Home
»
Pregnancy
»
Japanese Girl Names: 100 Names With Kanji and Meanings

Japanese Girl Names: 100 Names With Kanji and Meanings

Updated

Blank notebook, pencil and tiny knitted baby booties beside a small white vase with one branch of pink cherry blossom on a pale wooden table
Rachel Rothman, Co-Founder and Chief Parenting Officer at Betteroo

Written By

Rachel Rothman

Chief Parenting Officer

Dr. Meidad Greenberg, Board-Certified Pediatrician and Pediatric Medical Advisor at Betteroo

Medically Reviewed By

Meidad Greenberg, M.D.

Board-Certified Pediatrician

Japanese girl names such as Sakura, Himari, Yui, Akari and Aoi are written with kanji characters, so this list of 100 gives one or more common kanji spellings for every name and the meaning of those characters.

One thing matters more than any single entry: the meaning of a Japanese name depends on the kanji characters chosen to write it. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so the meanings listed here are common examples, not the only ones.

We grouped the names by style: classics, short names, flower and plant names, nature and sky names, names about beauty and love, names by ending and names used for girls and boys. You will also find a table that sorts names by kanji theme, a short guide to how Japanese names work and a checklist for choosing one with care outside Japan.

Key Takeaways

  • A Japanese name’s meaning depends on the kanji chosen to write it. One pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so the meanings here are common examples, not the only ones.
  • All 100 names were checked against their own Behind the Name entries, with the kanji and glosses those entries give.
  • Common building blocks in girls’ names include 美 (beautiful), 愛 (love, affection), 花 (flower) and 子 (child).
  • Sakura, Sumire, Kokoro, Hikari and Hinata are among the names their entries describe as often written in hiragana.
  • In Japanese order the family name comes first, and there are no middle names.

Japanese Girl Names at a Glance

Quick Answer

Japanese girl names to start with: flower names such as Sakura, Sumire, Tsubaki and Himari; short names such as Mei, Yui, Mio and Saki; classics such as Megumi, Kaori, Yumi and Keiko; nature names such as Nanami, Hoshi, Koharu and Hotaru; and names listed for girls and boys such as Aoi, Hinata, Haruka and Sora. The meaning of a Japanese name depends on the kanji characters chosen to write it, and the same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so the meanings below are common examples, not the only ones.

Every name here has its own entry on Behind the Name with Japanese usage and a feminine (or feminine and masculine) gender. We read all 100 entries in October 2026. The kanji and the glosses in quotation marks are the ones each entry gives.

Read each row as “one common way to write it”. Megumi shows why: its entry gives two different single characters with that sound, 恵 and 愛, then adds that other kanji with the same reading can be used. Expecting a son, or want both lists? Our Japanese boy names page is built the same way.

Start with familiar classics, the female Japanese names many English speakers have already met.

NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Megumi恵, 愛恵 “favor, benefit”; 愛 “love, affection”. Often written in hiragana
Kaori香, 香織香 “fragrance”, alone or with 織 “weaving”. Often written in hiragana
Yumi弓, 由美弓 “archery bow”; or 由 “reason, cause” plus 美 “beautiful”
Mayumi真弓, 真由美真 “real, genuine”, plus 弓 “archery bow” or 由 “reason, cause” and 美 “beautiful”
Ayumi歩, 亜由美歩 “walk, step”; or 亜 “second, Asia”, 由 “reason, cause” and 美 “beautiful”
Emi恵美, 絵美恵 “favor, benefit” or 絵 “picture, painting”, plus 美 “beautiful”
Hitomi瞳, 仁美瞳 “pupil of the eye”; or 仁 “compassionate” plus 美 “beautiful”. Often written in hiragana
Midori緑“Green”
Shizuka静夏, 静香静 “quiet”, plus 夏 “summer” or 香 “fragrance”
Classic female Japanese names with example kanji. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

We do not rank names by popularity in Japan, because we did not read an official annual ranking for this page.

