is read なおこ and has 3 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 生子, the characters mean: life + child. This reading can be written with at least 108 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 7 to 13 strokes in total.

About the name Naoko

Naoko (直子 or 尚子) means honest child. It was a very common girls' name in the twentieth century.

How to write Naoko in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
生子	なおこ	life + child	8
作子	なおこ	make + child	10
公子	なおこ	public + child	7
直子	なおこ	straightaway + child	11
真子	なおこ	true + child	13
有子	なおこ	possess + child	9

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

The kanji in Naoko

生

life, genuine, birth

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: セイ、ショウ Kun: い、う、うま

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

作

make, production, prepare, build

7 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: サク、サ Kun: つく、づく

公

public, prince, official, governmental

4 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: コウ、ク Kun: おおやけ

Naoko in different scripts

Romaji	Naoko
Hiragana	なおこ
Katakana	ナオコ
Kanji (most common)	生子

Full name examples

Naoko Yuki (Japanese order: 結城生子, ゆうきなおこ)
Naoko Kono (Japanese order: 河野生子, こうのなおこ)
Naoko Maki (Japanese order: 牧生子, まきなおこ)

How to pronounce Naoko

Break it into 2 parts: nao · 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 なおこ.

Questions about Naoko

What does Naoko mean in Japanese?

Naoko has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 生子, combines these meanings: life + child. Other spellings include 作子 (make + child), 公子 (public + child), 直子 (straightaway + child).

How do you write Naoko in kanji?

The most common way is 生子 (なおこ). It can also be written 作子, 公子, 直子, 真子, 有子.

How do you write Naoko in katakana?

Naoko is ナオコ in katakana and なおこ in hiragana.

Is Naoko a boy or girl name?

Naoko is mostly used for girls.

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Other names that use 生

生: life, genuine, birth

Aina 愛生 Airi 愛生 Akinobu 明生 Atsuo 教生 Ayuki 歩生 Azuki 実生 Fuki 風生 Fuyuka 生知 Fuyuko 生子 Hayao 早生 Hiro 広生 Hiromu 広生

Names with a similar sound

Nao 名生 Naoe 七生 Naoka 直加 Naoki 直生 Naomi 七生 Naoto 直人 Naoyoshi 直文