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Tomoko 明子 – Japanese girl given name

Tomoko (明子) is read ともこ 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 112 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 7 to 14 strokes in total.

About the name Tomoko

Tomoko (智子 or 友子) means wise child or friend child. It was among the most common girls' names in the twentieth century.

How to write Tomoko in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
明子	ともこ	bright + child	11
作子	ともこ	make + child	10
治子	ともこ	reign + child	11
公子	ともこ	public + child	7
協子	ともこ	co- + child	11
都子	ともこ	metropolis + child	14

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

The kanji in Tomoko

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

作

make, production, prepare, build

7 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 2

On: サク、サ Kun: つく、づく

治

reign, be at peace, calm down, subdue

8 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: ジ、チ Kun: おさ、なお

Tomoko in different scripts

Romaji	Tomoko
Hiragana	ともこ
Katakana	トモコ
Kanji (most common)	明子

Full name examples

Tomoko Yuki (Japanese order: 結城明子, ゆうきともこ)
Tomoko Kono (Japanese order: 河野明子, こうのともこ)
Tomoko Maki (Japanese order: 牧明子, まきともこ)

How to pronounce Tomoko

Break it into 3 parts: to · mo · 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 ともこ.

Questions about Tomoko

What does Tomoko mean in Japanese?

Tomoko has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 明子, combines these meanings: bright + child. Other spellings include 作子 (make + child), 治子 (reign + child), 公子 (public + child).

How do you write Tomoko in kanji?

The most common way is 明子 (ともこ). It can also be written 作子, 治子, 公子, 協子, 都子.

How do you write Tomoko in katakana?

Tomoko is トモコ in katakana and ともこ in hiragana.

Is Tomoko a boy or girl name?

Tomoko 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

Tomi 十三 Tomie 富得 Tomiko 富子 Tomio 富生 Tomo 智 Tomoaki 大明 Tomoe 巴 Tomoharu 大治 Tomohiro 知大 Tomoji 共自

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