Chihiro as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Chihiro

What is the meaning of the name Chihiro ?

The baby name Chihiro is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced Japanese IPA: [tɕiçiɾo]; English approximation: "CHEE-hee-roh".

Chihiro is Japanese in Origin.

Chihiro is a Japanese given name used for all genders, though most common for girls. Its meaning depends on the kanji: the frequent 千尋 combines 千 “thousand” with 尋 “hiro,” a classical “fathom,” suggesting great depth, breadth, or profundity. Other forms include 智尋 or 知尋 (evoking “seeking wisdom/knowledge”), 千紘 (“thousand, wide expanse”), and 千裕 (“thousand, abundance”). It may also be written purely in kana as ちひろ or チヒロ.

Documented since the early 20th century, the name aligns with modern Japanese trends pairing 千 (“thousand”) with aspirational characters, and its steady domestic use saw a notable international boost after Miyazaki’s film Spirited Away (2001) featured the heroine Ogino Chihiro. Variants and short forms include Chii and Hiro; an alternate romanization Tihiro appears under Kunrei-shiki, though Chihiro is standard in Hepburn. The name has no direct non-Japanese cognates.