Family-name guide
Explore Japanese last names—also called Japanese surnames or family names—through their kanji, literal meanings, origin types, and evidence-aware stories. A shared spelling does not prove shared ancestry.
Surname formats
Romanized form
Akutogawa
Japanese form
阿久刀川
あくとがわ
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 久: long time, old story; 刀: sword, saber, knife; 川: stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)
Surname formats
Romanized form
Akutsugawa
Japanese form
阿久津川
あくつがわ
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 久: long time, old story; 津: haven, port, harbor; 川: stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)
Surname formats
Romanized form
Akuuta
Japanese form
阿刀田
あくうた
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 刀: sword, saber, knife; 田: rice field, rice paddy
Surname formats
Romanized form
Akuzawa
Japanese form
亜久沢
あくざわ
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 久: long time, old story; 沢: swamp, marsh, brilliance
Surname formats
Romanized form
Akuzawa
Japanese form
亜久澤
あくざわ
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 久: long time, old story; 澤: swamp
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amakawa
Japanese form
阿間川
あまかわ
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 間: interval, space; 川: stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amaki
Japanese form
亜麻木
あまき
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 麻: hemp, flax, numb; 木: tree, wood
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amemoto
Japanese form
飴本
あめもと
Meaning
飴: rice jelly, candy; 本: book, present, main
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ami
Japanese form
亜見
あみ
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 見: see, hopes, chances
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ami
Japanese form
亜美
あみ
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 美: beauty, beautiful
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amii
Japanese form
亜美伊
あみい
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 美: beauty, beautiful; 伊: Italy, that one
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amoto
Japanese form
亜本
あもと
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 本: book, present, main
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amoto
Japanese form
阿本
あもと
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 本: book, present, main
Surname formats
Romanized form
Amusu
Japanese form
亜武巣
あむす
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 武: warrior, military, chivalry; 巣: nest, rookery, hive
Surname formats
Romanized form
Anaka
Japanese form
阿中
あなか
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Anan
Japanese form
亜南
あなん
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 南: south
Surname formats
Romanized form
Annaka
Japanese form
安中
あんなか
Meaning
安: relax, cheap, low; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Annaka
Japanese form
杏中
あんなか
Meaning
杏: apricot; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Anoda
Japanese form
阿納田
あのだ
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 納: settlement, obtain, reap; 田: rice field, rice paddy
Surname formats
Romanized form
Anoyama
Japanese form
阿野山
あのやま
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 野: plains, field, rustic; 山: mountain
Surname formats
Romanized form
Aoki
Japanese form
葵木
あおき
Meaning
葵: hollyhock; 木: tree, wood
Surname formats
Romanized form
Aoki
Japanese form
青木
あおき
Meaning
青: blue, green; 木: tree, wood
Surname formats
Romanized form
Araki
Japanese form
阿良木
あらき
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 良: good, pleasing, skilled; 木: tree, wood
Surname formats
Romanized form
Araragi
Japanese form
阿良々木
あららぎ
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 良: good, pleasing, skilled; 木: tree, wood
Many Japanese family names use geographic vocabulary such as mountain, river, field, village, or bridge. That makes the written form interpretable, but it does not identify one birthplace or one founding family without additional records.
We separate well-documented history from common interpretation, multiple possible origins, literal-only explanation, and uncertainty. Regional maps appear only when a distribution source is attached.
Search by kanji, hiragana, or romaji to find a family name. Use the page links to browse the full collection, or choose “Use in generator” to keep a surname while trying different given names. Origin stories explain the available historical evidence separately from literal character meanings.