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Japanese Names for Girls: 2025 Top 10 and 60 Names With Meanings
Find Japanese names for girls that are real, current and correctly written. This guide starts with Japan’s official top 10 for 2025, then gives 60 more girls’ names grouped by style, each with kanji, a reading and its meaning. For instant ideas, use our Japanese name generator.
By James Henry · Last updated: October 2026 · Next update: December 2026 (new ranking)
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Key takeaways
- In 2025, 翠 Sui (also read Midori) was Japan’s #1 girls’ name for the first time.
- 愛 (love) was the most used kanji in girls’ names for the fourth year running.
- Ema was the most popular girls’ reading.
- Girls’ names often end in -ka, -na, -mi, -ri or the classic -ko.
Top 10 Japanese girl names in 2025
Official ranking from Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance’s annual survey. Ties share a rank, so this top 10 has 11 names.
| Rank | Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 翠 | Sui / Midori | kingfisher; part of the word for jade (翡翠) |
| 2 | 陽葵 | Himari | sun + hollyhock (linked to sunflower, 向日葵) |
| 3 | 紬 | Tsumugi | pongee, a traditional woven silk |
| 4 | 茉白 | Mashiro | jasmine + white |
| 5 | 凛 | Rin | dignified, crisp |
| 6 | 陽菜 | Hina | sun + greens |
| 7 | 心陽 | Koharu | heart + sun |
| 8 | 彩葉 | Iroha / Ayaha | colour + leaf |
| 8 | 詩 | Uta | poem, song |
| 10 | 琴葉 | Kotoha | koto (harp) + leaf |
| 10 | 結菜 | Yuna / Yuina | tie, bond + greens |
Source: Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance 2025 survey, via Nippon.com.
How Japanese female names are built
Girls’ names often use kanji for flowers, light, beauty and feelings. Some are written only in hiragana for a soft look. Common endings:
| Ending | Example | Typical kanji |
|---|---|---|
| -ka | Haruka, Ichika | 花 (flower), 香 (fragrance), 華 (splendour) |
| -na | Hina, Yuna | 菜 (greens), 奈 (Nara), 那 |
| -mi | Yumi, Nozomi | 美 (beauty), 実 (fruit) |
| -ri | Riri, Akari | 里 (village), 莉 (jasmine) |
| -ko | Keiko, Yoko | 子 (child), classic Showa style |
| -ha | Kotoha, Iroha | 葉 (leaf), rising in recent years |
Cute Japanese girl names
| Name | Kanji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Momo | 桃 | peach |
| Yui | 結衣 | tie + clothing |
| Mio | 澪 | waterway |
| Mei | 芽依 | bud + rely on |
| Kokoro | 心 | heart, mind |
| Miu | 美羽 | beauty + feather |
| Nana | 菜々 | greens (repeated) |
| Hana | 花 | flower |
| Riko | 莉子 | jasmine + child |
| Saki | 咲希 | blossom + hope |
Nature names for girls
| Name | Kanji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sakura | 桜 | cherry blossom |
| Ayame | 菖蒲 | iris |
| Hotaru | 蛍 | firefly |
| Yuki | 雪 | snow |
| Haruka | 春花 | spring + flower |
| Natsuki | 夏希 | summer + hope |
| Kaho | 夏帆 | summer + sail |
| Umi | 海 | sea |
| Sumire | 菫 | violet |
| Tsubaki | 椿 | camellia |
Elegant modern girl names
| Name | Kanji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Akari | 灯 | lamplight |
| Mizuki | 瑞希 | auspicious + hope |
| Shiori | 栞 | bookmark, a guide |
| Aoi | 葵 | hollyhock |
| Sayaka | 彩花 | colour + flower |
| Miyu | 美優 | beauty + gentle |
| Kanon | 花音 | flower + sound |
| Rio | 莉央 | jasmine + centre |
| Ichika | 一花 | one flower |
| Noa | 乃愛 | of + love |
Classic Japanese female names (Showa era)
The -ko (子, child) ending dominated girls’ names for much of the 20th century. These suit mothers, grandmothers or retro settings.
