Japanese Boy Names and Meanings
Boys' names in Japan often point to strength, nature, wisdom or birth order. Older names end in -ro (son, man) or use numbers for birth order, as in Ichiro (first son) and Jiro (second son). Newer names favor sounds such as Haruto, Ren and Riku. Each name links to its kanji, readings and literal meanings.
Popular boy names
| Name | Kanji | Reading | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshio | ่ฏ้ | ใใใ | good + masculine |
| Takashi | ้ | ใใใ | hump |
| Koji | ๆตฉไบ | ใใใ | wide expanse + two |
| Yoshihiro | ็พฉๅผ | ใใใฒใ | righteousness + vast |
| Yoshinori | ็พฉๅ | ใใใฎใ | righteousness + rule |
| Hiroshi | ๅ | ใฒใใ | Dr. |
| Yoshiaki | ็พฉๆ | ใใใใ | righteousness + bright |
| Masayoshi | ๆญฃ็พฉ | ใพใใใ | correct + righteousness |
| Toshio | ๅนด็ | ใจใใ | year + life |
| Koichiro | ๆตฉไธ้ | ใใใใกใใ | wide expanse + one + son |
| Masao | ๆญฃ้ | ใพใใ | correct + masculine |
| Minori | ๅฎ | ใฟใฎใ | reality |
| Hiroaki | ๅคงๆ | ใฒใใใ | large + bright |
| Masahiro | ๆญฃๅคง | ใพใใฒใ | correct + large |
| Norio | ็ดๅคซ | ใฎใใ | chronicle + husband |
| Takao | ้ๅคซ | ใใใ | hump + husband |
| Hiroki | ๅคง่จ | ใฒใใ | large + scribe |
| Yoshinobu | ๆ ถๅ | ใใใฎใถ | jubilation + rejoice |
| Seiji | ๆฟไบ | ใใใ | politics + two |
| Shoji | ๆญฃไบ | ใใใใ | correct + two |
| Yukio | ่ก็ | ใใใ | going + life |
| Takeshi | ๆญฆ | ใใใ | warrior |
| Kenji | ๅฅไบ | ใใใ | healthy + two |
| Kiyoshi | ่จ็ฑ | ใใใ | scribe + wherefore |
| Tadashi | ๆญฃๅ | ใใ ใ | correct + four |
| Kotaro | ๅนธๅคช้ | ใใใใใ | happiness + plump + son |
| Yuji | ๆไบ | ใใใ | possess + two |
| Yoshikazu | ็พฉๅ | ใใใใ | righteousness + harmony |
| Seiichiro | ่ช ไธ้ | ใใใใกใใ | sincerity + one + son |
| Nobuo | ๆฟไฟ | ใฎใถใ | politics + protect |
| Akihiro | ๆๅบ | ใใใฒใ | bright + wide |
| Takahiro | ้ซๅคง | ใใใฒใ | tall + large |
| Takayuki | ้ซ่ก | ใใใใ | tall + going |
| Yasuo | ๅฎ็ | ใใใ | relax + life |
| Kosuke | ๅ ฌ่ณ | ใใใใ | public + assets |
| Hiroyuki | ๅคง่ก | ใฒใใใ | large + going |
| Kazuo | ไธ็ | ใใใ | one + life |
| Chihiro | ๅๅคง | ใกใฒใ | thousand + large |
| Shoichiro | ๆญฃไธ้ | ใใใใใกใใ | correct + one + son |
| Kazuyoshi | ๅ็พฉ | ใใใใ | harmony + righteousness |
| Soichiro | ๅไธ้ | ใใใกใใ | ten + one + son |
| Takeo | ๆญฆๅคซ | ใใใ | warrior + husband |
| Yasuhiro | ๅบทๅผ | ใใใฒใ | ease + vast |
| Keiji | ๅไบ | ใใใ | disclose + two |
| Masashi | ๆฟๅธ | ใพใใ | politics + market |
| Hironori | ๆตฉๅพณ | ใฒใใฎใ | wide expanse + benevolence |
| Masaaki | ๆญฃๆ | ใพใใใ | correct + bright |
| Koichi | ่กไธ | ใใใใก | going + one |
| Nobuhiro | ไฟกๅฎ | ใฎใถใฒใ | faith + wide |
| Yasushi | ๅฎๅ | ใใใ | relax + four |
| Kosei | ๅบทๆ | ใใใใ | ease + turn into |
| Takanori | ๅญๅ | ใใใฎใ | filial piety + rule |
