In this Article
- 150 Japanese Surnames or Family Names With Meanings
One of the most culturally enriched countries in the world is Japan. It is also a country that is mostly appreciated for its technological advancement. Along with the traditions, the Japanese have a strong bond with nature and peace, too, which reflects in their names. That is why many Japanese first names and surnames come from the forests, sea, mountains, and also ancient clan names. If you have been looking for Japanese surnames or last names for your little one, this is the article for you. We have handpicked and enlisted some of the best, rare, popular, and most common Japanese last names for you to choose from.
Pro tip: A slight change in Japanese characters to spell the words can give them a certain meaning. Hence, make your pick wisely.
150 Japanese Surnames or Family Names With Meanings
Find your little one a suitable surname from the given handpicked list of Japanese last names and meanings.
1. Abe
This is a common last name, which is one of the oldest too. In Japan, the word ‘a’ means peace and ‘be’ means ‘many times’.
2. Abiko
This is another beautiful name for a baby that the grandparents can suggest. Here, ‘a’ means ‘peaceful’, ‘bi’ means ‘grandchild’, and ‘ko’ means ‘child’.
3. Adachi
Adachi is a popular surname and has been an important name bearer in the samurai family. It means ‘foot’ or ‘stand’. Some of the popular artists with this name include Osamu Adachi and Yumi Adachi.
4. Agawa
This name sounds beautiful, and it has a beautiful meaning, too. The name means ‘the corner of a river or a stream’.
5. Ageda
Japanese people are rice lovers. This habitational last name means ‘upper rice field’, which is commonly seen in the Japanese countryside.
6. Ahane
Another well known Japanese last name, Ahane has an interesting meaning. ‘Ah’ means ‘second’, ‘ha’ implies ‘waves’, and ‘ne’ translates into ‘roots’.
7. Aikawa
This is one of the traditional Japanese last names which everyone is quite familiar with. The name means ‘sympathising with a river’.
8. Akagi
Akagi is a pretty common surname in western Japan. This surname means ‘red tree’. Many sources claim it derived from Akagiyama, a famous peak in east-central Japan.
9. Akamine
The surname Akamine in Japanese means ‘red peak’. It is mostly found in the western part of Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.
10. Amano
The surname Amano is a popular one in the country. It means ‘heaven field’. Some notable names with this surname include Fabio Amano – a popular tattoo artist.
11. Ando
This is an interesting Japanese last name that means ‘peaceful wisteria’. It is a perfect name for a well-mannered kid.
12. Aoki
This beautiful Japanese surname means ‘green tree’. It fits perfectly for a newborn baby girl. This is a common surname in the Ryukyu Islands.
13. Baba
If you are a soccer lover, you will know this Japanese last name. Commonly used in west-central Japan, the last name interestingly means ‘horse-riding track’.
14. Ban
The surname is found mostly in eastern Japan. It means ‘comrade’.
15. Bando
This is a Japanese surname which is quite popular in eastern Japan and originates from the Osaka province. The name means ‘east of the slope’.
16. Bushida
This Japanese name is perfect for a courageous kid. The name means ‘a Samurai’ or ‘a warrior’.
17. Chikafuji
This name is one of the rare Japanese surnames that can be used as an uncommon baby name. The meaning of the name is ‘near the wisteria’.
18. Chino
Chino as a surname is used in modern times with the characters that mean ‘field of miscanthus reeds’. However, there could be a relation to the ancient name Chinu, which means ‘strange’ and ‘unusual’.
19. Chisaka
This is a unique and cool name for a baby girl who is hardy. The meaning of this Japanese surname is ‘one thousand hills’.
20. Chinen
This Japanese last name is very interesting. In the Ryukyu Islands, the last name means ‘one thousand years’. In the rest of Japan, it means ‘feelings’.
21. Daigo
This is one of the oldest Japanese names derived from the 60th Japanese emperor. The name refers to the Buddhist temple named Daigo Shingon. In Japanese, ‘dei‘ means ‘great, and ‘go‘ means ‘enlightenment’.
22. Domen
Not so common in Japan, you’ll find several instances of Domen and Dōmen in America that mean ‘surface of the earth’ and surface of the road’, respectively,
23. Eguchi
The nature lover Japanese have their last names mostly related to nature. This last name means ‘the mouth of the river’ and is popular in Kyushu Island.
24. Ejiri
In this Japanese last name, the letter ‘E’ means ‘the river’ and ‘jiri’ means ‘behind’. If you have a baby girl born on the banks of a river, you can consider naming her Ejiri.
25. Endo
This is another topological surname for the Japanese. It means ‘a distant wisteria’.
26. Enomoto
Enomoto is commonly used in the Kyōto–Ōsaka area and the Ryūkyū Islands. It means ‘one who lives’.