How Japanese Names Work (the Short Version)

Four facts explain almost everything in the tables.

  • Family name first: Behind the Name’s background page says a full Japanese name is a surname and a given name, that Western publications often reverse the order, and that Japanese people do not have middle names.
  • Three scripts: Kids Web Japan explains that kanji came from ancient China and now stand for words or parts of words, while hiragana and katakana are sets of 46 characters that each stand for a syllable. It adds that katakana is used for words borrowed from other languages and for the names of foreign people and places.
  • Names are mostly kanji: per Behind the Name, given names are one or more kanji, and a few are written in hiragana. Its entries flag Sakura, Sumire, Kokoro, Hitomi, Kaori, Megumi, Hikari and Hinata as often written in hiragana, and Honoka as very often.
  • Sound and spelling are separate: many kanji share a pronunciation, so different people can spell one name differently. You cannot reliably tell a name’s pronunciation from its spelling either, which is why small hiragana called furigana are sometimes written above a name.

Some kanji also have readings that occur only in names. On this page Yui (結), Miku (未来) and Honoka (和花) use them, according to their entries. For the longer explanation, including kanji with several readings and traditional birth-order names for sons, see the how-names-work section of our guide to Japanese names for boys.

Short and Cute Japanese Names for Girls (One or Two Syllables)

Short names travel well: they are easy to say in English and Japanese alike, and most fit on any form. Whether a name is cute is a matter of taste, so treat that word as our opinion.

NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Ai愛, 藍愛 “love, affection”; 藍 “indigo”
Aya彩, 綾彩 “color”; 綾 “design”
Mai舞, 麻衣, 真愛舞 “dance”; 麻衣 “linen robe”; or 真 “real, genuine” plus 愛 “love, affection”
Mei芽依, 芽生, 芽衣芽 “bud, sprout”, plus 依 “rely on”, 生 “life” or 衣 “clothing, garment”
Mio美桜, 美緒, 澪美 “beautiful” plus 桜 “cherry blossom” or 緒 “thread”; or 澪 “waterway, channel”
Miu美羽美 “beautiful” plus 羽 “feather”
Noa乃愛乃 (a possessive particle) plus 愛 “love, affection”
Rei鈴, 麗, 玲鈴 “bell”; 麗 “beautiful, lovely”; 玲 “the tinkling of jade”
Saki咲希咲 “blossom” plus 希 “hope”
Suzu鈴“Bell”
Yua結愛結 “tie, bind” plus 愛 “love, affection”
Yui結衣, 優衣, 結結 “tie, bind” or 優 “excellence, superiority, gentleness”, plus 衣 “clothing, garment”; or 結 alone, using a reading found only in names
Short Japanese names for girls. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

Rei and Suzu can be written with the same character, 鈴: each entry lists the other as another reading of it. That is the reverse side of the rule, one character and two different names. Rin, Sora and Yuki are short too, but Behind the Name lists them for girls and boys, so they sit in the unisex table further down.

Flower and Plant Names: Sakura, Ayame, Kiku, Ran and More

If you are looking for Japanese girl names that mean flower, start here. In these names the plant is the name itself, or the kanji the entry gives is a flower character.

NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Sakura桜, 咲良桜 “cherry blossom”; or 咲 “blossom” plus 良 “good, virtuous, respectable”. Often written in hiragana
Ayame菖蒲“Iris (flower)”
Kiku菊“Chrysanthemum”
Ran蘭“Orchid”
Hana花, 華Both glossed “flower”
Ume梅“Japanese apricot, plum”
Tsubaki椿“Camellia (flower)”
Sumire菫“Violet (flower)”. Often written in hiragana
Yuri百合“Lily”
Sayuri小百合小 “small” plus 百合 “lily”
Momoka百花, 桃花, 桃香百 “hundred” or 桃 “peach”, plus 花 “flower” or 香 “fragrance”
Himari陽葵From a shortening of 向日葵 (himawari), “sunflower”, written with 陽 “light, sun” and 葵 “hollyhock”
Japanese flower and plant names for girls. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

