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Sayako 明子 – Japanese girl given name

Sayako (明子) is read さやこ and has 3 syllables. It is mostly used for girls. Written as 明子, the characters mean: bright + child. This reading can be written with at least 29 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 8 to 14 strokes in total.

How to write Sayako in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
明子	さやこ	bright + child	11
室子	さやこ	room + child	12
清子	さやこ	pure + child	14
礼子	さやこ	salute + child	8
彩子	さやこ	coloring + child	14
爽子	さやこ	refreshing + child	14

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

The kanji in Sayako

明

bright, light

8 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: メイ、ミョウ、ミン Kun: あ、あか、あき

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

室

room, apartment, chamber, greenhouse

9 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: シツ Kun: むろ

清

pure, purify, cleanse, exorcise

11 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: セイ、ショウ、シン Kun: きよ

Sayako in different scripts

Romaji	Sayako
Hiragana	さやこ
Katakana	サヤコ
Kanji (most common)	明子

Full name examples

Sayako Yuki (Japanese order: 結城明子, ゆうきさやこ)
Sayako Kono (Japanese order: 河野明子, こうのさやこ)
Sayako Maki (Japanese order: 牧明子, まきさやこ)

How to pronounce Sayako

Break it into 2 parts: saya · 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 さやこ.

Questions about Sayako

What does Sayako mean in Japanese?

Sayako has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 明子, combines these meanings: bright + child. Other spellings include 室子 (room + child), 清子 (pure + child), 礼子 (salute + child).

How do you write Sayako in kanji?

The most common way is 明子 (さやこ). It can also be written 室子, 清子, 礼子, 彩子, 爽子.

How do you write Sayako in katakana?

Sayako is サヤコ in katakana and さやこ in hiragana.

Is Sayako a boy or girl name?

Sayako is mostly used for girls.

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Themes: Light and sun

Other names that use 明

明: bright, light

Akana 明名 Akane 明子 Akemi 明三 Akie 明恵 Akiha 明葉 Akihiko 明彦 Akihiro 明広 Akihisa 明央 Akihito 明一 Akiho 明保 Akika 明加 Akiko 明子

Names with a similar sound

Saya 紗也 Sayaka 清香 Sayo 小代 Sayoko 小夜子 Sayori 小由 Sayu 佐友 Sayuka 小由香 Sayuki 早由 Sayumi 紗由美 Sayuri 清念

Similar first names by meaning

Ageha 一葉 Ai 愛 Akana 明名 Akane 明子 Akari 灯 Akemi 明三 Aki 秋 Akie 明恵