That’s the reason why a lot of parents choose Japanese names for their babies even if their family isn’t Japanese. Here are our top 100 picks for Japanese names to help you find the best one for your little girl:

Japanese baby names can have different meanings, depending on the kanji (characters adopted from logographic Chinese characters) used to write them. So, one name can have different meanings, yet similarly spelled names can also have totally different meanings. The following are our top 100 Japanese baby names for girls, with their origins and meanings:

Ahma

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Black rain

Variations/Synonyms: Restful or dark rain

Description: This boho-chic name can also be spelled as Amma.

Ai

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Love

Variations/Synonyms: Affection

Description: This name can also mean mugwort, a species of aromatic flowers.

Aiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Child of love

Variations/Synonyms: Love, affection, and child

Description: Aiko is a popular name because of its meaning.

What Is The Prettiest Japanese Name? Aimi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Love, affection, and beauty

Variations/Synonyms: Aimee (English) or Amy (English)

Description: Some parents choose this name because of its similarity to Amy and Aimee.

Aina

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Love of all things green (such as plants and vegetables)

Variations/Synonyms: Love, affection, greens, or vegetables

Description: Aina uses the kanji for love and affection and combines it with the kanji for vegetables or greens.

Airi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Gallant and clever

Variations/Synonyms: Love, affection, pear (fruit), crystal, peace, beautiful, forest, smart, and vivid colors

Description: The name combines the kanji for love and affection with pear (fruit).

Akane

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Deep red

Variations/Synonyms: Light, restful, bright, lovely, beautiful, love, and summer

Description: This name can also mean “play the music.”

Akari

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Lights or brightness

Variations/Synonyms: Vivid color, crystal, beauty, star, smart, and be gifted

Description: You might consider the similar name Akira, which means “bright and intelligent.”

What Japanese Girl Name Means Beautiful? Akemi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Bright and beautiful

Variations/Synonyms: Vermillion (a shade of bright red color)

Description: This name can also mean “dawn” or “ocean,” depending on the kanji used

Aki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Bright and glistening just like the autumn

Variations/Synonyms: Doing it clearly, light, philosopher, trust, shining light, and crystal

Description: The name can also mean “cheerfulness.”

What Is A Cute Japanese Name? Akiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Child of autumn

Variations/Synonyms: Trust, light, shining light, philosopher, cheerfulness, and crystal

Description: Akiko was created as the combination of Aki, which means “autumn,” and “ko,” which means “child.”

Akira

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Clear

Variations/Synonyms: Philosopher, bright, light, autumn, morning sun, shining light, radiance, and sparkle

Description: This can be a nice name for a bubbly, cheerful child.

Anzu

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Apricot (a fruit)

Variations/Synonyms: Ripe

Description: The name meaning is apricot or ripe, but it can be used as a nice girl name, too.

Aoi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Hollyhock or althea (flowers)

Variations/Synonyms: Vivid colors, love, dark blue, cherry blossoms, refreshing, love, great, and sacred

Description: This flowery name could be a nice name for a girl.

Asahi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Morning sun

Variations/Synonyms: Vividness, light, bright sun, fly in the sky, progress, bloom, and fortune

Description: Depending on the kanji used, this name can also mean “princess.”

Asami

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Hemp and beauty

Variations/Synonyms: Origin, morning, water, ocean, sacred, attractive, and wave

Description: Asami is popular because some parents think that it’s a cool-sounding name.

Asuka

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Fly or bird

Variations/Synonyms: Flower, bright, sun, pearl, song, large hill, beautiful, and summer

Description: This could be a name for an adventurous child.

Aya

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Colorful

Variations/Synonyms: Bright, blessed, to master the academic, and progress

Description: The name means “colorful” and is a fun alternative to common girl names like Maya, Kaia, or Isla.

Ayaka

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Color or flower

Variations/Synonyms: Vivid colors, beautiful, craftsmanship, a kind of jewelry, summer, entertainer, and play the music

Description: Ayaka is made by combining “aya,” which means color, and “ka,” which means “someone.” But it can also be spelled as Ayako because “ko” means “child.”

