200 Popular Japanese Baby Names for Girls and Boys of 2024

Keiji Jake Godber was the name that officially made the cut, followed in 2015 by little brother Jin Mason Godber. The name Keiji (pronounced kay-gee) means “to move forward and patch up disagreements” and was inspired by video game producer Keiji Inafume to which the couple has no connection except that they liked the name.

two boys, keiji and jin godber, leaning on a railing on an observation deck, smiling for a photo

Courtesy of Sakura Godber

Keiji Godber (left) and Jin Godber (right) were named in part to honor their Japanese heritage.

Names can be cultural and personal signifiers of identity. They can give a sneak peek into a family’s personal preferences or pop culture consumption, especially since Japanese influence is everywhere in American culture through anime and games. In Japanese naming practices, new parents try to “express their visions of their child's life, personality and wishes for what kind of person they want the child to be,” says Dr. Noriko Watanabe in her study, “Poetics of Japanese Naming Practices.”

But there is no wrong way to fall in love with a name. New parents can choose a name based on sound or the warmth it elicits when the perfect combo is discovered. These lists of Japanese baby names are compiled with references from the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) annual database of popular names and lists from sites that keep track of their users' baby names like Nameberry and Babycenter.com, along with translated names and suggestions from Watanabe, an adjunct assistant professor in the department of modern languages and literatures at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and Noriko Kolbe, senior lecturer at Georgia Southern University’s department of world languages and cultures.

The lists may help inspire visions of who you want your child to be. Take the names for joyrides. Let them roll off the tongue. Fall in love accordingly. Then notice that nature-inspired and gender-neutral names are trending.

Most Popular Japanese Baby Names

In Japan, a newborn's birth must be recorded within 14 days in the family registry or koseki, a version of the SSA that functions as the legal document to verify identity. When Japanese parents name a baby, they often consider the meanings of kanji (Chinese characters), the number of strokes in the kanji, the balance of kanji between the last name and first name and the sound/pronunciation of the name, said Kolbe in her 2020 study, “Child Naming Practice and Changing Trends in Modern Japan.” New parents in Japan also must choose how to write their name. There are three main scripts: hiragana, katakana and kanji.

The Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company in Japan conducts an annual survey of popular Japanese baby names. Last year, Haruto, which means “a person born in the spring or sunlight,” was toppled by Ao for the first time in 14 years — possibly due to the popularity of soccer player Tanaka Ao. For girls, the top name was Himari or Hinata, a name associated with sun and sunflowers, according to Nippon.com.

Top Japanese Boy Names

Ao/Aoi
Haruto/Hinato
Dan/Haru
Ritsu
Aoi/Sō/Ao
Sōma/Fūma
Ren
Nagi/Nagisa
Minato

Top Japanese Girl Names

Himari/Hinata
Rin
Tsumugi
Yua/Yuna/Yuina
Mio
Mei
Koharu
Hina, Haruna
Ema
Sui/Midori

Nature-Inspired Japanese Baby Names

For the best inspiration for names look no further than the forests, flowers and the natural world — a baby-naming trend we've been seeing for a few years now. Nature-inspired Japanese names will continue to increase in popularity this year, Kolbe says. Think names like Himari (sun), Aoi (hollyhock) and these other Japanese names inspired by Mother Nature:

Nature-Inspired Girl Names

Ayame (iris)
Chika (a thousand flowers)
Hana (flower)
Hoshi (star)
Kaede (maple)
Kohaku(amber)
Natsuki (moon)
Riko (jasmine)
Shinju(pearl)
Yuzuki (citrus fruit)

Nature-Inspired Boy Names

Asahi (dawn)
Akimitsu (shining star)
Daichi (earth/land)
Fuyuhiro(winter/ocean)
Getsumei (moonlight)
Hibiki (echo)
Mori (forest)
Naoki(tree of truth)
Sora (sky)
Yuki (snow)

Gender-Neutral Japanese Baby Names

While newborn naming practices continue to stay rather normative in terms of gender binaries, Kolbe notes that Japanese gender-neutral names are rising in popularity. Names like Izumi, which means “spring” or “fountain,” can be used interchangeably between genders. Here are some other gender-neutral names to consider, according to Kolbe.