Japanese Girl Names and Meanings
Japanese girls' names often draw on flowers, light, seasons and gentle sounds. Many end in -ko (child), -mi (beauty), -ka (flower or fragrance) or -na, while newer names favor short, open sounds like Hana, Mio or Yui. Every name below links to a page with its kanji spellings, readings and literal meanings.
Popular girl names
| Name | Kanji | Reading | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayumi | ๆญฉ็พ | ใใใฟ | walk + beauty |
| Yurina | ็พๅๅฅ | ใใใช | hundred + fit + Nara |
| Akie | ๆๆต | ใใใ | bright + favor |
| Ayaka | ๅฝฉ้ฆ | ใใใ | coloring + incense |
| Yuka | ๅช้ฆ | ใใใ | tenderness + incense |
| Hiromi | ่ฃ็พ | ใฒใใฟ | abundant + beauty |
| Akari | ็ฏ | ใใใ | lamp |
| Haruka | ้ฅ | ใฏใใ | far off |
| Sayaka | ๆธ ้ฆ | ใใใ | pure + incense |
| Akina | ๆ่ | ใใใช | bright + vegetable |
| Erika | ็ตตๆขจ่ฑ | ใใใ | picture + pear tree + flower |
| Yoshimi | ๅ่ฆ | ใใใฟ | good luck + see |
| Yoshie | ่ฏๆ | ใใใ | good + bough |
| Yukiko | ็ฑ็ดๅญ | ใใใ | wherefore + chronicle + child |
| Akiko | ๆๅญ | ใใใ | bright + child |
| Miki | ็พๆจน | ใฟใ | beauty + timber |
| Miyuki | ็พ้ช | ใฟใใ | beauty + snow |
| Mika | ็พ้ฆ | ใฟใ | beauty + incense |
| Akimi | ๆ็พ | ใใใฟ | bright + beauty |
| Misaki | ็พๅฒ | ใฟใใ | beauty + blossom |
| Kaori | ้ฆ็น | ใใใ | incense + weave |
| Satomi | ้็พ | ใใจใฟ | ri + beauty |
| Yukari | ็ฑๆ | ใใใ | wherefore + fruit |
| Masami | ้ ็พ | ใพใใฟ | gracious + beauty |
| Yoshiko | ๆๅญ | ใใใ | time + child |
| Yukie | ็ฑ็ดๆต | ใใใ | wherefore + chronicle + favor |
| Yuko | ็จๅญ | ใใใ | utilize + child |
| Tomomi | ๅคงๆตท | ใจใใฟ | large + sea |
| Miyu | ไธ็ต | ใฟใ | three + tie |
| Hitomi | ไธไธ | ใฒใจใฟ | one + three |
| Yumi | ็ตๅฎ | ใใใฟ | tie + reality |
| Akane | ๆๅญ | ใใใญ | bright + child |
| Kanae | ๅถ | ใใชใ | grant |
| Masumi | ็ๆพ | ใพใใฟ | true + lucidity |
| Asuka | ๆๆฅ | ใใใ | bright + day |
| Asami | ๆต ่ฆ | ใใใฟ | shallow + see |
| Saki | ๆฉ็ | ใใ | early + life |
| Yui | ็ต | ใใ | tie |
| Kazuko | ๅๅญ | ใใใ | harmony + child |
| Mayumi | ็ๅฎ | ใพใใฟ | true + reality |
| Maki | ็ง | ใพใ | breed |
| Kanako | ้ๅญ | ใใชใ | gold + child |
| Kimiko | ๅ ฌๅญ | ใใฟใ | public + child |
| Ami | ๆๅฎ | ใใฟ | bright + reality |
| Mio | ๆพช | ใฟใ | water route |
| Manami | ๅญฆๅฎ | ใพใชใฟ | study + reality |
| Sakiko | ๅฒๅญ | ใใใ | blossom + child |
| Makiko | ็็ดๅญ | ใพใใ | true + chronicle + child |
| Erina | ็ตต้ๅฅ | ใใใช | picture + ri + Nara |
| Kazumi | ๅ็พ | ใใใฟ | harmony + beauty |
| Arisa | ๅจไฝ | ใใใ | exist + make |
| Tomoe | ๅทด | ใจใใ | comma-design |