| Name | Kanji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Keiko | 恵子 | blessing + child |
| Yōko | 洋子 | ocean + child |
| Kazuko | 和子 | harmony + child |
| Michiko | 美智子 | beauty + wisdom + child |
| Sachiko | 幸子 | happiness + child |
| Hiroko | 裕子 | abundance + child |
| Emiko | 恵美子 | blessing + beauty + child |
| Junko | 純子 | pure + child |
| Tomoko | 智子 | wisdom + child |
| Akiko | 明子 | bright + child |
Meaningful girl names
| Name | Kanji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ai | 愛 | love |
| Megumi | 恵 | blessing |
| Nozomi | 希 | hope |
| Kotone | 琴音 | sound of the koto |
| Chiyo | 千代 | a thousand generations |
| Wakana | 若菜 | young greens |
| Hikari | 光 | light |
| Sachi | 幸 | happiness |
| Mirai | 未来 | future |
| Yume | 夢 | dream |
Unisex Japanese names
| Name | Kanji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hinata | 日向 | sunny place |
| Kaoru | 薫 | fragrance |
| Makoto | 誠 | sincerity |
| Tsubasa | 翼 | wings |
| Nagisa | 渚 | shore |
| Sora | 空 | sky |
| Yū | 優 | gentle, excellent |
| Akira | 明 | bright |
| Masumi | 真澄 | true + clear |
| Mitsuki | 光希 | light + hope |
Japanese anime name ideas for girls
Writing a character rather than naming a baby? Anime heroines often get a common given name with a rarer, image-rich family name: Hoshino Sui (star field + kingfisher), Kirishima Kotoha (mist island + koto leaf), Tsukishiro Mio (moon castle + waterway). For many more, see anime names with meanings or the anime name generator.
Tips for choosing a Japanese girl name
- Check each kanji. Beautiful sounds can hide kanji with unlucky meanings.
- Hiragana is an option. Names like ひなた (Hinata) look soft and are easy to read.
- Use standard readings, since Japan’s family register has recorded name readings since May 2025.
- Match the era for characters: Keiko for a grandmother, Himari for a child today.
Looking for boys’ names? See Japanese names for boys. Need a family name? Browse Japanese last names and meanings.
Japanese names for girls by meaning
Meaning is often the first thing parents in Japan think about when they choose a name. These real Japanese names for girls are grouped by the idea behind them:
| Meaning | Names | Common kanji |
|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Sakura, Hana, Ayame, Tsubaki | 桜, 花, 菖蒲, 椿 |
| Sun and light | Hinata, Hikari, Akari | 陽, 光, 灯 |
| Sky and sea | Sora, Mio, Nagisa | 空, 澪, 渚 |
| Love and bonds | Ai, Yui, Megumi | 愛, 結, 恵 |
| Beauty | Miyu, Mika, Misaki | 美 |
| Seasons | Haru, Natsuki, Akiko, Fuyuko | 春, 夏, 秋, 冬 |
| Music and harmony | Kanade, Waka, Hibiki | 奏, 和, 響 |
Common endings in Japanese girl names
The ending of a girl’s name gives it much of its style. These are the most common:
| Ending | Often written | Example names | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ko | 子 | Yuko, Keiko, Akiko | classic, popular in the Showa era |
| -mi | 美, 実 | Nanami, Ami, Hitomi | gentle, beautiful |
| -ka | 花, 香, 佳 | Haruka, Momoka, Honoka | soft and modern |
| -na | 菜, 奈 | Hina, Yuna, Rena | very popular today |
| -ri | 里, 莉 | Eri, Mari, Yuri | elegant |
| -e | 恵, 絵 | Kanae, Rie, Sae | calm and traditional |
Names ending in -ko were extremely common for much of the twentieth century. Today they feel classic, while endings such as -na, -ka and -ri feel more modern.
Short Japanese names for girls
Short names are easy to remember and appear often in anime:
- Rin: dignified, cool or bell, depending on the kanji.
- Mio: a water channel, calm and clear.
- Yui: to tie or bind, a name about friendship.
- Ai: love.
- Mei: bright, sprout or life.
- Hana: flower.
- Emi: smile and beauty.
- Saki: blossom or hope.
Choosing Japanese names for girls for a story
- Match the era. A grandmother called Hina feels modern; a grandmother called Kazuko feels right.
- Match the personality. Rin suits a cool, strong character; Hinata suits a warm one.
- Check the kanji. The same sound can have very different meanings, so choose the kanji that fits.
- Keep it simple. Two-syllable names are easiest for readers who do not speak Japanese.
Why use our list of Japanese names for girls?
Our Japanese names for girls list uses real names with checked kanji and readings, including the 2025 top 10. That makes it useful for writers who need believable characters, parents looking for meaning, and anime fans who want a name that sounds natural. For even more choices, the Japanese name generator creates random Japanese names for girls with family names and meanings.