The Ume entry specifies the species Prunus mume and adds that in Japan the ume blossom is a symbol of spring and is believed to ward off evil. Flower kanji turn up outside this table too: 花 in Hanako, Hanae, Ayaka and Ichika, 桜 in one spelling of Mio, 莉 (“white jasmine”) in Rina, Akari and Airi, and 葵 (“hollyhock, althea”) in Aoi. Kaede, in the unisex table, is written with the kanji for maple.

For botanical names from many languages, see our flower names list.

Baby on the way? Get ahead on sleep.

Our free two-minute quiz builds a gentle, personalized sleep plan you can use from the first weeks at home.

Take the Free Sleep Quiz

Nature and Sky Names: Sea, Moon, Snow and Stars

These names use kanji for the sea, the moon, the seasons, water and the night sky.

NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Nanami七海, 菜々美七 “seven” plus 海 “sea”; or 菜 “vegetables, greens” (written twice) plus 美 “beautiful”
Tsukiko月子月 “moon” plus 子 “child”
Hoshi星“Star”
Miyuki美幸, 美雪美 “beautiful”, plus 幸 “happiness, good luck” or 雪 “snow”
Koharu小春, 心春小 “small” or 心 “heart”, plus 春 “spring”
Natsuki菜月, 夏希菜 “vegetables, greens” plus 月 “moon”; or 夏 “summer” plus 希 “hope”
Fūka風花, 風香風 “wind, style”, plus 花 “flower, blossom” or 香 “fragrant”
Kasumi霞, 花澄霞 “mist”; or 花 “flower, blossom” plus 澄 “clear, pure”
Izumi泉“Fountain, spring”
Hotaru蛍“Firefly”
Akane茜“Deep red, dye from the rubia plant”
Nature themed Japanese names for girls. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

Koharu holds a surprise: its entry notes that the compound word 小春 means “late summer”, even though the second character on its own is glossed “spring”. Looking for the moon? The kanji 月 appears in Tsukiko, in one spelling of Natsuki and in Mitsuki (unisex table). The sea, 海, appears in Nanami and in one spelling of Manami.

For less common ideas from many cultures, try our unique girl names guide.

Japanese Girl Names About Beauty, Love and Hope

Parents who ask for pretty or beautiful Japanese girl names usually want a lovely meaning as well as a lovely sound. These names can be written with kanji for beauty, love, the heart, dreams, hope and cleverness.

NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Aimi愛美愛 “love, affection” plus 美 “beautiful”
Manami愛美, 愛海愛 “love, affection”, plus 美 “beautiful” or 海 “sea, ocean”
Misaki美咲美 “beautiful” plus 咲 “blossom”
Miyu美優, 美結, 実優, 美夕美 “beautiful” or 実 “fruit, good result, truth”, plus 優 “excellence, superiority, gentleness”, 結 “tie, bind” or 夕 “evening”
Miku美空, 美久, 未来美 “beautiful” plus 空 “sky” or 久 “long time”; or 未来 “future”, using a reading found only in names
Kokoro心“Heart, mind, soul”. Often written in hiragana
Yume夢, 裕芽夢 “dream, vision”; or 裕 “abundant, rich, plentiful” plus 芽 “bud, sprout”
Mizuki瑞希瑞 “felicitous omen, auspicious” plus 希 “hope”
Satomi里美, 聡美里 “village” or 聡 “intelligent, clever, bright”, plus 美 “beautiful”
Kotone琴音琴 (a musical instrument similar to a harp) plus 音 “sound”
Names about beauty, love, hope and character. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

Aimi and Manami can be written with exactly the same two characters, 愛美, and each entry lists the other as a variant. If you want the moon kanji, note that the spelling the Mizuki entry gives is 瑞希, glossed “felicitous omen, auspicious” and “hope”; the entry adds that other kanji combinations are possible.

