Japanese Name Generator
Real Japanese first and last names in kanji, hiragana and romaji — with what the kanji mean. 387+ given names, 264+ surnames.
Gender
Name order
102,168 possible results · no repeats until you've seen them all
Pick your filters (or leave them on All) and press Generate.
- Rintaro Nishiyama · 西山 倫太郎 · にしやま りんたろう · male
- Nanami Kaneko · 金子 七海 · かねこ ななみ · female
- Kotone Fukushima · 福島 琴音 · ふくしま ことね · female
A full Japanese name, and what it means
Most Japanese name generators give you a romanized sound and nothing else. This Japanese name generator shows the full name the way it would be written in Japan — kanji (漢字), the hiragana reading (ひらがな) and the romaji — plus the meaning of each kanji, so you know that Hinata means "sunny place" before you give it to a character.
How Japanese names work
- Family name first — Tanaka Haruto is Haruto of the Tanaka family. Use the Name order filter to switch.
- Kanji carry meaning — 陽 (sun), 翔 (soar), 花 (flower); the same sound can be written with different kanji.
- Surnames often describe places — Yamamoto (base of the mountain), Tanaka (middle of the rice field), Inoue (above the well).
- Gender clues — endings like -ko, -mi and -na are common for girls, -to, -ta and -suke for boys, but many modern names are neutral.
Who uses it
Writers and manga artists naming a cast, gamers creating characters, learners practising kanji readings, and anyone curious about what common Japanese names mean. For surnames from other cultures use the last name generator; for fantasy or sci-fi casts try the character name generator.
Frequently asked questions
Are these real Japanese names?
Yes. All 387+ given names and 264+ family names are names used in Japan — from today's most popular baby names like Haruto, Yui and Himari to classic names like Hiroshi and Keiko, and surnames from Sato and Suzuki to Kurosawa. Each is shown with one common kanji spelling and its hiragana reading.
Why does one name have several possible kanji?
Japanese parents choose the kanji separately from the sound, so a name like Haruto can be written many ways, each with a different meaning. The generator shows one common spelling and the meaning of those characters; if you need a particular meaning, look up other kanji with the same reading.
Which order should I use: Haruto Tanaka or Tanaka Haruto?
In Japan the family name comes first (Tanaka Haruto), and since 2020 the Japanese government recommends that order in English too. Many books, games and anime still use Western order. Switch the Name order filter to match your story.
Can I get only girl or boy names?
Yes — choose Female, Male or Gender-neutral. Neutral names such as Hikaru, Makoto or Ren are used for any gender, which is handy for characters whose gender you haven't decided yet.
Can I use these names for anime, manga or game characters?
Absolutely. Pair a name's meaning with your character's personality — Sora (sky) for a dreamer, Ren (lotus) for someone calm — and use the character name generator or random character generator for the rest of the cast.
Related tools: Last name generator · Character name generator · Random character generator · D&D name generator
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