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Kobayashi 小林 – Japanese surname

Kobayashi (小林) is read こばやし and has 4 syllables. It is a family name. Written as 小林, the characters mean: little + grove. This reading can be written with at least 13 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 11 to 19 strokes in total.

About the name Kobayashi

Kobayashi (小林) means "small woods".

How to write Kobayashi in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
小林	こばやし	little + grove	11
小橋	こばやし	little + bridge	19
子林	こばやし	child + grove	11
少林	こばやし	few + grove	12
木林	こばやし	tree + grove	12
古林	こばやし	old + grove	13

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

The kanji in Kobayashi

小

little, small

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: ショウ Kun: ちい、こ、お

林

grove, forest

8 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: リン Kun: はやし

橋

bridge

16 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 3

On: キョウ Kun: はし

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

Kobayashi in different scripts

Romaji	Kobayashi
Hiragana	こばやし
Katakana	コバヤシ
Kanji (most common)	小林

Full name examples

Ayumi Kobayashi (Japanese order: 小林歩美, こばやしあゆみ)
Yurina Kobayashi (Japanese order: 小林百合奈, こばやしゆりな)
Yuki Kobayashi (Japanese order: 小林結城, こばやしゆうき)

How to pronounce Kobayashi

Break it into 3 parts: ko · baya · shi. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 4 sound units are written こばやし.

Questions about Kobayashi

What does Kobayashi mean in Japanese?

Kobayashi has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 小林, combines these meanings: little + grove. Other spellings include 小橋 (little + bridge), 子林 (child + grove), 少林 (few + grove).

How do you write Kobayashi in kanji?

The most common way is 小林 (こばやし). It can also be written 小橋, 子林, 少林, 木林, 古林.

How do you write Kobayashi in katakana?

Kobayashi is コバヤシ in katakana and こばやし in hiragana.

How do you pronounce Kobayashi?

Kobayashi is read こばやし and has 4 syllables (morae).

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Themes: Nature

Other surnames that use 小

小: little, small

Koba 小場 Kobata 小端 Kogami 小上 Koike 小生 Kojima 小島 Kokawa 小川 Koke 小受 Komatsu 小町 Komiya 小宮 Komoto 小本 Komura 小村 Konaka 小中

Names with a similar sound

Koba 小場 Kobata 小端 Kobe 神戸 Kobuchi 高渕

Similar last names by meaning

Agata 安方 Aida 会田 Aijima 会島 Aikawa 会川 Aishima 会島 Akagi 明木 Akaki 明木 Amagai 天海