Japanese names starting with A
56 Japanese girl and boy names that start with A, grouped by their first sound, with kanji, meanings and popularity.
A is the first of the five Japanese vowels, said like the a in father. Names that start with it are common for both boys and girls, and many of them are built on bright, open ideas: Akari (light), Aoi (blue), Asahi (morning sun).
In older generations A- names were mostly boys' names such as Akira and Atsushi. Today the list is led by girls' names and by Aoi, which ranks for both.
Across all 56 names, the kanji that most often begin a A name are 彩 (colour), 亜 (next), 愛 (love).
On this page
Names starting with Aki-
11 names. Aki- is most often written 明 (bright), 昭 (bright), 亜 (next).
Names starting with Aya-
10 names. Aya- is most often written 彩 (colour), 綾 (twill), 文 (writing).
Names starting with Atsu-
7 names. Atsu- is most often written 敦 (sincere), 篤 (sincere), 淳 (pure).
Names starting with Ai-
5 names. Ai- is most often written 愛 (love), 藍 (indigo), 哀 (sorrow).
Names starting with Ao-
3 names. Ao- is most often written 碧 (blue-green), 葵 (hollyhock), 蒼 (blue).
Names starting with Asa-
3 names. Asa- is most often written 朝 (morning), 旭 (rising sun), 麻 (hemp).
Other A names
17 names.
How A names are written
Japanese names are chosen for their kanji as much as their sound. These are the kanji that most often begin a A name, counting every spelling on this page. 22 of these names are popular today, and 3 are classics from before 1990.
| Kanji | Meaning | Spellings |
|---|---|---|
| 彩 | colour | 17 |
| 亜 | next, Asia | 16 |
| 愛 | love | 15 |
| 明 | bright | 15 |
| 綾 | twill, design | 10 |
| 昭 | bright, shining | 10 |
| 碧 | blue-green, jade | 9 |
| 葵 | hollyhock | 7 |
Questions
What is a popular Japanese girl name starting with A?
Ai (愛) is one of the best-known: 愛 love. Popular now · best No. 1.
What is a popular Japanese boy name starting with A?
Arata (新) is one of the best-known: 新 new. Popular now · best No. 2.
Which A names sound old-fashioned in Japan?
Names that were popular before 1990 and have since dropped out of the rankings, such as Akira, Akemi, Akiko, now sound like names of parents and grandparents.