Megumi, Ai, Yua and Noa, in the tables above, can also be written with 愛, the kanji for love.

Names by Ending: -ko, -mi, -ka, -na, -e, -ho and -ri

Many female Japanese names are built from two parts, and the last part repeats from name to name. An ending is a sound, so what it means still depends on the kanji. These are the final kanji the entries give; the tables list them without repeating the gloss.

  • -ko: 子 (“child”). Behind the Name’s background page says 子 was a common final kanji in girls’ names, with Akiko as one example, and that the trend has faded over recent decades.
  • -mi: 美 (“beautiful”).
  • -ka: 花 or 華 (“flower”), 香 (“fragrance”) or 加 (“increase”).
  • -na: 菜 (“vegetables, greens”) or 奈, which the entries describe as a phonetic character.
  • -e: 恵 (“favor, benefit”), 絵 (“picture, painting”; “picture” in the Hanae entry) or 枝 (“branch”).
  • -ho: 穂 (“grain”), 保 (“protect, maintain”) or 帆 (“sail”).
  • -ri: 里 (“village”), 莉 (“white jasmine”), 理 (“reason, logic”) or 梨 (“pear”). In Saori the ending is 織 (ori), “weaving”.
NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Aiko愛子愛 “love, affection”, plus 子
Akiko晶子, 明子, 秋子晶 “clear, crystal”, 明 “bright, light, clear” or 秋 “autumn”, plus 子
Hanako花子花 “flower”, plus 子
Keiko慶子, 敬子, 啓子, 恵子慶 “celebration”, 敬 “respect”, 啓 “open, begin” or 恵 “favor, benefit”, plus 子
Kyōko京子, 恭子京 “capital city” or 恭 “respectful, polite”, plus 子
Michiko美智子美 “beautiful” and 智 “wisdom, intellect”, plus 子
Sachiko幸子幸 “happiness, good luck”, plus 子
Tomoko智子, 朋子智 “wisdom, intellect” or 朋 “friend”, plus 子
Yōko陽子, 洋子陽 “light, sun, male” or 洋 “ocean”, plus 子
Yukiko幸子, 雪子, 由喜子, 由貴子幸 “happiness” or 雪 “snow”, plus 子; or 由 “reason, cause” with 喜 “joy” or 貴 “valuable”, plus 子
Yūko優子, 悠子, 裕子優 “excellence, superiority, gentleness”, 悠 “permanence” or 裕 “abundant”, plus 子
Japanese names for girls ending in -ko. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

One spelling can even belong to two names: 幸子 is listed under both Sachiko and Yukiko, and each entry gives the other as a variant.

NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Akemi明美明 “bright”, plus 美
Harumi晴美晴 “clear weather”, plus 美
Natsumi夏美, 菜摘夏 “summer”, plus 美; or 菜 “vegetables, greens” plus 摘 “pick, pluck”
Ayaka彩花, 彩華彩 “color”, plus 花 or 華
Honoka和花和 “harmony” (an obscure reading found only in names), plus 花. Very often written in hiragana
Ichika一花, 一華一 “one”, plus 花 or 華
Mika美香, 美加美 “beautiful”, plus 香 or 加
Hina陽菜, 日菜陽 “light, sun” or 日 “sun, day”, plus 菜
Haruna晴菜, 遥菜, 春菜晴 “clear weather”, 遥 “distant, remote” or 春 “spring”, plus 菜
Rina莉奈, 里菜, 莉菜, 里奈莉 “white jasmine” or 里 “village”, plus 奈 or 菜
Nana菜奈, 奈菜, 菜々, 奈々菜 and 奈 in either order, or one of them repeated (the mark 々 shows the repeat)
Yūna優菜, 優奈, 柚菜優 “excellence, superiority, gentleness” or 柚 “grapefruit, pomelo, citrus fruit”, plus 菜 or 奈
Names ending in -mi, -ka and -na. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.
NameExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
Chie千枝, 千恵, 千絵千 “thousand”, plus 枝, 恵 or 絵
Hanae花絵, 華恵, 華絵花 or 華 “flower”, plus 絵 or 恵
Rie里恵里 “village”, plus 恵. The entry also gives 理 “reason, logic” as a first kanji
Miho美穂, 美保美 “beautiful”, plus 穂 or 保
Shiho志保, 志穂, 志帆志 “will, purpose, ambition”, plus 保, 穂 or 帆
Akari明里, 朱里, 朱莉明 “bright” or 朱 “vermilion red”, plus 里 or 莉
Airi愛莉, 愛梨愛 “love, affection”, plus 莉 or 梨
Mari真理, 真里真 “real, genuine”, plus 理 or 里
Saori沙織, 早織沙 “sand” or 早 “already, now”, plus 織
Names ending in -e, -ho and -ri. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

