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Japanese Girl Names with Meanings and Kanji

Explore Japanese girl names with kanji, hiragana, romaji, and meaning notes. Compare written forms, listen to the reading, or keep a name while finding a surname to pair with it.

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Twelve Japanese girl names to start with

Hand-picked entries from this collection — each card links to a full detail page with kanji breakdowns, sources, and full-name pairings.

凛

girl

Rinりん

Dignified composure — cold air that snaps clean. One crisp syllable; the collection also records 琳, a beautiful jewel.

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花

girl

Hanaはな

Flower, one character and done — and a name that works in English almost unchanged.

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灯

girl

Akariあかり

A lamp's flame. The collection also records 明里, bright village — same reading, different image.

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光

unisex

Hikariひかり

Light itself, a single luminous character that also reads unisex.

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結衣

girl

Yuiゆい

To tie (結) + garment (衣): a knot of cloth — connection you can hold.

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楓

girl

Kaedeかえで

Maple — the tree whose autumn color the whole country travels to see.

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葵

unisex

Aoiあおい

Hollyhock, the Tokugawa crest plant — a top-10 name for girls and boys at once.

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湊

unisex

Minatoみなと

Harbor: where boats — and families — find shelter. Rides the recent single-character boom.

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光葵

girl

Himariひまり

This collection records the light-plus-hollyhock spelling 光葵; the reading is most famously written 陽葵, sun plus hollyhock.

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光花

girl

Hinaひな

Recorded here as light (光) + flower (花); the reading Hina is also commonly written 陽菜, sun on young greens.

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海桜

girl

Mioみお

Sea cherry blossom in this collection's spelling — alongside 光桜, light cherry blossom. Elegant and compact.

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桃花

unisex

Momokaももか

Peach blossom — spring, sweetness, and a touch of Momotaro folklore. 杏花, apricot blossom, is the alternate spelling.

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Initial

Japanese girl names

236 matches

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kanata

Japanese form

空

かなた

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

空
empty; sky; void; vacant; vacuum
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kaoru

Japanese form

花桜瑠

かおる

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

花
flower
桜
cherry
瑠
lapis lazuli
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Katsuki

Japanese form

花月

かつき

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

花
flower
月
month; moon
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Katsumi

Japanese form

一美

かつみ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

一
one; one radical (no.1)
美
beauty; beautiful
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kazuyoshi

Japanese form

一美

かずよし

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

一
one; one radical (no.1)
美
beauty; beautiful
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kei

Japanese form

花泉

けい

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

花
flower
泉
spring; fountain
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Keiko

Japanese form

蛍光

けいこ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

蛍
lightning-bug; firefly
光
ray; light
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Keito

Japanese form

花糸

けいと

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

花
flower
糸
thread
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Ken

Japanese form

絢

けん

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

絢
brilliant fabric design
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kira

Japanese form

季桜

きら

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

季
seasons
桜
cherry
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kirara

Japanese form

光

きらら

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

光
ray; light
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Koharu

Japanese form

瑚花

こはる

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

瑚
ancestral offering receptacle; coral
花
flower
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kokoro

Japanese form

愛

こころ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

愛
love; affection; favourite
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kou

Japanese form

光

こう

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

光
ray; light
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kouki

Japanese form

光喜

こうき

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

光
ray; light
喜
rejoice; take pleasure in
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kouta

Japanese form

光多

こうた

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

光
ray; light
多
many; frequent; much
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kumi

Japanese form

空海

くみ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

空
empty; sky; void; vacant; vacuum
海
sea; ocean
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Kyouko

Japanese form

郷桜子

きょうこ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

郷
home town; village; native place; district
桜
cherry
子
child; sign of the rat; 11PM-1AM; first sign of Chinese zodiac
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Mahiro

Japanese form

愛優

まひろ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

愛
love; affection; favourite
優
tenderness; excel; surpass; actor; superiority; gentleness
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Mai

Japanese form

愛依

まい

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

愛
love; affection; favourite
依
reliant; depend on; consequently; therefore; due to
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Makoto

Japanese form

愛琴

まこと

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

愛
love; affection; favourite
琴
harp; koto
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Manabu

Japanese form

愛

まなぶ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

愛
love; affection; favourite
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Mao

Japanese form

愛桜

まお

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

愛
love; affection; favourite
桜
cherry
Usage not ranked

Given name formats

Romanized form

Masae

Japanese form

雅美

まさえ

Meaning

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Character dictionary notes

These are general dictionary senses, including abbreviations and other contexts. They do not establish the meaning or intention of this name.

雅
gracious; elegant; graceful; refined
美
beauty; beautiful
Usage not ranked

Editorial selection is a browsing order, not a popularity ranking. Style and usage estimates are editorial guidance. Dictionary notes do not establish a name’s intended meaning.

Choosing a spelling, not just a sound

Japanese given names are often discussed by reading and written form. Two people called Rin may use different kanji, so a meaning belongs to a particular spelling rather than automatically to every person with that reading.

For example, Hana written 花 points to a flower, while Hikari written 光 points to light. Akari can be written 明里 or 灯 in this collection; the character explanation changes with the spelling. Compare the displayed kanji as well as the sound before choosing.

Japanese girl names: questions and answers

What are the most popular Japanese girl names right now?

Recent national surveys of newborns put Himari (陽葵), Rin (凛), Aoi (葵), Hina (陽菜), Yuna (結菜), and Sakura (咲良/桜) at the top for girls. The explorer below covers the full collection; the most-popular-names guide explains how Japan's rankings work.

Which Japanese girl names mean flower or beauty?

Hana (花) means flower, Sakura (桜) means cherry blossom, Momoka (桃花) means peach blossom, and Himari (陽葵) pairs the sun with the hollyhock. Names built on 美 (beauty) include Mika (美香) and Miyuki (美雪, beautiful snow).

Do Japanese girl names have fixed meanings?

No — the meaning attaches to the kanji spelling, not the sound. The reading Rin can be 凛 (dignified composure) or 琳 (beautiful jewel). Always compare written forms; every entry below shows the kanji next to the reading.

What Japanese girl names are easy to pronounce in English?

Hana, Mei, Mika, Rina, Emi, and Yuna all pronounce nearly identically in both languages. The bilingual-names guide covers the full list with pronunciation notes.

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