Top Japanese Baby Girl Names and Their Meanings

Whether you have an affinity for Eastern cultures or have some Asian roots you’d like to honor, you may have been thinking of giving your new baby girl a Japanese name. What makes Japanese names unique is that the same-sounding word can be written with different characters, called kanji, and can mean different things. You'll discover that one Japanese girl’s name may have several meanings—so pick the one you like the best!

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Most Common and Popular Japanese Girl Names

If you’re searching for a Japanese girl name that feels both elegant and distinctive, we’ve gathered 50 inspiring options to explore. From well-loved classics to modern favorites and fresh, stylish choices, there’s something here for every taste and style.

1. Honoka. The word hono means “harmony” and ka means “flower.”

2. Akari. The word aka can mean either “bright” or “vermilion red” and ri means “village” or “white jasmine.”

3. Himari. The word hi means “sunshine” and mari means “hollyhock,” a summer flower. Written with different kanji characters, it can also mean “sunflower.”

4. Mei. Me means “bud” or “sprout,” and i means “life” or a “garment of clothing.”

5. Ema. E can mean “favor,” “benefit,” “bay,” or “inlet,” and ma means “flax,” referring to the plant that linen fabric, flaxseeds, and flax oil come from.

6. Yui. The word yu means “tie,” “bind,” “excellence,” “superiority,” or “gentleness,” and i means “garment of clothing.”

7. Mio. The word mi means “beautiful” and o means “cherry blossom” or “thread.”

8. Ichika. This name has too many meanings to list, but the prettiest ones for the word ichi mean “love,” “hope,” and “beginning.” The word ka can mean “flower,” “beautiful,” “affection,” and “fragrance,” among many other meanings.

9. Aoi. This name is considered unisex and means “hollyhock,” referring to the summer flower.

10. Tsumugi. This name means “pongee,” which refers to a silken fabric. It can also mean “to spin,” likely referring to the weaving of the fabric.

11. Ai. This short name means “love,” “affection,” or “indigo,” which refers to the rich blue color.

12. Ami. Reminiscent of the English girl’s name Amy, this Japanese name means “second” or “Asia” from the word a, and “beautiful” from the word mi. This might be a good name for your beautiful second-born daughter.

13. Noriko. The word nori can mean “rule,” “ceremony,” or “chronicle.” The word ko means “child.”

14. Sachiko. In Japanese, the word sachi means “happiness” or “good luck” and the word ko means “child.” What a special meaning for your little girl!

15. Aya. Meaning “color” or “design.”

16. Chō. This rare Japanese girl’s name means “butterfly.”

17. Emi. This cute name means “beautiful” and “picture.”

18. Jun. This name means “pure” or “simple.”

19. Kei. This cute Japanese girl’s name can mean “intelligent” or “gemstone.”

20. Kyō. This name has many different meanings, including “unite,” “cooperate,” “capital city,” “village,” and even “apricot.”

21. Mari. The word ma means “genuine” and the word ri means “reason,” “logic,” or “village.”

22. Wakana. The word wa means “harmony,” and the word kana means “music.” It’s a great name choice for a music-loving family.

23. Yaeko. This name means “multilayered child,” which is true for any child!

24. Michi. This unisex name means “path.”

25. Miu. This short name means “beautiful” and “feather.”

26. Rei. This Japanese name can mean “bell,” “lovely,” or “the tinkling of jade,” the pale green gemstone. It’s a very pretty meaning for a little girl.

27. Reina. This pretty-sounding name simply means “wise.”

28. Riko. The word ri means “white jasmine” or “logic.” The word ko means “child.”

29. Sora. This pretty name means “sky.”

30. Suzu. This name means “bell.”

31. Yasu. This cute Japanese girl’s name means “peaceful” or “quiet.”

32. Yōko. The word yō means “light” or “sun” and the word ko means “child.”

33. Yū. This short name can mean “superiority,” “gentleness,” “permanence,” or “brave.”

34. Akira. This cool Japanese girl’s name means “bright” or “clear.”

35. Asuka. This name means “to fly” and “bird.” But, it can also mean “tomorrow” and “fragrance” written with different kanji.

36. Atsuko. Here, atsu means “warm” or “sincere.” And ko means “child.”

37. Etsuko. This unique name means “joy” and “child.”

38. Haruko. The word haru means “spring,” “light,” or “sun.” And the word ko means “child.”

39. Shinju. This pretty Japanese name simply means “pearl.” It’s perfect for a little girl who’s as precious as a pearl.

40. Shinobu. This cool Japanese girl’s name means “patience” or “endurance.”

41. Hibiki. This unisex name means “sound” or “echo.”

42. Hikari. This cool Japanese girl’s name simply means “light,” perfect for the new light in your life!

43. Hoshiko. This name means “star” and “child”—quite the ideal meaning for your little star!

44. Hotaru. This name means “firefly.”

45. Izumi. This unique name means “fountain” or “spring.”

46. Kaoru. This melodic name simply means “fragrance.”

47. Kazuko. This name means “harmony” and “child.”

48. Keiko. This name means “celebrate” and “child.” Celebrate is what you’ll want to do once your baby is born!

49. Kimiko. This cool Japanese name means “valuable (ki),” “beautiful (mi),” and “child (ko),” a terrific meaning for any little girl!

50. Kohaku. This name means “amber,” referring to the fossilized gemstone.

Still Exploring? Discover More Baby Names, Themes, and Inspiration

Still searching for the one? Dive into even more baby name ideas by theme, meaning, origin, style, popularity, and beyond. This is where you’ll discover fresh inspiration from every corner of our baby name lists.

1. Veda. This Indian girls’ name, common in the Telugu and Kannada languages, means “knowledge” in Sanskrit.

2. Gillian. This is the female form of the name Julian. Another variant of the name is Jillian, and nicknames include Jill or Gill. The name can be pronounced with a hard or soft G.

3. Daniela. In Hebrew, the male version of this name, Daniel, means “God is my judge.” The meaning of this biblical name may be strong, but the name itself sounds pretty and melodic.

4. Willow. Inspired by the graceful tree, this name suggests strength and flexibility. 

5. Kylie. Here is another short name with a big impact. Kylie is popular in Australia and believed to mean “boomerang” in one of the Australian Aboriginal languages.

The Bottom Line

Have you found a delightful Japanese name on this list that’s just the right fit for your baby girl? If you haven’t, there are plenty of other articles you can check out. Take a look at our international baby names and our top 1,000 baby girl names for more great ideas.

Our Baby Name Generator can also help you find a name since you’re able to search thousands of names using filters like first letter and theme to find the perfect name more easily.