More names with these endings sit in the earlier tables, often with the same final kanji: Yumi, Emi, Aimi and Satomi (美), Shizuka, Momoka and Fūka (香 or 花) and Tsukiko (子). Others share only the sound: Megumi, Sayuri and Himari are written with different characters.

Unisex Japanese Names Used for Girls

Behind the Name lists each of these as feminine and masculine, in that order. See also our gender neutral names guide.

NameGender listedExample kanjiMeaning of those kanji
AoiFeminine and masculine葵, 蒼, 碧葵 “hollyhock, althea”; 蒼 “blue, green”; or an adjectival form of 碧 “blue, green”
AsukaFeminine and masculine明日香, 飛鳥明日 “tomorrow” plus 香 “fragrance”; or 飛 “to fly” plus 鳥 “bird”
ChihiroFeminine and masculine千尋千 “thousand” plus 尋 “fathom, armspan”
HarukaFeminine and masculine遥, 春花, 晴香遥 “distant, remote”; or 春 “spring” or 晴 “clear weather”, plus 花 “flower, blossom” or 香 “fragrance”
HikariFeminine and masculine光“Light”. Often written in hiragana
HinataFeminine and masculine日向, 陽向, 向日葵日向 “sunny place”; 陽向 “toward the sun”; or a nonstandard reading of 向日葵 “sunflower”. Often written in hiragana
KaedeFeminine and masculine楓“Maple”
MinamiFeminine and masculine南, 美波南 “south”; or 美 “beautiful” plus 波 “wave”
MitsukiFeminine and masculine美月, 光希美 “beautiful” plus 月 “moon”; or 光 “light” plus 希 “hope”
NaomiFeminine and masculine直美, 直己直 “straight, direct”, plus 美 “beautiful” (usually feminine) or 己 “self” (usually masculine)
NozomiFeminine and masculine希, 望, 希実希 “hope”; 望 “wish”; or 希 plus 実 “fruit, good result, truth”
RinFeminine and masculine凛“Dignified, severe, cold”
SoraFeminine and masculine空, 昊Both glossed “sky”
YukiFeminine and masculine幸, 雪, 由貴, 由紀幸 “happiness”; 雪 “snow”; or 由 “reason, cause” plus 貴 “valuable” or 紀 “chronicle”
Japanese names listed for girls and boys. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

Per its entry, Hinata has irregular readings, so it is often written in hiragana. The Naomi entry adds that the English name Naomi has probably been an influence on the Japanese one, which makes it an easy bridge between two languages. Aoi, Hinata and Sora appear on our boys’ list as well.

Find a Name by Meaning: Flower, Moon, Love, Beautiful and More

Searching for Japanese girl names with a particular meaning? Search by kanji instead. This table groups names from this page by a character that their own entry lists as one possible spelling.

