10 (MORE) Japanese baby names that work in English

My other post on Japanese names for girls and boys that work in English is my most-searched-for page, which makes my heart flutter a bit. I am so excited to know that folks are considering Japanese names for their baby, and hope this is helpful!

So let’s do 10 more names. The last batch were pretty modern names, so let’s go the other way with some traditional names that are still easy to pronounce in English.

Girl Names

Yuna

This is a 3-for-1, because Yuna is actually a popular Korean name as well. Truly global. I love the soft sound of it, and while it’s not a noun name so there’s no intrinsic meaning associated with it, there are lots of good kanji options available. Easy to spell and the pronunciation is intuitive. A win.

Kotomi

The trick with choosing longer Japanese names that are still beginner-friendly is threefold: spelling simplicity, intuitive pronunciation, and nickname potential. The trick is to avoid some of the more intense spelling conventions like the “tsu” and “ry” and “ae” that trip people up. Kotomi checks off all the boxes and is such a beautiful, classic name that is a nod to the traditional Japanese string instrument koto.

Hazuki

Speaking of intense spellings, you might think “zu” is off the table if “tsu” is, but with import words like Zumba and Yuzu becoming more mainstream, it’s pretty easy to get on the first try and to continue nailing it. This is perfect for an August baby, since Hazuki is one of the names the Japanese gave to the sweltering month and literally means “month of leaves,” and is such a pretty nature name.

Momoko

This is another long name with adorable nickname potential, “Momo” is just so cute you wanna eat them up. That’s because “momo” is peach is Japanese, so this means peach child—traditionally thought of as a Spring name since peaches are spring fruits in Japan, but over here it could work as a summer name!

Gender-neutral names

Asahi

If you were raised in a predominantly Japanese neighborhood you might recognize this as a name of a popular Japanese language school… and if you had to go to them, maybe you have some horrible memories of having to finish a week’s worth of homework on Friday night (shudder). But if you can get that association out of your head, this is a beautiful name that works for both boys and girls, meaning sunrise. It’s SO Japanese to me because Japan is the land of the rising sun, as they call themselves, and their flag depicts the sun rising (no, it’s not just a circle)

Nao

Naomi is one of those unicorn multi-cultural, multi-ethnic names, and this shortened version makes it doubly sweet because it becomes gender-neutral when you drop the -mi ending.

Boy Names

Gaku

This is one of my favorite boy names, and it surprisingly works in English with very little friction. I think G names are so fun, and this one is no exception. The danger here is that they’ll butcher the “Ga” with a long a instead of the short one, but even with that, the nickname potential of “Gak” is so cute. If you love Gus but it’s getting too trendy, this is a great alternative.

Kaito

If you’re looking for an alternative to the very popular Kai, adding the -to makes it very traditionally Japanese. Although the pronunciation could be a little tricky here if folks decide to say “Kai-two” (as in going “to” school) instead of “Kai-toe” (as in “to-ilet”) but it’s a pretty quick correction on the first try, and when that gets cumbersome you can always fall back on the popular Kai as a nickname.

Kota

I love this name for a boy. It has a surprisingly soft sound that rolls off the tongue, and while it’s very traditional, it still feels seamless within the English language. It’s pretty forgiving too, whether folks decide to use the long o or the short one, it doesn’t butcher it severely.

Shoma

If you love the traditional name Ryuma but worried about the “ry” spelling, then this is a great alternative to it that still feels classic and samurai and shogun and all the things. And speaking of Shogun, with the popularity of that show no one will butcher the pronunciation on this one. Of course the nickname of Sho works perfectly here.

There you have it, 10 more Japanese baby names for you to consider! Whether you have a connection to any of the meanings or just love the sound of it, there are so many amazing names in Japanese that you can choose from.

If you have any questions about baby names, or better yet, want me to take a crack at naming your baby, let me know!