Ayame

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Iris

Variations/Synonyms: Love, sprout, craftsmanship, princess, vividness, strawberry, and thanks

Description: Ayame means a flowering plant named iris with flowers in purple, violet, or purple-red.

Bashira

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Joyful

Variations/Synonyms: Beautiful smile

Description: This joyful Japanese girl name sounds sweet. It can be shortened to Shira.

Chihiro

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Thousand or big

Variations/Synonyms: Search, seek, superiority, infinite space and time, long life, progress, and wide sea

Description: The name also means “spread the light.” It’s a popular choice for parents who are fans of the Japanese animated fantasy film “Spirited Away” because it’s the main character’s name.

Chiho

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beauty of a rice field

Variations/Synonyms: Sprout, smart, or knowledge

Description: You can also use Chihoko, which can roughly translate to “a beautiful child of the rice field.”

Chika

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Scattered flowers or good wisdom

Variations/Synonyms: Harmonious, lovely, beautiful, smart, kind, fine, summer, and ocean

Description: This can be a good choice to name a kind child.

Chikako

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Child of a thousand wisdom

Variations/Synonyms: Child of a thousand flowers

Description: This name has many different interpretations, including “a child of a thousand summers” or “a child of a thousand oceans,” depending on what kanji you’ll use.

Chiyo

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A thousand generations

Variations/Synonyms: Fortune, generation, lotus, sun, smart, and beauty

Description: The name makes a tribute to your family’s ancestors.

Cho

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Butterfly

Variations/Synonyms: Super

Description: It can also be spelled as “Chou,” which holds the same meaning.

In Japanese culture, “cho” or “chou” is used to mean “super,” so that “chou yabai” means “super cool.”

Emi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beautiful smile

Variations/Synonyms: Laugh, heart, kindness, bloom, water, light, good, progress, and blessed

Description: Some parents take the spelling Emi as a variation to Emy or Emmie’s English spellings.

Emiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beautiful child

Variations/Synonyms: A child with a beautiful smile

Description: Emiko combines the kanjis for “beautiful smile” (emi) and “child” (ko).

Etsuko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Child of joy

Variations/Synonyms: Rainbow, joy, blessed, forever and ever, camellia, and harbor

Description: Etsuko can also mean a “child of the rainbow” or “a blessed child.”

Fumiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Intellectual or a smart girl

Variations/Synonyms: Pearl, love, rainbow, aromatic, help someone, beauty, disciplined, and wealth

Description: It can be shortened to Fumi or Miko.

Fuyuko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Winter child

Variations/Synonyms: Winter, wealth, help of god, reason, friend, a child of winter, and lotus

Description: This name could be a choice for babies born during winter.

Hana

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Flower or blossom

Variations/Synonyms: Fountain, love, harmony, calm, serenity, beauty, crystal, snow, gem, cherry blossoms, and summer

Description: If you like Hannah (a biblical name), Hana could be another option you can choose for your baby.

Hanako

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Flower child

Variations/Synonyms: Love, calm, serenity, harmony, beauty, snow, gem, crystal, cherry blossoms, and summer

Description: Hanako is made from the combination of ‘hana’ and the kanji for ‘ko,’ which means “child.”

Haruka

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A child of the spring blossom or simply “the spring child.”

Variations/Synonyms: Spring fragrance, infinite space and time, forever and ever, lovely, sun, spring, a beautiful flower, and wind

Description: Haru can be a good choice for your baby who’s born on a clear, sunny day or in springtime. It can also be a nice name for a child who brings a ray of sunlight into your life.

Haruna

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Spring flower

Variations/Synonyms: Greens, new beginnings, beautiful, spring, hazel, God’s decree, calm, and beach

Description: This could also be a nice name for a baby born in spring.

Hayami

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Rare beauty

Variations/Synonyms: Early, sprout, beautiful lady, water, and a strong gale

Description: Some parents prefer this name because it means “beautiful lady” and celebrates every woman’s rare beauty.

Hikari

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Light

Variations/Synonyms: Sun, the light of the sun, beautiful, lovely, cool, love, flower, shine, and bright

Description: This name could mean a child who brings sunshine or light into your life.

