Japanese Name Generator
Random Japanese names in one click: 387+ real boy, girl and neutral first names and 264+ last names, in kanji, hiragana and romaji — with what the kanji mean. Free, no sign-up.
Gender
Name order
102,168 possible results · no repeats until you've seen them all
Pick your filters (or leave them on All) and press Generate.
- Rintaro Nishiyama · 西山 倫太郎 · にしやま りんたろう · male
- Nanami Kaneko · 金子 七海 · かねこ ななみ · female
- Kotone Fukushima · 福島 琴音 · ふくしま ことね · female
A full Japanese name, and what it means
Most Japanese name generators give you a romanized sound and nothing else. This Japanese name generator shows the full name the way it would be written in Japan — kanji (漢字), the hiragana reading (ひらがな) and the romaji — plus the meaning of each kanji, so you know that Hinata means "sunny place" before you give it to a character.
How Japanese names work
- Family name first — Tanaka Haruto is Haruto of the Tanaka family. Use the Name order filter to switch.
- Kanji carry meaning — 陽 (sun), 翔 (soar), 花 (flower); the same sound can be written with different kanji.
- Surnames often describe places — Yamamoto (base of the mountain), Tanaka (middle of the rice field), Inoue (above the well).
- Gender clues — endings like -ko, -mi and -na are common for girls, -to, -ta and -suke for boys, but many modern names are neutral.
Who uses it
Writers and manga artists naming a cast, gamers creating characters, learners practising kanji readings, and anyone curious about what common Japanese names mean. For surnames from other cultures use the last name generator; for fantasy or sci-fi casts try the character name generator. Want your own English name written in Japanese instead? The Japanese name converter gives the katakana, romaji and kanji spellings with meanings.
Japanese Name Examples With Meanings
These are sample names from the generator's list of 387+ given names, shown with the kanji, the hiragana reading and the meaning of the characters. Press Generate above for more.
Japanese girl names
| Name | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yui (結衣) | ゆい | tie + garment |
| Mei (芽依) | めい | sprout + rely on |
| Hina (陽菜) | ひな | sun + greens |
| Himari (陽葵) | ひまり | sun + hollyhock |
| Mio (澪) | みお | waterway |
| Rin (凛) | りん | dignified |
Japanese boy names
| Name | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Haruto (陽翔) | はると | sun + soar |
| Sota (颯太) | そうた | brisk + big |
| Riku (陸) | りく | land |
| Yuto (悠斗) | ゆうと | calm + dipper |
| Minato (湊) | みなと | harbor |
| Yamato (大和) | やまと | great harmony |
Gender-neutral Japanese names
| Name | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ren (蓮) | れん | lotus |
| Hinata (陽向) | ひなた | sun + facing |
| Sora (空) | そら | sky |
| Aoi (葵) | あおい | hollyhock |
| Yuki (雪) | ゆき | snow |
| Hikaru (光) | ひかる | light |
Common Japanese surnames
| Surname | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sato (佐藤) | さとう | assist + wisteria |
| Suzuki (鈴木) | すずき | bell + tree |
| Takahashi (高橋) | たかはし | high + bridge |
| Tanaka (田中) | たなか | middle of the rice field |
| Watanabe (渡辺) | わたなべ | cross + vicinity |
| Ito (伊藤) | いとう | this + wisteria |
| Yamamoto (山本) | やまもと | mountain + base |
| Nakamura (中村) | なかむら | middle + village |
Common Japanese Name Endings and Elements
Many Japanese names are built from familiar elements. Knowing a few makes it easier to read a name, guess its gender and build a believable one for a character.
| Element | Kanji | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ko | 子 | child | Yuko, Keiko, Akiko |
| -mi | 美 | beauty | Yumi, Naomi, Emi |
| -ka | 花 / 香 | flower, fragrance | Ayaka, Sayaka |
| -to | 斗 / 人 | dipper, person | Yuto, Kento |
| -ta | 太 | big, thick | Sota, Kenta, Yuta |
| -suke | 介 | to assist | Daisuke, Kosuke |
| -ro | 郎 | son, man | Ichiro, Jiro, Taro |
| -ki | 樹 / 希 | tree, hope | Haruki, Yuki |
Japanese Honorifics: -san, -kun, -chan and More
| Honorific | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -san | Neutral and polite; the default for adults | Tanaka-san |
| -kun | Familiar, used for boys and younger men, or by a superior | Haruto-kun |
| -chan | Affectionate, for children, close friends and pets | Yui-chan |
| -sama | Very respectful, for customers and high status | Okyaku-sama |
| -sensei | Teachers, doctors and masters of a craft | Sato-sensei |
| -senpai | A senior at school or work | Kobayashi-senpai |
How to Choose a Japanese Name for a Character
- Pick the era and setting: modern names differ from samurai-era ones, and anime names often prefer unusual kanji.
