Genji as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Genji

What is the meaning of the name Genji ?

The baby name Genji is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɡɛn.dʒi/ (English); [ɡeɴdʑi] (Japanese).

Genji is Japanese in Origin.

Genji is a Japanese masculine given name formed from various kanji; common spellings include 源次 and 源二, combining 源 (gen, “source; origin”) with 次 or 二 (“next; second”), often interpreted as “origin + second,” sometimes implying “second son.” Other attestable forms such as 玄司 pair 玄 (“mysterious; profound”) with 司 (“to govern”), yielding nuances like “profound steward.” As with many Japanese names, meaning shifts with the characters chosen.

The name carries strong literary and aristocratic associations: Genji evokes both the Minamoto clan (源氏) and the luminous protagonist Hikaru Genji of The Tale of Genji. As a given name it appears in historical records and was more familiar in the early 20th century; it is rare in contemporary Japan, where Kenji is far more common. Variant romanizations include Genji (Hepburn) and Genzi (Kunrei-shiki). Related forms and short variants include Gen, Genichi/Gen’ichi, and Genjirō.