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Japanese given name

Yamato: Meaning & Kanji

倭

やまと · ヤマト

Gender in this collection
girl, boy, unisex
Stored reading
やまと (Yamato)
Written forms recorded
2
Style labels
—
Popularity in this collection
unranked

About Yamato

Yamato is a Japanese given name read やまと in this collection, recorded with 2 written forms: 倭, and 和. The characters of 倭 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 and boy and unisex 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 Yamato

倭

Dictionary record

Kanji component glosses

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5715548. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.

倭
Yamato, ancient Japan

JMnedict documents this spelling-reading pair. KANJIDIC2 supplies the component glosses; they do not prove a combined meaning, popularity, or current naming style.

和

Dictionary record

Kanji component glosses

Name meaning not established from character glosses.

Spelling and reading recorded in JMnedict (2026-08-01 snapshot), entry 5715805. This does not establish popularity or naming intention.

和
harmony, Japanese style, peace, soften, Japan

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 Yamato

Reviewed pairings for Yamato 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

Names that share a kanji with Yamato

Quick answers

Yamato: questions and answers

How is Yamato written in kanji?

Yamato is recorded here as 倭 and 和, all read やまと. Each spelling carries its own character meanings, shown on this page.

Is Yamato a boy name or a girl name?

In this collection, Yamato is recorded for girl and boy and unisex use — a genuinely unisex reading. Gender in Japanese names comes from usage patterns and endings, not from the kanji itself.

What does Yamato mean?

The sound Yamato does not have one fixed meaning. Written 倭, its characters carry the glosses 倭 (Yamato, ancient Japan). 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.

  1. 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

  2. KANJIDIC2 Kanji Database

    Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · Evidence: meaning · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Accessed 2026-08-01