ThemeKanji and glossNames here that can be written with it
Flower花 or 華 “flower”Hana, Hanako, Hanae, Ayaka, Ichika, Momoka, Honoka
Cherry blossom, blossom桜 “cherry blossom”; 咲 “blossom”Sakura, Mio; Saki, Misaki
Moon月 “moon”Tsukiko, Natsuki, Mitsuki
Love愛 “love, affection”Ai, Aiko, Aimi, Manami, Airi, Yua, Noa, Mai, Megumi
Beautiful美 “beautiful”; 麗 “beautiful, lovely”Emi, Miu, Misaki, Miyuki, Mika, Miho, Akemi, Harumi, Michiko, Minami; Rei
Sea海 “sea”; 洋 “ocean”; 波 “wave”Nanami, Manami; Yōko; Minami
Snow雪 “snow”Miyuki, Yukiko, Yuki
Sun and light陽 “light, sun”; 光 “light”Himari, Hina, Yōko; Hikari, Mitsuki
Star and sky星 “star”; 空 “sky”Hoshi; Sora, Miku
Seasons春 “spring”; 夏 “summer”; 秋 “autumn”Koharu, Haruna, Haruka; Natsuki, Natsumi, Shizuka; Akiko
Hope希 “hope”Nozomi, Saki, Mizuki, Natsuki, Mitsuki
Happiness幸 “happiness” or “happiness, good luck”Sachiko, Yukiko, Miyuki, Yuki
Wisdom智 “wisdom, intellect”; 聡 “intelligent, clever, bright”Michiko, Tomoko; Satomi
Japanese names for girls grouped by kanji theme. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

A few picks by style, which is our opinion and not data:

  • Cute and soft: Mei, Miu, Hina, Nana, Yua, Suzu and Koharu.
  • Pretty and floral: Sakura, Sumire, Sayuri, Ayame, Tsubaki and Misaki.
  • Less heard outside Japan: Hotaru, Kasumi, Tsukiko, Kotone, Chie, Shiho and Hanae. That is our impression, not a statistic: we have no birth data that would let us call a name rare.
  • Easy for English speakers: Emi, Mika, Mari, Rina, Hana, Mai, Naomi and Mei are spelled the way they sound.

How to Say and Spell Them: Long Vowels and Romanization

  • Five steady vowels: the open textbook Japanese Introductory 1 says Japanese has five vowels (a, i, u, e, o), each pronounced distinctly and clearly.
  • Long vowels: the line over the o in Yōko or the u in Yūna is a macron. The Library of Congress romanization table for Japanese uses a macron over a vowel to indicate that it is long. Hiragana spells the length out with an extra character.
  • A nearly silent u: Behind the Name gives two pronunciations for Asuka. In the second, the u is not sounded.

English keyboards rarely have macrons, so one name travels under several spellings. Here is each long-vowel name on this page with its hiragana and the alternate transcriptions its entry shows. They are spelling choices, not different names.

Name with macronHiragana (per its entry)Also romanized as (per its entry)
KyōkoきょうこKyoko, Kyouko
YōkoようこYoko, Youko
YūkoゆうこYuko, Yuuko
YūnaゆうなYuuna
FūkaふうかFuuka
Romanization variants of long-vowel names, as listed on Behind the Name. Meaning depends on the kanji chosen. The same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, so these are common examples, not the only ones.

Choosing a Japanese Name Outside Japan: A Practical Checklist

Some readers have family ties to Japan. Others simply love a name. Either way, a little care goes a long way. These steps are our advice, not rules.

  • Start with family: ask Japanese relatives which kanji run in the family and how they would write the name.
  • Choose the kanji on purpose: have a fluent Japanese reader check the characters and the reading before you print them on a birth announcement or a nursery wall.
  • Fix the spelling: pick one romanization (Yūna or Yuuna, Kyōko or Kyoko) and keep it on every form.
  • Think about the middle slot: a Japanese given name can sit first or in the middle of a longer name. Our middle names guide has pairing tips.
  • Look it up before you fall in love: if you met a name in a story or a song, read its entry, see which kanji are common and ask a fluent speaker, the same as any other name.
  • Run the usual tests: say the full name out loud with your surname and write out the initials.

