The appetite in the West for all things Japanese has exploded in recent years, bringing with it increased exposure for unique and beautiful Japanese baby girl names.
In Japan, like America, names can have multiple spellings. The same name written in different kanji characters can have a completely different meaning. For example, the Japanese name Kaori can mean "fragrance" or "weaving" depending on the kanji used. The Japanese names that chart in the US tend to be those with cultural crossover, like Amaya and Sara.
Along with Amaya and Sara, other Japanese girls’ names in the US Top 1000 include Hana, Kai, Kairi, Noa, Reina, and Tori. Baby girl names popular in Japan include Sakura — Japanese for cherry blossom — Riko, Aoi, and Yuna.
Japanese names for girls are bright, sweet and lively, often boasting beautiful meanings drawn from nature or spirituality. Pop culture has introduced us to Akira, Kairi and Sakura, and high-profile celebrity daughters now answer to Nori and Rumi.
Browse our full list below for more gorgeous girl baby names from Japan. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
