Mei is a Japanese given name read めい in this collection, recorded with 2 written forms: 愛, and 美. The characters of 愛 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
Kanji variations for Mei
愛
Dictionary record
Kanji component glosses
Name meaning not established from character glosses.
Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5102775. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.
愛
love, affection, favourite
JMnedict documents this spelling-reading pair. KANJIDIC2 supplies the component glosses; they do not prove a combined meaning, popularity, or current naming style.
美
Dictionary record
Kanji component glosses
Name meaning not established from character glosses.
Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5606871. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.
美
beauty, beautiful
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
Surnames to pair with Mei
Reviewed pairings for Mei are not yet recorded, so the examples below use frequently requested surnames from this collection. Any given name can precede a Japanese family name.
Mei is recorded here as 愛 and 美, all read めい. Each spelling carries its own character meanings, shown on this page.
Is Mei a boy name or a girl name?
In this collection, Mei 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.
What does Mei mean?
The sound Mei does not have one fixed meaning. Written 愛, its characters carry the glosses 愛 (love, affection). These describe the written form, not a guaranteed name meaning.
Evidence trail
Sources
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.