| Nobuyoshi | ไฟก็พฉ | ใฎใถใใ | faith + righteousness |
| Shinnosuke | ๆ ไนไป | ใใใฎใใ | humility + of + jammed in |
| Toshiaki | ไฟๆ | ใจใใใ | sagacious + bright |
| Masatoshi | ๆญฃๆ | ใพใใจใ | correct + cleverness |
| Keisuke | ็ตๅฉ | ใใใใ | sutra + help |
| Masayuki | ๆฟ่ก | ใพใใใ | politics + going |
| Hitoshi | ไป | ใฒใจใ | humanity |
| Shotaro | ๆญฃๅคช้ | ใใใใใใ | correct + plump + son |
| Yoshiharu | ็พฉๆฅ | ใใใฏใ | righteousness + springtime |
| Mihiro | ็พๅฐ | ใฟใฒใ | beauty + inquire |
| Noriyuki | ็ฏ่ก | ใฎใใใ | pattern + going |
| Eiji | ้ๆฒป | ใใใ | heavy + reign |
| Mahiro | ็ๅคง | ใพใฒใ | true + large |
| Shigeo | ่ๅคซ | ใใใ | overgrown + husband |
| Tadao | ๅฟ ้ | ใใ ใ | loyalty + masculine |
| Yoshihiko | ็พฉๅฝฆ | ใใใฒใ | righteousness + lad |
| Atsushi | ๅๅฒ | ใใคใ | thick + history |
| Akihiko | ๆๅฝฆ | ใใใฒใ | bright + lad |
| Mitsuo | ๅ ้ | ใฟใคใ | ray + masculine |
| Akinori | ๆๅ | ใใใฎใ | bright + rule |
| Hideo | ไปป็ท | ใฒใงใ | responsibility + male |
| Seijiro | ๆธ ๆฌก้ | ใใใใใ | pure + next + son |
| Sotaro | ๅฃฎๅคช้ | ใใใใใ | robust + plump + son |
| Hiromasa | ๅๆญฃ | ใฒใใพใ | Dr. + correct |
| Kinjiro | ้ๆฌก้ | ใใใใใ | gold + next + son |
| Shozo | ๆญฃไธ | ใใใใใ | correct + three |
| Toshihiro | ไฟๅผ | ใจใใฒใ | sagacious + vast |
| Masataka | ้ ่ฒด | ใพใใใ | gracious + precious |
| Ryoji | ่ฏไบ | ใใใใ | good + two |
| Kenjiro | ๅฅไบ้ | ใใใใใ | healthy + two + son |
| Shiro | ๅ่ฏ | ใใใ | four + good |
| Shuji | ไฟฎไบ | ใใ ใใ | discipline + two |
| Hisao | ไน ้ | ใฒใใ | long time + masculine |
| Tatsuo | ่พฐ้ | ใใคใ | sign of the dragon + masculine |
| Yusuke | ๅชๅฉ | ใใใใ | tenderness + help |
| Joji | ่ญฒๆฒป | ใใใใ | defer + reign |
| Toshiyuki | ๆ่ก | ใจใใใ | cleverness + going |
| Kaya | ่ฑ | ใใ | miscanthus reed |
| Maya | ้บป่ถ | ใพใ | hemp + question mark |
| Eijiro | ่ฑไบ้ | ใใใใใ | England + two + son |
| Shintaro | ๆ ๅคช้ | ใใใใ | humility + plump + son |
| Tomohiro | ็ฅๅคง | ใจใใฒใ | know + large |
| Haruo | ๆฅๅคซ | ใฏใใ | springtime + husband |
| Saya | ็ดไน | ใใ | gauze + to be |
| Kunio | ้ฆๅคซ | ใใซใ | home country + husband |
| Tokio | ๆ็ท | ใจใใ | time + male |
| Kentaro | ๅฅๅคช้ | ใใใใใ | healthy + plump + son |
| Takumi | ๅ | ใใใฟ | artisan |
Questions
What does -ro mean in Japanese boy names?
-ro (้) is an old word for a grown man. Names like Taro, Ichiro and Jiro often add a number to show birth order.
Why do many boy names use nature kanji?
Characters like sea, sky and sun give a simple image of strength and scale, so parents choose them for the feeling they give.
Can I pick any kanji for a name?
No. Japanese law limits given names to an approved list of about three thousand kanji.
See also: girl names ยท boy names ยท unisex names ยท names by meaning