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
Azekawa
Japanese form
阿瀬川
あぜかわ
Meaning
阿: Africa, flatter, fawn upon; 瀬: rapids, current, torrent; 川: stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)
Surname formats
Romanized form
Azuki
Japanese form
亜月
あずき
Meaning
亜: Asia, rank next, come after; 月: month, moon
Surname formats
Romanized form
Endou
Japanese form
遠藤
えんどう
Meaning
遠: distant, far; 藤: wisteria
Surname formats
Romanized form
Fujii
Japanese form
藤井
ふじい
Meaning
藤: wisteria; 井: well, well crib, town
Surname formats
Romanized form
Fujita
Japanese form
藤田
ふじた
Meaning
藤: wisteria; 田: rice field, rice paddy
Surname formats
Romanized form
Fujiwara
Japanese form
藤原
ふじわら
Meaning
藤: wisteria; 原: meadow, original, primitive
Surname formats
Romanized form
Fukuda
Japanese form
福田
ふくだ
Meaning
福: happiness; 田: rice field, rice paddy
Surname formats
Romanized form
Gotou
Japanese form
後藤
ごとう
Meaning
後: behind, back, later; 藤: wisteria
Surname formats
Romanized form
Harada
Japanese form
原田
はらだ
Meaning
原: meadow, original, primitive; 田: rice field, rice paddy
Surname formats
Romanized form
Hasegawa
Japanese form
長谷川
はせがわ
Meaning
長: long, leader, superior; 谷: valley; 川: stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical (no. 47)
Surname formats
Romanized form
Hashimoto
Japanese form
橋本
はしもと
Meaning
橋: bridge; 本: book, present, main
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ibayashi
Japanese form
伊林
いばやし
Meaning
伊: Italy, that one; 林: grove, forest
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ibayashi
Japanese form
移林
いばやし
Meaning
移: shift, move, change; 林: grove, forest
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ichinaga
Japanese form
一中
いちなが
Meaning
一: one, one radical (no.1); 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Idenaka
Japanese form
井手中
いでなか
Meaning
井: well, well crib, town; 手: hand; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ihayashi
Japanese form
伊林
いはやし
Meaning
伊: Italy, that one; 林: grove, forest
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ikeda
Japanese form
池田
いけだ
Meaning
池: pond, cistern, pool; 田: rice field, rice paddy
Surname formats
Romanized form
Inaga
Japanese form
井中
いなが
Meaning
井: well, well crib, town; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Inaka
Japanese form
伊中
いなか
Meaning
伊: Italy, that one; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Inakaya
Japanese form
井中家
いなかや
Meaning
井: well, well crib, town; 中: in, inside, middle; 家: house, home, family
Surname formats
Romanized form
Inenaka
Japanese form
稲中
いねなか
Meaning
稲: rice plant; 中: in, inside, middle
Surname formats
Romanized form
Inoue
Japanese form
井上
いのうえ
Meaning
井: well, well crib, town; 上: above, up
Surname formats
Romanized form
Irin
Japanese form
伊林
いりん
Meaning
伊: Italy, that one; 林: grove, forest
Surname formats
Romanized form
Ishida
Japanese form
石田
いしだ
Meaning
石: stone; 田: rice field, rice paddy
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.