- Choose the gender filter, then generate several names and read the meanings.
- Match the meaning to your character: Minato (harbor) suits a steady friend, Sora (sky) suits a dreamer.
- Pair it with a surname that fits the family's background; place-based surnames suit rural families.
- Say the full name aloud in the order your story uses and check it is not already a famous character.
Need the rest of the character? Generate a full profile with the random character generator, or draw a name from another culture with the character name generator, the western baby name generator or the band name generator.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real Japanese names?
Yes. All 387+ given names and 264+ family names are names used in Japan — from today's most popular baby names like Haruto, Yui and Himari to classic names like Hiroshi and Keiko, and surnames from Sato and Suzuki to Kurosawa. Each is shown with one common kanji spelling and its hiragana reading.
Why does one name have several possible kanji?
Japanese parents choose the kanji separately from the sound, so a name like Haruto can be written many ways, each with a different meaning. The generator shows one common spelling and the meaning of those characters; if you need a particular meaning, look up other kanji with the same reading.
Which order should I use: Haruto Tanaka or Tanaka Haruto?
In Japan the family name comes first (Tanaka Haruto), and since 2020 the Japanese government recommends that order in English too. Many books, games and anime still use Western order. Switch the Name order filter to match your story.
Can I get only girl or boy names?
Yes — choose Female, Male or Gender-neutral. Neutral names such as Hikaru, Makoto or Ren are used for any gender, which is handy for characters whose gender you haven't decided yet.
Can I use these names for anime, manga or game characters?
Absolutely. Pair a name's meaning with your character's personality — Sora (sky) for a dreamer, Ren (lotus) for someone calm — and use the character name generator or random character generator for the rest of the cast.
How do I write my own name in Japanese?
Foreign names are usually written in katakana by sound: for example, Emma becomes エマ. This generator creates real Japanese names with kanji and meanings; it does not transliterate your name. For a transliteration, use a katakana converter or ask a Japanese speaker.
What are the most common Japanese surnames?
Sato, Suzuki, Takahashi, Tanaka, Ito, Watanabe, Yamamoto and Nakamura are among the most common family names in Japan, and all of them are available in this generator.
What is a good Japanese name for a girl or a boy?
Names such as Himari and Yui are popular for girls and Haruto, Sota and Minato for boys. Choose the gender filter and read the kanji meanings to find one that suits your story or your interest.
How do I use Japanese honorifics with a name?
Add the honorific after the family name or given name: Tanaka-san, Haruto-kun, Yui-chan. When unsure, use -san, which is polite and neutral. See the honorific table above.
Related tools: Japanese name converter (your name in katakana) · Western baby name generator · Last name generator · Fake name generator · Character name generator · Random character generator · D&D name generator
Updated:
Keep playing
More random generators
Random Word Generator
Nouns, verbs & adjectives by level
Random Team & Group Generator
Split a list into fair teams
Random Animal Generator
Animals with pictures & fun facts
Last Name Generator
Surnames by origin, with meanings
Fake Name Generator
Names & safe fake profiles, CSV export
Random ZIP Code Generator
Real US ZIPs by state, CSV export
Random Date Generator
Dates in any range, weekdays only, CSV
Pictionary Word Generator
Easy to hard words with a timer
D&D Name Generator
Fantasy names by race & gender
Viking Name Generator
Old Norse names & bynames
Character Name Generator
Names for stories, by genre
Random Character Generator
Name, traits, motive & secret
Random Marvel Character Generator
Heroes, villains, wheel & daily guess
Book Idea Generator
Title, logline, conflict & twist
AI Prompt Generator
Image, video & ChatGPT prompts
MiniMax H3 Prompt Generator
Hailuo 3 video prompts: camera, beats, sound
Gnome Name Generator
Names, nicknames & clans
Warrior Cat Name Generator
Prefixes, suffixes & ranks
Elf Name Generator
Names & houses by elf type
Orc Name Generator
Orc names & clans with meanings
Dragonborn Name Generator
5e names, clans & childhood names
Dwarf Name Generator
Dwarf names & clans by hold
God Name Generator
Gods & goddesses for 12 domains
German Name Generator
Real German names by era
English Name Generator
Real English names by era
Wizard Name Generator
Names & epithets by school of magic
Random Superpower Generator
Powers with levels & weaknesses
Xbox Username Generator
Gamertags that fit the 12-character rule
OC Name Generator
OC names with quirk, palette and item
Woman Name Generator
Women's names by culture, era and meaning
Random Person Generator
Person with job, look, goal and secret
Aesthetic Username Generator
Cottagecore, academia, Y2K handles; platform fit
Catchphrase Generator
Hero, villain, streamer, brand lines with speakers
Wingding Translator
English to Wingdings and back, with chart
Acronym Generator
Phrase to acronym, or 10 backronym meanings
Random 4 Digit Number Generator
1–100 PIN-style numbers, skips weak PINs
Point Buy Calculator 5e
27-point 5e ability score calculator
Fantasy World Generator
Full world: magic, factions, conflict, story hook
Random Place Generator
208 places: everyday, real landmarks, fantasy
Vampire Name Generator
Names, surnames & titles
Username Generator
Gaming, cute & Instagram handles
City Name Generator
Fantasy, sci-fi & real-style towns
Fancy Text Generator
30+ copy-paste font styles
Cursed Text Generator
Zalgo text with a strength slider
Glitch Text Generator
Corrupted, broken-screen text
Weird Text Generator
Upside-down, mirrored & odd text
Creepy Text Generator
Unsettling text for bios & posts
Scary Text Generator
Horror-style text to copy
Strikethrough Text Generator
Crossed-out text that pastes anywhere
Subscript Generator
Subscript & superscript text
Pirate Name Generator
Names, nicknames & ships
Incorrect Quote Generator
Funny dialogue for 1–6 characters
Headcanon Generator
406 headcanons, any character
Put a Finger Down
394 statements + finger game
Random Food Generator
What should I eat today?