| Emiko | ็พๅฅณ | ใใฟใ | beauty + woman |
| Honoka | ็พๆตท | ใปใฎใ | hundred + sea |
| Izumi | ๆณ | ใใใฟ | spring |
| Ikumi | ้็พ | ใใใฟ | cultural progress + beauty |
| Emi | ้ไธ | ใใฟ | heavy + three |
| Shoko | ็ฟๅญ | ใใใใ | soar + child |
| Shiori | ่ช็ฑ | ใใใ | oneself + wherefore |
| Ai | ๆ | ใใ | love |
| Misato | ็พ้ | ใฟใใจ | beauty + ri |
| Ayu | ้ฎ | ใใ | freshwater trout |
| Kanami | ้ฆๅฅ็พ | ใใชใฟ | incense + Nara + beauty |
| Kiyomi | ๆธ ็พ | ใใใฟ | pure + beauty |
| Minami | ๅ | ใฟใชใฟ | south |
| Naomi | ไธ็ | ใชใใฟ | seven + life |
| Kana | ๅ ๅ | ใใช | add + name |
| Azusa | ไธไบ | ใใใ | one + two |
| Kiyoko | ๆธ ๅญ | ใใใ | pure + child |
| Haruna | ๆๆฅ | ใฏใใช | time + come |
| Kayoko | ไฝณไปฃๅญ | ใใใ | excellent + substitute + child |
| Yumiko | ็ฑ็พๅญ | ใใฟใ | wherefore + beauty + child |
| Madoka | ๅๆฅ | ใพใฉใ | circle + day |
| Kasumi | ไธๅฎ | ใใใฟ | one + reality |
| Yuna | ็ต่ | ใใใช | tie + vegetable |
| Miho | ็พ็ฉ | ใฟใป | beauty + ear |
| Seiko | ่ๅญ | ใใใ | holy + child |
| Ayami | ๅฝฉ็พ | ใใใฟ | coloring + beauty |
| Azumi | ๅฎๆ | ใใใฟ | relax + cloudy weather |
| Yukina | ้ช่ | ใใใช | snow + vegetable |
| Yurika | ็พๅ้ฆ | ใใใ | hundred + fit + incense |
| Shizuka | ๅนณๅ | ใใใ | even + harmony |
| Nanami | ไธไธ | ใชใชใฟ | seven + three |
| Saori | ๆฒ็น | ใใใ | sand + weave |
| Mikiko | ็พๆจนๅญ | ใฟใใ | beauty + timber + child |
| Takako | ๅญๅญ | ใใใ | filial piety + child |
| Yuri | ็พๅ | ใใ | hundred + fit |
| Kimie | ๅๆต | ใใฟใ | mister + favor |
| Toshiko | ๆๅญ | ใจใใ | cleverness + child |
| Kae | ้ฆ็ตต | ใใ | incense + picture |
| Airi | ๆ็ | ใใใ | love + life |
| Harumi | ๆฑ่ฆ | ใฏใใฟ | east + see |
| Mitsuki | ไธๆ | ใฟใคใ | three + month |
| Satoko | ่กๅญ | ใใจใ | wise + child |
| Tomoko | ๆๅญ | ใจใใ | bright + child |
| Aika | ๆ้ฆ | ใใใ | love + incense |
| Yu | ๅช | ใใ | tenderness |
| Yukino | ้ชไน | ใใใฎ | snow + from |
| Marie | ็็ๆต | ใพใใ | true + logic + favor |
| Naoko | ็ๅญ | ใชใใ | life + child |
Questions
What are common endings for Japanese girl names?
Classic endings include -ko (child), -mi (beauty), -ka (flower or fragrance), -e and -yo. Modern names often use short sounds with no ending.
Can one sound have different kanji?
Yes. The same reading can be written with many kanji, so two girls named Haruka can have different meanings. Each name page lists the main spellings.
Are these names used outside Japan?
Short names like Mia, Rin, Sora and Hana are easy to say in many languages, which is why they travel well.
See also: girl names ยท boy names ยท unisex names ยท names by meaning