87 Japanese Baby Boy Names With Their Meanings

87 Japanese Baby Boy Names With Their Meanings

Whether you’re giving a nod to Eastern culture or honoring your own heritage, our list of Japanese boy names will inspire you for when the time comes.

Many Japanese male names are linked to the elements or familial ties such as ‘first son’.

Choose from brave warriors to gentle souls – with simple spellings and profound meanings, these Japanese names for boys suit every kind of family.

In this article: 📝

  • What are Japanese male names?
  • What is a good name for a Japanese boy?
  • What are cute Japanese boy names?
  • What is the rarest boy name?

What are Japanese male names?

Popular Japanese boy names range from cute and diminutive to impressive or even regal in context.

For example, you may choose Chibi, meaning ‘short person or small child’, or you might honor your little prince from the start with Takehiko.

Japanese boy names and meanings

The most popular Japanese boy names are:

  1. Haruto (tender sound)
  2. Riku (wise sky)
  3. Haru (spring moon)
  4. Hinata (sunny place)
  5. Kaito (supportive person)

What is a good name for a Japanese boy?

As we can see above, the most common Japanese male names take their influences from the weather and the intrinsic qualities of a person.

Let’s not forget that each name can have multiple meanings.

Haruto also means ‘soar to heavens’, for example.

It’s also important to remember that Japanese boys’ names can be pronounced differently, depending on the script they are written in.

Names can be written in kanji, hiragana, or katakana. Most often, they are written in kanji, whose characters are actually Chinese in origin, but Japanese in pronunciation.

This gives parents free rein to be creative – perhaps even being inspired by the signs of the zodiac.

The Japanese Zodiac is very similar to the Chinese, featuring the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar.

So you may even want to name your little one after a ‘clever tiger’ – otherwise known as the second most popular Japanese baby boy’s name: Riku.

What are cute Japanese boy names?

Not sure you want your little boy to grow into a brave warrior?

Don’t sweat it.

There are plenty of cute Japanese boy names that will make sure your son is always your baby – no matter what his age.

Try one of these softer styles if you want to move away from military or weather-inspired baby names:

  1. Akito (bright)
  2. Benjiro (enjoys peace)
  3. Dai (a shining individual)
  4. Hansuke (a helpful friend)
  5. Hiroyuki (a lot of happiness)
  6. Kazumi (beautiful peace)
  7. Koji (little one)
  8. Naoyuki (truth and happiness)
  9. Reiji (a well-mannered baby)
  10. Yo (honest or truthful)
  11. Yoshio (righteous boy)

What is the rarest boy name?

If you’re looking for something unique, you could try a unisex Japanese name instead.

Many unisex names in Japanese take their inspiration from nature, for example:

  1. Aoi (holly flower)
  2. Akito (autumn season)
  3. Aoki (evergreen blue tree)
  4. Chiharu (springs and clear skies)
  5. Doi (mountain, earth)
  6. Ren (the love of lotus)

Remember, when looking at Japanese boy names and meanings, there could be many variants depending on the script or other cultural influences.

Look for something that is special to you – you may be inspired by your surroundings, or even the weather on the day he’s born!

If you’re in a hurry, thumb through some more Japanese boys’ names here to find the perfect moniker for your son:

  1. Akeno
  2. Akihiko
  3. Akihito
  4. Akio
  5. Akira
  6. Benjiro
  7. Bishamon
  8. Botan
  9. Chiko
  10. Chokichi
  11. Danno
  12. Ebisu
  13. Jiro
  14. Joben
  15. Jomei
  16. Juro
  17. Kaemon
  18. Kamlyn
  19. Kane
  20. Kannon
  21. Kano
  22. Kaori
  23. Keiji
  24. Keitaro
  25. Ken
  26. Kenji
  27. Kenjiro
  28. Kentaro
  29. Makoto
  30. Manzo
  31. Mareo
  32. Marise
  33. Maro
  34. Michio
  35. Miki
  36. Mikio
  37. Minoru
  38. Montaro
  39. Morio
  40. Nikki
  41. Nikko
  42. Rai
  43. Rei
  44. Reizo
  45. Renjiro
  46. Renzo
  47. Rinji
  48. Roka
  49. Sachio
  50. Saniiro
  51. Seiji
  52. Shoda
  53. Suzu
  54. Tadao
  55. Taji
  56. Takeo
  57. Tanjiro
  58. Taro
  59. Teiji
  60. Teijo
  61. Teiljo
  62. Tomeo
  63. Torio
  64. Toru
  65. Toshiro

There you have it!

87 inspiring Japanese boy names for your babe.

Found a few you like?

Why not share them with the other moms-to-be of Peanut to find the perfect pick.

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