27. Etō
Etō is a rare surname mainly found in western Japan that means ‘river wisteria’. The bearers of this last name come from the Taira clan.
28. Fuji
A famous film roll brand has made this Japanese surname well known across the globe already. The meaning of the name is ‘dweller near the place where wisteria grows’.
29. Fujii
The surname Fujii is most commonly found in west central Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. It means ‘well of wisteria’.
30. Fujikawa
Fujikawa means ‘wisteria river’. Bearers of this name come from the southern Fujiwara of Japan.
31. Fujiki
This is a variation of the similar Japanese last name. This name means ‘a tree where wisteria flower is grown’.
32. Fujimura
This Japanese surname means ‘Japanese wisteria village’. People of this surname belong to the western Honshū and the Ryūkyū Islands.
33. Fujino
The surname Fujono means ‘wisteria field’ and is common on the eastern side of Japan.
34. Fujioka
This Japanese surname means ‘wisteria hill’. It is a habitational name in the village of Shinano and is commonly found in western Japan and Ryukyu Islands.
35. Fujita
Popular in western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, the last name Fujita means ‘wisteria rice field’.
36. f*ckuda
This is another unique Japanese name which is an occupational surname. f*ckuda means ‘lucky rice field’ or ‘hope’. This is a perfect name for a newborn.
37. f*ckushima
This is another beautiful Japanese surname that is famous in the Ryukyu Islands. The name means ‘fortune or blessed island’.
38. Furukawa
This is another prominent Japanese last name. It originated from the Nitta, Minamoto and Northern Fujiwara families. The name means ‘old river’.
39. Furuya
This could be an interesting name for a baby girl. The meaning of this name is ‘ancient valley’.
40. Gato
Japanese seem to be quite impressed with the wisteria flower. Their family names bear the same evidence. Gato (and its close variety Goto) means ‘behind wisteria’.
41. Gima
Gima is written in various different characters and combinations. The most common ones written mean ‘ceremony’ and ‘space’.
42. Goda
This is an occupational surname in Japan borne by the farmer families for ages. The meaning of the name is ‘connected to rice paddy’
43. Genji
This Japanese last name has two meanings, and both of them are very interesting. The name means ‘source’ or ‘two beginnings’.
44. Gushiken
If you are looking for a name which you want to pick for a confident baby, this is it. The name literally means, ‘strong-willed’.
45. Hada
A very common Japanese surname, Hada refers to the field where you can fly. This last name is mostly found in Eastern Japan.
46. Haga
Predominantly found in North-Eastern Japan, this last name means ‘celebratory fragrance’. It makes a perfect name for a newborn.
47. Hagino
If you are looking for a unique Japanese last name for your baby boy that will be a perfect first name too, try this name. It means ‘a field covered by the bush’.
48. Hagiwara
Also pronounced Hagihara, Hagiwara is a cute surname that means ‘Japanese clover field’. It is commonly found in the Tokyo area and the island of Okinawa.
49. Haku
People who have a special interest in literature would be able to connect to this Japanese surname. The name means ‘poetic’.
50. Hamada
This name is used as both last name and first name in Japan. It is very popular in the Ryukyu and Shikoku Islands. The name means ‘paddy field on the seashore’.
51. Hamamoto
Common in western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, Hamamoto refers to the person ‘who lives near the seashore’.
52. Hamasaki
This Japanese surname means ‘seashore peninsula or seashore cape’. People of this surname belong to western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.
53. Handa
This is another beautiful Japanese last name. The name is a perfect pick for a baby girl as it means ‘flower field’.
54. Hano
A rare surname in Japan, this means ‘leafy field’.
55. Hara
The name is a cute name for a baby boy. It is derived from a familiar Japanese last name which means ‘the meadow’.
56. Harada
Mostly found in the Kyūshū island and the Ryūkyū Islands, Harada means ‘rice field on the plain’.
57. Haruki
If you are an avid reader of Murakami’s novels, you already know of this name. This name is used as both first and last name of people in Japan. The name means ‘tree of spring season’.
58. Hase
This cute and short Japanese surname means ‘long valley’.
59. Hasegawa
This is another Japanese last name connected to nature. It means ‘long valley river’.
60. Hashimoto
This unique Japanese name is a perfect name for a newborn baby suggested by the parent. The name means ‘true bridge’, and refers to how the baby acts as a bridge between the parents successfully.
61. Hata
This is one of the most interesting Japanese last names, which has a long line of history attached to it. Hata means ‘loom’.
62. Honda
This is a very famous last name in Japan which means ‘rice field’. The name is famous all over the world because of the famous motor company.
63. Hori
This surname originated in Central Japan. Many of its bearers are also from the Ryukyu Islands. This surname means ‘moat’.
64. Ichikawa
A common surname among Japanese, Ichikawa means ‘city river’. Some of the notable people with this surname include Haruyo Ichikawa (actress) and Daisuke Ichikawa (footballer).
