Kanako is a Japanese given name read かなこ in this collection, recorded with 2 written forms: 愛子, and 花茄子. The characters of 愛子 carry the component glosses listed below. They describe the written form rather than a fixed name meaning, because the same reading can be written many different ways. This collection labels it for girl use and notes it as unranked for popularity in this collection's sources.
Written-form notes and labels above come from this collection’s records. They are not a current usage survey or a guarantee of suitability.
Written forms
愛子
Dictionary recordKanji component glosses
Name meaning not established from character glosses.
Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5103577. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.
JMnedict documents this spelling-reading pair. KANJIDIC2 supplies the component glosses; they do not prove a combined meaning, popularity, or current naming style.
花茄子
Dictionary recordKanji component glosses
Name meaning not established from character glosses.
Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5170467. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.
JMnedict documents this spelling-reading pair. KANJIDIC2 supplies the component glosses; they do not prove a combined meaning, popularity, or current naming style.
Full-name pairings
Reviewed pairings for Kanako are not yet recorded, so the examples below use frequently requested surnames from this collection. Any given name can precede a Japanese family name.
Related names
Quick answers
Kanako is recorded here as 愛子 and 花茄子, all read かなこ. Each spelling carries its own character meanings, shown on this page.
In this collection, Kanako is recorded as a girl name. Japanese unisex names are common, so the same reading may appear in the other gender's registers with different spellings.
The sound Kanako does not have one fixed meaning. Written 愛子, its characters carry the glosses 愛 (love, affection); 子 (child, sign of the rat). These describe the written form, not a guaranteed name meaning.
Evidence trail
Kanji glosses help explain the written form. They are not a claim about the personality or destiny of a person who uses the name. The Jōyō Kanji reference is general character background; it does not verify every personal-name reading or establish popularity. Imported records cite their dictionary sources separately.
Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · JMnedict created 2026-08-01 · Evidence: reading kanji pair · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Accessed 2026-08-01
Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · Evidence: meaning · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Accessed 2026-08-01