Random Letter Generator
A–Z with no repeats
Japanese Name Converter
Your name in katakana & kanji
Random Color Generator
HEX/RGB/HSL palettes, lock & copy
Fantasy Map Maker
Random worlds, download PNG
My 9 Albums
3×3 album cover grid, PNG
My 9 Games
3×3 favorite games grid
My 9 Movies
3×3 favorite movies grid
My 9 Anime
3×3 favorite anime grid
My 9 Books
3×3 favorite books grid
4 Characters I Like
2×2 card of favorite characters
Mixtape for You
Cassette playlist for a friend, share link
Random Concept
Art, story, game and invention concepts
Random Historical Event
Real events with date, region and why it matters
Business Names
Brandable names by industry and style
Bracket Maker
Tournament bracket for 2–64 entries
Secret Santa Generator
Name draw with exclusions and private links
My 9 Songs
3×3 favorite songs grid
My 9 Artists
3×3 favorite artists grid
My 9 Shows
3×3 favorite TV shows grid
My 9 Manga
3×3 favorite manga grid
My 9 Characters
3×3 favorite characters grid
My 9 Grid Maker
Any 9 pictures in one image
APA Citation Generator
APA 7 reference page & in-text
ASA Citation Generator
ASA 7th ed. references from a DOI
ACS Citation Generator
Numbered ACS references
Chicago Citation Generator
Footnotes, bibliography, author-date
Vancouver Citation Generator
Numbered references from a PMID or DOI
Random Movie Generator
Pick a movie by genre & decade
Wu-Tang Name Generator
What's your Wu-Tang name?
Decision Maker
Wheel, draw lots or yes/no
Random Name Picker
Draw names, no repeats
Number Randomizer
Random numbers in any range
AI Metadata Remover
Strip EXIF, GPS, C2PA, prompts
Western Baby Name Generator
Cowboy & country names with meanings
Random Theme Generator
Themes for parties, writing, art & game jams
Wheel of Names
Spin a wheel of names, up to 200 entries
Random Number Generator
Random numbers in any range, with presets
Random Name Generator
Random first and last names by gender and origin
Fantasy Name Generator
Fantasy names for elves, dwarves, orcs, tieflings and more
Random Country Generator
A random real country by continent and size, with flag and capital
Flip a Coin
Flip 1 to 10 coins with heads, tails and streak counts
Toss a Coin
Call it, play best of 3 to 7, cricket-style toss
Heads or Tails
Coin flip with a series score and streaks
Spin the Wheel
A random topic wheel, plus your own custom wheel
Food Wheel
Spin to decide what to eat
Raffle Wheel
Draw giveaway and raffle winners
Picker Wheel
Random picker for names and choices with saved lists
Dice Roller
Roll 1 to 10 dice from d4 to d100 with a modifier
Bingo Card Generator
Printable bingo card templates, Christmas to 1–75 numbers
Yes or No Wheel
A spinning yes, no or maybe wheel for a quick answer
Random City Generator
A random real city by continent or country
Random Sentence Generator
Random grammatical sentences, from everyday to funny
Random Noun Generator
Random nouns filtered by level, length and letter
Random Emoji Generator
Random emoji from 8 categories, tap to copy
Random NBA Player Generator
NBA players by team, era and position, with lock and daily five
Magic 8 Ball
Shake for one of 20 classic answers, add your own, daily question
Random Pokémon Generator
All 1025 species by generation and type, plus random teams of six