65. Ida
This last name in Japanese Kanji means ‘that rice paddy’.
66. Ide
Found mostly in eastern Japan, Ide is a very short Japanese surname meaning ‘spillway’. This last name is also given to people who live near a dam.
67. Igarashi
With variations over time, this Japanese last name came from Ikarashi river that flows in the central Niigata prefecture. The surname means ‘fifty storms’.
68. Ige
Ige reveals different meanings when written with different Japanese characters. Some of the common meanings of this name include ‘one who lives below the well’ or ‘lowest rank’.
69. Iha
This Japanese Kanji surname mean ‘that waves’.
70. Iida
Here is another Japanese last name connected to the rice field. The name means ‘paddy of cooked rice’.
71. Ito
This is one of the most attractive Japanese last names. The meaning of this name is ‘the one’.
72. Ine
This is a rare last name in Japan means ‘rice plant’.
73. Ikeda
This is another very beautiful Japanese last name. The name means ‘a rice field by the pond’.
74. Imada
This is a surname in Japan borne by the families with an origin at the Taira clan. This surname means ‘new rice paddy’.
75. Imai
This Japanese last name has a very interesting meaning. It means ‘new town’.
76. Imamura
Commonly found in Japan, this surname means ‘new village’.
77. Ishikawa
A very common Japanese surname, Ishikawa refers to the ‘stone river’. This unique Japanese name is a perfect name for a newborn baby.
78. Ishii
The name means ‘resides in a rocky place’.
79. Ishida
This is another Japanese last name connected to the rice field. The name means ‘stone rice field’.
80. Ishizaki
This is one of the oldest Japanese last names; it means ‘stone peninsula.’
81. Iwata
This is a common name in Japan used as a last name. The word means ‘stony paddy field’.
82. Kagawa
This is another beautiful name for a baby that the family can suggest. Kagawa means ‘a fragrant river’.
83. Kamada
This beautiful Japanese surname means ‘sickle field’. This is a common surname in the Ryukyu Islands.
84. Kamei
This name sounds beautiful, and it has a beautiful meaning, too. The name is originated from a noble family in Western Japan, and it means ‘a well full of turtles’.
85. Kawabata
Kawabata means ‘side or bank of the river’. Some of the celebrities bearing this surnae include Yasunari Kawabata (writer) and Hikaru Kawabata (wrestler).
86. Kawaguchi
Kawaguchi is a pleasant-sounding last name which means ‘river mouth or entrance’.
87. Kouda
This interesting Japanese last name that means ‘long rice field’. It is a perfect name for a tall kid.
88. Kibe
This habitational Japanese name belongs to the Kibe village in Omi. This name was borne by the priests of the Buddhist temples of the place.
89. Kojima
Another well known Japanese last name, Kojima, has an interesting meaning. It translates into ‘a small island’.
90. Kudo
This is one of the most interesting Japanese last names which everyone is quite familiar with. It means ‘construct wisteria’.
91. Kamida
If you are a rice lover, you will consider this Japanese last name. Commonly used in west-central Japan, this last name means ‘upper rice field’.
92. Kaneko
This is a Japanese surname which is quite popular in eastern Japan. The name means ‘Golden child’.
93. Kondo
This Japanese name means ‘near wisteria’, and it is perfect for a kid who loves flowers.
94. Kokawa
This name can be used as a unique baby name. The meaning of the name is ‘small river’.
95. Kamiyama
The meaning of this Japanese surname is ‘God’.
96. Kasai
In the Ryukyu Islands, this last name means ‘bamboo hat’. In the rest of Japan, it means ‘well’.
97. Kase
This Japanese name means ‘add’ or ‘strait’.
98. Katayama
The nature lover Japanese have their last names mostly related to nature. This last name means ‘mountain on the side’ and is popular in the Ryukyu Islands.
99. Kato
This Japanese last name means ‘increase wisteria’, and it is mostly found in the south-eastern seaboard.
100. Kido
This is another unique Japanese name which means ‘wooden door’ or ‘castle door’. It is a cute name for a newborn.
101. Kita
This Japanese surname is well known for soccer lovers already. The meaning of the name is ‘north field of trees’.
102. Kikuchi
This is an interesting Japanese last name; it means ‘chrysanthemum pond’.
103. Kobayashi
Kobayashi is another beautiful Japanese surname famous in the Ryukyu Islands. The name means ‘small forest’.
104. Kubo
This could be an interesting name for a baby boy. It means ‘sunken ground’.
105. Kurosawa
Another prominent Japanese last name which is popular among the movie lovers is Kurosawa. The name means ‘black swamp’.
106. Machida
Japanese seem to be quite attached to rice; their family names bear the same evidence. This name means ‘town field’ or ‘town rice patty’.
