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Japanese given name

Minato: Meaning & Kanji

湊

みなと · ミナト

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Gender in this collection
boy, unisex
Stored reading
みなと (Minato)

What does Minato mean in this spelling?

Minato is written 湊 in this collection, with a harbor-related character meaning and the reading みなと. It offers a water-related written image. The character does not establish that a person comes from a port or coastal family.

These are written-form explanations. Style and gender labels describe this collection; they are not a current usage survey or a guarantee of suitability.

Written forms

Kanji variations for Minato

湊

Editorial selection

Written-form notes

Harbor; gathering place by water

Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5658888. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.

湊
harbor

Full-name pairings

Surnames to pair with Minato

山本 湊Yamamoto MinatoUse this pairing →田中 湊Tanaka MinatoUse this pairing →佐藤 湊Satō MinatoUse this pairing →鈴木 湊Suzuki MinatoUse this pairing →林 湊Hayashi MinatoUse this pairing →高橋 湊Takahashi MinatoUse this pairing →

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.

  1. Index of readings in the Jōyō Kanji Table

    Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan · Accessed 2026-07-29

  2. JMnedict Japanese Multilingual Named Entity Dictionary

    Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · JMnedict created 2026-08-01 · Evidence: reading kanji pair · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Accessed 2026-08-01