None of these names is in the U.S. top 10: for girls born in 2025 the Social Security Administration lists Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana. Still comparing styles? See our full list of baby girl names, or French girl names for another checked, origin-by-origin list.

Related Betteroo Guides

The Bottom Line

The best Japanese names for girls are chosen twice: once for the sound and once for the characters. The meaning of a Japanese name depends on the kanji chosen to write it, the same pronunciation can be written with many different characters, and every meaning on this page is a common example, not the only one. Shortlist a few sounds you love, look at the kanji each entry gives, then check the characters with someone fluent and settle on one spelling.

Once the name is settled, the room and the routine come next: see our nursery themes and newborn sleep schedule week by week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some pretty Japanese girl names?

Pretty is a matter of taste, but Sakura, Sumire, Sayuri, Misaki, Aimi and Miyuki are good places to start. Misaki can be written with the kanji for beautiful and blossom, and Miyuki with beautiful and snow. Other characters with the same sounds are possible, so the meaning depends on the spelling a family chooses.

What Japanese girl name means flower?

Hana can be written with either of two kanji glossed as flower, and Hanako adds the kanji for child. The same flower kanji can end Ayaka, Ichika and Momoka. Other names share their sound with a flower word and can be written with its kanji: Sakura (cherry blossom), Ayame (iris), Kiku (chrysanthemum), Ran (orchid), Yuri (lily), Tsubaki (camellia) and Sumire (violet). Other kanji are possible for each.

What Japanese girl name means moon?

Look for the kanji for moon. Tsukiko can be written with the characters for moon and child, Mitsuki with beautiful and moon, and Natsuki with a spelling that ends in moon. Each of those sounds can also be written with other kanji, so check the characters rather than relying on the pronunciation alone.

What Japanese names mean love or beautiful?

Ai can be written with the kanji for love, affection, and the same character can open Aiko, Aimi and Airi. The kanji for beautiful appears in many names, including Emi, Miu, Mika, Miho, Akemi and Misaki. Aimi and Manami can both be written with love plus beautiful. Other spellings exist for all of them.

What are some rare Japanese girl names?

Names that English speakers hear less often include Hotaru, Kasumi, Tsukiko, Kotone, Chie, Shiho and Hanae. That is an impression, not a statistic, because we did not read official birth rankings for Japan. A name can also be made distinctive through its kanji, since one pronunciation can be written with many different characters.

Why do so many Japanese female names end in ko?

The ending is usually written with a kanji glossed as child. Behind the Name’s background page says it was a common final kanji in girls’ names, as in Akiko, and that the trend has faded over recent decades. Aiko, Keiko, Sachiko, Tomoko and Hanako follow the same pattern.

Calmer days, better nights.

Betteroo builds a personalized sleep plan for your baby. Take the free two-minute quiz and have it ready before the newborn weeks.

Take the Free Sleep Quiz

Related Betteroo Guides

6 Sources
  1. Behind the Name. Japanese Names (background on kanji, readings, name order and traditional naming).
    https://www.behindthename.com/glossary/view/japanese_names
  2. Behind the Name. Japanese Names: feminine names with Japanese usage (individual entries read October 2026).
    https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/usage/japanese
  3. Web Japan (Kids Web Japan). Explore Japan: Language.
    https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/language/index.html
  4. Library of Congress. ALA-LC Romanization Table: Japanese.
    https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/japanese.pdf
  5. Hamada, I. Japanese Introductory 1, section 2.1: The Japanese Sound System. CAUL Open Educational Resources Collective, 2024.
    https://oercollective.caul.edu.au/japanese/chapter/2-1/
  6. Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025).
    https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html