107. Masuda
This name means ‘increasing rice paddy’.
108. Maekawa
This Japanese last name means ‘river in the front’, and it is found in western Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.
109. Makino
If you are looking for a name for a baby who is an animal lover, this is it! The name literally means, ‘shepherd field’.
110. Matsubara
The name is a cute one for a baby girl; it is derived from a familiar Japanese last name which means ‘pine tree plain’.
111. Matsumura
This is another Japanese last name inspired by nature. The name means ‘pine tree village’.
112. Matsuo
Matsuo is a cheery Japanese surname meaning ‘pine tree tail’.
113. Matsuoka
This eccentric surname is made by joining two words: Matsu means ‘pine tree’ and oka means ‘ridge’, which together means ‘pine tree hill’.
114. Matsushima
Found mainly in eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, Matsushima means ‘pine tree island’.
115. Matsush*ta
This unique Japanese name is a perfect name for a newborn baby suggested by the parent. The name means ‘beneath the pine tree’.
116. Matsuura
Originating from the ancient Matsura province, Matsuura means ‘pine tree bay’. There are several successful people bearing the surname.
117. Matsuyama
The Japanese surname Matsuyama means ‘pine tree mountain’.
118. Miura
This old Japanese surname refers to the ‘three bays’. The last name is mostly available in Sagami.
119. Nagasawa
Predominantly found in North-Eastern Japan, this last name means ‘long swamp’.
120. Nagata
If you are looking for a unique Japanese last name for your baby boy which will be a perfect first name too, try this. The name means ‘long rice paddy’.
121. Nagamine
Written with different characters, this last name means ‘long peak’.
122. Nakagawa
Nakagawa is a cool and eccentric surname meaning ‘middle river’.
123. Nakahara
Nakahara is made with two Japanese words: Naka and Hara. Naka means middle and Hara means tundra, plain or meadow. This means ‘middle meadow’.
124. Nakamura
People who have a special interest in topography would be able to connect to this Japanese surname. It means ‘village in the middle’.
125. Nakada
This name is also associated with rice paddy and means ‘central rice paddy’.
126. Nakano
This is another very beautiful Japanese last name. The name means ‘central field’.
127. Nakayama
The name means ‘central mountain’.
128. Nishikawa
This is a very famous last name in Japan, and it means ‘western river’.
129. Nishio
This last name originated in Central Japan. Many of its bearers are also from the Ryukyu Islands. The surname means ‘western male’.
130. Noguchi
This is one of the most attractive names in Japan. The meaning of this name is ‘entrance of the field’.
131. Nomura
This is a rare last name in Japan which means ‘village in the field’. The name is a perfect pick for a baby girl.
132. Oba
This is another very beautiful Japanese last name. The name means ‘large garden’.
134. Ogawa
A very common Japanese surname, Ogawa refers to ‘a small river’.
135. Ohara
If you are looking for a unique Japanese last name for your baby girl which will be a perfect first name too, try this. The name means ‘large plain’.
136. Okamoto
This is another Japanese last name close to nature. It means ‘one who lives at the base of the hill’.
137. Okamura
Common in western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, Okamura means ‘hill village’.
138. Okano
Primarily found in Tōkyō and Nagoya regions, Okano means ‘hill life’ or ‘hill field’.
139. Okawa
This Japanese last name means ‘large river’.
140. Omori
This Japanese last name has a very interesting meaning. It means ‘large grove’.
141. Otake
This is a surname in Japan borne by the families living in Southeast Japan. The name literally means ‘large bamboo’.
142. Sakai
The name is variously written with Japanese characters. One of the common derivatives of this surname is ‘well’, rice wine’, and ‘hill town’.
143. Sakamoto
Common in all parts of Japan, this amazing surname refers to a person ‘who lives at the bottom of the slope’.
144. Sakuma
This Japanese surname came from a village named in Awa. The individual letters of this name mean: (sa) meaning ‘help’, (ku) ‘long time’ combined with (ma) meaning ‘horse’.
145. Sakurai
Cherry blossom fans will love this! Sakurai surname is commonly found in eastern Japan and means ‘cherry blossom well’.
146. Sama
Derived from the word semai, which means ‘narrow’, Sama is a rare Japanese surname.
147. Sato
Here is another Japanese last name connected to Fuji clan. The name means ‘help wisteria’.
148. Sone
This is a unique baby name which is one of the oldest Japanese last names. It means ‘root’.
149. Yamauchi
With an alternate pronunciation- Yamanouchi, this surname is found in western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. It means ‘within the mountains’.
150. Yamazaki
Also pronounced as Yamasaki, which is commonly found in western Japan, Yamazaki is found in eastern Japan. It means ‘mountain cape’.
These were 100 great Japanese last names which are going to be excellent names for your newborn baby. Go ahead and pick one that you think will work best for you.
