Japanese names - Baby names with the origin Japanese

Japanese given names are usually written in kanji, with meaning determined by the characters chosen. Many are two-kanji compounds. Names also appear in hiragana or katakana, though less commonly for boys. Japanese phonotactics favor open syllables and simple consonant-vowel patterns, so names avoid clusters and final consonants other than n. Readings are not fixed: the same kanji can have multiple name-specific readings (nanori), and parents often supply furigana to specify pronunciation. Suffixes historically mark gender, such as -ko and -mi for girls and -o, -ro, -ta, -to, -ki, or -ya for boys.

Family names precede given names in Japanese order; middle names are rare. Postwar policy restricts usable characters to the Jōyō and Jinmeiyō lists, though readings remain flexible. Common semantic themes include nature, seasons, virtues, brightness, and longevity. Since the late 20th century, -ko endings have declined, while girl names ending in -a or -na and boy names ending in -to, -ta, -ki, and -ya have grown. Some recent “kirakira” names use uncommon kanji or unconventional readings, reflecting modern trends rather than a single fixed pattern.