When it's time to select a name for your baby, you may be looking for a name inspired by a particular culture. Below is a list of Japanese baby names for both boys and girls. From Hiromi to Kairi, all of these names evoke beautiful imagery and carry significant meaning. You may just find the perfect name for your little one. Take a look!
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- Akira Akira is a gender-neutral name of Japanese origin meaning clear or bright. In Japan, Akira is mainly used as a masculine name. But it is used for both males and females in the United States as a likely variation of the name Kira.
- Aoi Aoi is a gender-neutral Japanese name that means hollyhock flower. In the Japanese language, it is also used for the color blue.
- Asuka Asuka is a Japanese baby name that is chosen for both boys and girls. It means tomorrow, smell, or perfume.
- Harue Harue is a Japanese name that can be used for boys or girls. It translates to springtime bay.
- Hiromi Hiromi is a Japanese gender-neutral baby name that takes on several different meanings. It can translate to beautiful, broad, abundant, and wide.
- Ichigo – Ichigo is a typically gender-neutral Japanese name that means strawberry or best guardian. The Japanese word for strawberry is ichigo and can be used for boys or girls, but it can be used as a male name meaning one/best guardian. Ichi means “one” in Japanese and go means “guardian.” This name has been popularized in anime and manga like Tokyo Mew Mew and Bleach.
- Kairi Kairi is a gender-neutral Japanese baby name that means ocean village. It has become popularly used in the United States throughout the 2010s as a girl’s name.
- Kazumi Kazumi is a Japanese baby name that is gender-neutral. It can mean either peace, beautiful, or harmony. Kazu means peace and harmony while mi means beauty or beautiful.
- Kiyoshi The Japanese baby name Kiyoshi is gender neutral and can be written with two different kanji. Both of these kanji mean pure. It can also mean clear. As a boy’s name, it can translate to soundless.
- Kyo – Kyo is a Japanese gender-neutral baby name that can mean village, capital, apricot, or cooperation. It has been popularized in the past two decades due to the manga/anime Fruits Basket and the lead singer of the Japanese rock band Dir en grey.
- Maro Maro is a gender-neutral baby name that means myself. It is pronounced MAH-roh. Maro does appear in other languages in the masculine form, such as Latin and Hebrew. Also, it is the name of an ancient Italian saint’s name.
- Michi Michi is a gender-neutral Japanese name that is the diminutive of the feminine name Michiko, which translates to beautiful wise child, child of morals, or righteous child. With a different kanji used, it can also mean path or pathway and is still gender neutral.
- Minato Minato is a gender-neutral Japanese name that means harbor. Mina means beauty or beautiful while to means noise or sound.
- Natsu Natsu is a gender-neutral Japanese origin baby name that means born in summer. It is derived from the Japanese word natsu, meaning summer.
- Reiki Reiki is a gender-neutral baby name of Japanese origin that means Japanese spiritual healing practice. The practice of reiki is used for healing the energy fields around and through the body.
- Ren – Ren is a Japanese gender-neutral baby name that translates to lotus or water lily. It is popularly used for boys but is also used for girls in Japan. It was popularized in the West with the movie Footloose and children’s cartoon TV show Ren and Stimpy.
- Seiko Pronouced SAY-ee-Koh, Seiko is used for both males and females in Japan. It is more popularly used for baby girls. It can mean truth, child, or accomplish. It is popularly known as the name for a brand of watches.
- Shin Shin is a gender-neutral baby name with Japanese origins. It means true or real. It is also a name that comes up in Korean for girls, meaning belief. It therefore lends itself to a religious belief or upbringing more so in Korean culture than in Japanese.
- Sora – Popularized by the video game series Kingdom Hearts, Sora is a gender-neutral Japanese name that means sky. It is also a feminine name used in Korean that means conch shell.
- Yuki Yuki is a popular Japanese baby name that is gender-neutral and means snow. When it is used as a girl’s name, it is usually written with different kanji that means happiness. It can also be written as a combination of Yu (“gentle”) and Ki (“hope”). As a boy’s name, it can be written as “Yuuki” to mean courage.
- ZenZen is a gender-neutral baby name of Japanese origin that refers to a type of Buddhism known as the Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism. This school of Buddhism emphasizes the core values of intuition and meditation.
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