Start from a meaning instead of a sound. Pick one or two ideas and see the real Japanese names, from the baby name rankings, whose kanji express them.
Pick one or two meanings.
Pick one meaning to see every ranked name whose kanji carry it, or two meanings to find names that combine both, such as moon and flower. Names that carry both come first; below them you will find the best names for each meaning on its own. Save the ones you like with the heart, and they will wait for you on your favourites page.
Every kanji has its own meaning, so a Japanese name is a small phrase as well as a sound. 美月 (Mizuki) is 美, beautiful, and 月, moon. 陽翔 (Haruto) is 陽, sun, and 翔, to soar. Japanese parents usually choose a sound they like first and then the kanji, or the other way round, and the meaning is what they explain to their child when the child asks.
Because one sound can be written with many kanji, the same name can mean very different things. Two girls called Yui may be 結衣 (to tie + robe) and 優衣 (gentle + robe). This builder works from the meaning, so it shows every spelling whose kanji carry the idea you chose.
The kanji that appear in the most spellings ranked in Japan's top 100 since 2020.
| Kanji | Meaning | Example | Spellings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 心 | heart, mind | 心春 Koharu | 18 |
| 結 | to tie, to bind | 結衣 Yui | 17 |
| 花 | flower | 花 Hana | 17 |
| 愛 | love | 愛 Ai | 14 |
| 咲 | to bloom | 美咲 Misaki | 14 |
| 乃 | (used for its sound, no) | 彩乃 Ayano | 14 |
| 美 | beautiful | 美咲 Misaki | 12 |
| 菜 | greens, rapeseed flower | 陽菜 Hina | 12 |
| 陽 | sun, sunshine | 陽菜 Hina | 11 |
| 奈 | (used for its sound, na) | 優奈 Yuna | 11 |
| Kanji | Meaning | Example | Spellings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 翔 | to soar, to fly | 翔 Shō | 26 |
| 斗 | the Big Dipper | 海斗 Kaito | 20 |
| 大 | big, great | 大輝 Daiki | 17 |
| 太 | big, bold | 翔太 Shōta | 14 |
| 陽 | sun, sunshine | 陽翔 Haruto | 13 |
| 悠 | distant, calm | 悠人 Haruto | 13 |
| 真 | true, genuine | 悠真 Yūma | 11 |
| 蒼 | blue, deep green | 蒼 Aoi | 10 |
| 颯 | swift, sound of the wind | 颯太 Sōta | 9 |
| 人 | person | 悠人 Haruto | 9 |
Japanese law limits the kanji that can be used in a given name to 2,999: the 2,136 jōyō kanji taught for everyday use, plus 863 jinmeiyō kanji allowed only for names. Hiragana and katakana are allowed too. A few kanji with appealing meanings are not on either list, which is why there are no registered names written with 狐 (fox) or 焔 (flame), and every name on this site is checked against the official lists.
Readings have rules too. Since May 2025, parents must register the reading of the name in kana, and it has to be a reading generally accepted for those kanji. Read more in our guide to Japanese naming law.
Each meaning has its own page with the kanji, every ranked name that uses them and the stories behind them.
Start with the meaning you want, then look at real names that use it. Most Japanese names have one or two kanji, and each kanji adds its own meaning: 美 (beautiful) and 月 (moon) make Mizuki, a beautiful moon.
No. Only the 2,999 kanji on two official lists are allowed: the 2,136 common-use kanji and 863 extra name kanji. Some kanji with lovely meanings, such as 狐 (fox), are not on either list.
Yes, and most are. The sound haru can be written 陽 (sun), 春 (spring), 晴 (clear skies) or 遥 (far away), and parents choose the one whose meaning they like. That is why each name page on this site lists several spellings.
Not any more. Since May 2025, the reading of a name must be registered in kana, and it must be a reading generally accepted for those kanji. Very creative readings, sometimes called kirakira names, can be refused.
Among spellings ranked in the top 100 since 2020, the kanji used most often are 心 (heart), 結 (to tie), 花 (flower) for girls and 翔 (to soar), 斗 (the Big Dipper), 大 (big) for boys.