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Teruko 明子 – Japanese girl given name

Teruko (明子) is read てるこ 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 26 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 8 to 12 strokes in total.

How to write Teruko in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
明子	てるこ	bright + child	11
映子	てるこ	reflect + child	12
史子	てるこ	history + child	8
光子	てるこ	ray + child	9
央子	てるこ	center + child	8
昭子	てるこ	shining + child	12

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

The kanji in Teruko

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

映

reflect, reflection, projection

9 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 6

On: エイ Kun: うつ、は、ば

史

history, chronicle

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: シ

Teruko in different scripts

Romaji	Teruko
Hiragana	てるこ
Katakana	テルコ
Kanji (most common)	明子

Full name examples

Teruko Yuki (Japanese order: 結城明子, ゆうきてるこ)
Teruko Kono (Japanese order: 河野明子, こうのてるこ)
Teruko Maki (Japanese order: 牧明子, まきてるこ)

How to pronounce Teruko

Break it into 3 parts: te · ru · 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 てるこ.

Questions about Teruko

What does Teruko mean in Japanese?

Teruko has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 明子, combines these meanings: bright + child. Other spellings include 映子 (reflect + child), 史子 (history + child), 光子 (ray + child).

How do you write Teruko in kanji?

The most common way is 明子 (てるこ). It can also be written 映子, 史子, 光子, 央子, 昭子.

How do you write Teruko in katakana?

Teruko is テルコ in katakana and てるこ in hiragana.

Is Teruko a boy or girl name?

Teruko 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

Teruaki 映明 Terumi 映実 Teruo 光生 Teruyo 映代 Teruyoshi 光由 Teruyuki 映五

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