Himari

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Home of light and love

Variations/Synonyms: Ball of light, true, ten thousand, jasmine, hollyhock flower, love, sun, village, dream, crystal, dance, holly, princess, or sunflower

Description: Himari is popular because of its melodic sound and its association with different flowers.

Himiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Sun child

Variations/Synonyms: Princess, beauty, sacred, flower, progress, and sun

Description: The name means child of the sun and could be a great choice for your baby who’s born in summer or a child with a cheerful disposition.

Hinata

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A sunny place

Variations/Synonyms: Fruit trees, poetry, bloom, play music, sun, warm, princess, gentle, laugh, and pleasant

Description: Hinata is made with a combination of kanji characters “hina” and “ta” that could mean sun, light, green, and vegetables. So, it would be great for a baby who might love the earth or who’s born during spring when plants are in bloom.

Honoka

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Harmony flower

Variations/Synonyms: Beautiful, lovely, play the music, fire, high quality, summer, flower, cherry blossoms, entertainer, sail, and fruits.

Description: This sweet-sounding name could be a nice one for a beautiful baby.

Hoshiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Star child

Variations/Synonyms: Child of the star

Description: You can choose the shorter version, Hoshi, which means “star.”

Ichika

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: One summer

Variations/Synonyms: Best, entertainer, one thousand flowers, love, beautiful, harmony, peace, excellent, summer, delighted, maple tree, and play the music.

Description: This modern baby name has anime connotations.

Isamu

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Brave

Variations/Synonyms: Vigorous, robust, and energetic

Description: A lot of parents love this name because it means “brave.”

Izumi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Fountain and spring

Variations/Synonyms: Kindness, the reason, fruit, crane, ocean, serenity, harmony, peace, fountain, pure, fountain, and water

Description: This name would be a nice option for a baby who’s born in spring or near the ocean.

Jin

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Quiet or benevolence

Variations/Synonyms: Strong, benevolence, god, heart, serve, aspire, and camp

Description: Jin could be a nice name for a baby with a gentle and tender nature.

Junko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Obedience or pure

Variations/Synonyms: Truth, sincerity, season, sincerity, consult, polite, courteous, and beautiful pattern of fabric

Description: This name means an obedient child.

Kagami

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Mirror or clear

Variations/Synonyms: Ocean, incense, and beauty

Description: This cool name can be a nice pick for a clear-minded girl.

Kairi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Ocean village

Variations/Synonyms: Clear as crystal, free, cypress, cherry blossoms, bell, picture, and treasure

Description: You can change the spelling to Kairy, which means “sea.”

Kana

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beautiful

Variations/Synonyms: Ocean, beautiful, window, true, gentle, calm, lovely entertainer, and harmony

Description: This name can also be spelled as Kanna.

Kaori

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Nice scent or perfume

Variations/Synonyms: Aromatic, entertainment, woven, cherry blossoms, summer, beautiful, and flower

Description: This sweet name could be perfect for a child born in summer.

Kasumi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Mist

Variations/Synonyms: Beautiful, pure, song, harmony, peace, serene, heart, spring, and ocean

Description: The name is also made from the combination of the kanji for flower and pure.

Kazuko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Peaceful child

Variations/Synonyms: Moon, serenity, peace, long life, knowledge, luck, and pearl

Description: This nice name could be lovely for a peaceful, quiet child.

Kei

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Gemstone

Variations/Synonyms: Hope, firefly, understand, clever, lovely, engagement, aromatic, and great

Description: This lovely name can be a short version of Keiko. It used to be popular as a baby boy name but has become increasingly used as a female name in recent years.

Kiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Hope

Variations/Synonyms: Bright

Description: This sweet name is chosen by parents who want a short name with a nice meaning.

Kimi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Honorable

Variations/Synonyms: Ocean, joy, craftsmanship, kindness, beauty, progress, hope, princess, and fountain

Description: The name can be a variation for the English names Kimmy and Kimberly.

Koko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Stork

Variations/Synonyms: Love, deep red, rainbow, heart, Japanese harp, live longer, fortune, and be delighted.

Description: Parents may favor this name because of its similarity to Coco, a French fashion brand.

Kumiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A forever beautiful child

Variations/Synonyms: Kindness, fruit, beauty, sacred, progress, sky, and beautiful black stone

Description: This stylish name is a good pick for a precious, kind child.

