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?

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:

6. Akito (bright)
7. Benjiro (enjoys peace)
8. Dai (a shining individual)
9. Hansuke (a helpful friend)
10. Hiroyuki (a lot of happiness)
11. Kazumi (beautiful peace)
12. Koji (little one)
13. Naoyuki (truth and happiness)
14. Reiji (a well-mannered baby)
15. Yo (honest or truthful)
16. 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:

17. Aoi (holly flower)
18. Akito (autumn season)
19. Aoki (evergreen blue tree)
20. Chiharu (springs and clear skies)
21. Doi (mountain, earth)
22. 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:

23. Akeno
24. Akihiko
25. Akihito
26. Akio
27. Akira
28. Benjiro
29. Bishamon
30. Botan
31. Chiko
32. Chokichi
33. Danno
34. Ebisu
35. Jiro
36. Joben
37. Jomei
38. Juro
39. Kaemon
40. Kamlyn
41. Kane
42. Kannon
43. Kano
44. Kaori
45. Keiji
46. Keitaro
47. Ken
48. Kenji
49. Kenjiro
50. Kentaro
51. Makoto
52. Manzo
53. Mareo
54. Marise
55. Maro
56. Michio
57. Miki
58. Mikio
59. Minoru
60. Montaro
61. Morio
62. Nikki
63. Nikko
64. Rai
65. Rei
66. Reizo
67. Renjiro
68. Renzo
69. Rinji
70. Roka
71. Sachio
72. Saniiro
73. Seiji
74. Shoda
75. Suzu
76. Tadao
77. Taji
78. Takeo
79. Tanjiro
80. Taro
81. Teiji
82. Teijo
83. Teiljo
84. Tomeo
85. Torio
86. Toru
87. Toshiro

Finding more inspiration with Peanut

Need even more ideas for baby boys’ names? Join Peanut and ask the community!

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