What Are Some Unique Japanese Names? Mami

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: True and beauty

Variations/Synonyms: Truth, jasmine, beauty, hemp, kindness, fine, shrine, pearl, ocean, genuine, and progress

Description: This name relates to truth and beauty, making it a nice choice for your little girl.

Mana

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Love or affection

Variations/Synonyms: True, calm, fruit trees, superior, ten thousand, camphor tree, and sincerity

Description: The name hails from different Japanese characters but can also be spelled as Manna (Italian) which means “windfall.”

Masako

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Elegant child

Variations/Synonyms: Graceful, crystal, Japanese spindle tree, true, elegance, sand, bloom, cherry blossoms, and vivid colors

Description: It could make a nice name for a graceful or elegant child.

Mayumi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Elegant and truth

Variations/Synonyms: Reason, real, kindness, ocean, beauty, bow, superior, and attractive

Description: It could also mean an elegant, graceful child.

Megumi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Favor or blessings

Variations/Synonyms: Benefit, favor, light, river, blessed, love, benevolence, fortune, affectionate, kindness, water, and progress

Description: Because every child is a blessing, this name could be a nice choice for your baby girl.

Mei

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Bud or sprout

Variations/Synonyms: Bright, the reason, blessed, life, good, love, vividness, princess, and emphasis

Description: The name also means “blessed” and could make a lovely choice for your little princess.

Michi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Path

Variations/Synonyms: Myself, smart, knowledgeable, delighted, and beauty

Description: It could be a cool name for your “mini-me.”

Mika

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A beautiful flower

Variations/Synonyms: Lovely, summer, kindness, fruit, fragrant, song, good, and come true

Description: The name is made from a kanji for beautiful and another for fragrance.

Miki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A flower stem

Variations/Synonyms: Tree, light, kindness, hope, gorgeous, joy, and rare

Description: This could be a nickname for the English name Michelle, too.

Mio

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A beautiful cherry blossom

Variations/Synonyms: Heart, second, harmony, peace, light, dream, kindness, go through the years, love, and sound

Description: This sweet name befits a peaceful child.

Misaki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beautiful blossom

Variations/Synonyms: Beauty, heart, cherry blossoms, fortune, good, laugh, light, bloom, fountain, and prayer

Description: The name could also be for a baby who’s a blessing to your family.

Mitsuki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Beautiful moon

Variations/Synonyms: Princess, kindness, hope, light, season, three, brightness, rare, and joy

Description: This name is a tribute to the moon and could be a nice name for a baby born at night.

Moriko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Forest child

Variations/Synonyms: Crystal or cloud

Description: A name for a forest child, Moriko can be a good pick for a nature-loving child.

Nara

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Flower from heaven

Variations/Synonyms: Beautiful, fruit trees, and good

Description: Some parents pick this floral name for their baby girl because it’s also related to the heavens.

Niko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Amber stone or the gem-like quality from the amber stone

Variations/Synonyms: Benevolence and tiger

Description: Niko is among the popular boys’ names that can also be a nice option for girls.

Ren

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Water lily

Variations/Synonyms: Pure heart, lotus, clever, ripple, dream, and maple tree

Description: This name has anime characteristics but is favored by parents because it also means “pure heart.”

Renho

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Pure heart and friend

Variations/Synonyms: Lotus, step, and clever

Description: Some parents pick this name because they want their baby to be one with a pure heart for her friends.

Rin

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A gallant, dignified person

Variations/Synonyms: Orchid, beautiful ball, apricot, dream, extraordinary, crystal, and bell

Description: Though it just differs by a vowel from Ren, Rin has a totally different meaning. The two use different kanji characters.

Rio

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: White jasmine

Variations/Synonyms: Smart, firebird, gallant, courageous, love, shining light, cherry blossoms, and interest

Description: Rio can be a unisex name because it can also be written in a kanji that means “king.”

Risa

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Growing flowers at home

Variations/Synonyms: Crystal, morning, bloom, beautiful, smart, gallant, vivid colors, helping someone, fortune, interest, and sand

Description: This whimsical Japanese name is popular for its nice meaning and similarity to the English name Risa which means “laughter.”

Sachiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Child of bliss

Variations/Synonyms: Luck, knowledge, love, fortune, smartness, and knowledge

Description: This name can also mean a happy or lucky child who’s filled with happiness.

Sakura

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Cherry blossoms

Variations/Synonyms: Flourish, good fortune, bloom, and flowers

Description: This floral name is popularly used for baby girls born in spring.

Sara

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Happiness

Variations/Synonyms: Soul, pleasant, music, purity, vivid, cherry blossoms, orchid, and love

Description: It’s spelled just like the English version, which means “princess” or “happy.”

Sato

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Sugar

Variations/Synonyms: Benevolence, clever, village, township, sacred, helping someone, capital, and bloom

Description: Sato is sometimes spelled as Satoh or Satou.

Seiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A force to be reckoned with

Variations/Synonyms: Gentle, shining bright, affection, lake, star, heart, and rainbow

Description: Seiko is actually a watch brand from Japan, but the name is still favored by parents who want their baby girls to have a strong-sounding name.

Sora

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Sky

Variations/Synonyms: Refreshing, wind, summer, heaven, central, serene, forever and ever, infinite space and time, beauty, and true

Description: This lovely name has a refreshing sound that makes it popular with new parents.

Suzuki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Bell wood or bell tree

Variations/Synonyms: Bright, hope, joy, cool, season, and living

Description: Suzuki is also a popular brand in Japan, known for its manufacturing motorcycles, cars, and marine vehicles. But the bright name is also used by some parents to name their joyful baby girls.

Takako

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: A noble child

Variations/Synonyms: Heart, good child, wise child, a child who’s willing to serve her parents, harmony, precious, and modest

Description: Takako would make a good name for a noble but kindhearted girl.

Takara

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Treasure

Variations/Synonyms: Sky, brightness, heaven, good, truth, precious, fine, and honor

Description: A child named Takara is one that her parents truly treasure.

Tamiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Child of many beauties

Variations/Synonyms: Fruit, kindness, many, heart, ocean, and beauty

Description: Tamiko is a popular name because of its beautiful meaning.

Tatsuya

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Achieve

Variations/Synonyms: Dragon, achieve, night, progress, arrow, start, reach, tree, call, stand, and progress.

Description: Tatsuya is often confused with Tetsuya, which means “philosophy.”

Tokyo

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Eastern capital

Variations/Synonyms: Capital city

Description: This is a unisex name that parents use to honor Japan’s capital city, Tokyo.

Tomoko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Wise child

Variations/Synonyms: Wisdom, intellect, a friend with favor, benefit, morning, heart, lake, clever, friendly, and knowing

Description: This name would be great for your wise baby girl.

Toshiko

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Sharp child

Variations/Synonyms: Quick, clever, excellent, aspire, interest, long life, elegant, light, and sacred.

Description: Toshiko can also be a nice name for a clever little girl.

Tsubaki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Camellia flower

Variations/Synonyms: Princess

Description: This can be a nice floral name for your baby girl.

Ume

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Japanese apricot

Variations/Synonyms: Plum, blue, sprout, love, dream, courage, and blessed

Description: This name may also be spelled as Oume or Yume.

Yasu

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Peaceful or smooth

Variations/Synonyms: Gentle, restful, guarantee, and healthy

Description: This unisex name can also mean “calm.”

Yayoi

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Increase and birth or life

Variations/Synonyms: Genuine, progress, living, night, beautiful, and generation

Description: This can be a beautiful name for a baby girl in modern times.

Yua

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Love and affection

Variations/Synonyms: Help someone, vividness, tie, bind, harmony, apricot, brightness, elegance, peace, beauty, friend, and grace

Description: This is a simple but sweet name for a baby girl you and your family love.

Yui

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Excellence

Variations/Synonyms: Superiority, gentleness, dream, reason, and clothing or garment

Description: This name can be perfect for a little girl who can be an achiever someday.

Yuzuki

Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Hope

Variations/Synonyms: Grapefruit, citrus fruit, bloom, snow, pearl, evening, princess, rare, Chinese bellflower, radiance, precious, and gorgeous

Description: Yuzuki is a nice name that befits your little princess.