Free Japanese Name Generator

Japanese names follow an order opposite to Western conventions: the family name comes first, followed by the given name. So 田中健二 (Tanaka Kenji) has "Tanaka" as the surname and "Kenji" as the given name, which reflects Japan's historical emphasis on family identity over individuality.

Each Japanese name is written in kanji, Chinese-derived characters that carry both sound and meaning. The name 桜 (Sakura) doesn't just sound beautiful; the character itself depicts a cherry blossom tree. Most names use two kanji, creating compound meanings that tell a miniature story: 陽翔 (Haruto) combines "sun" (陽) with "to soar" (翔), or in other words "soaring toward the sun."

One of the most fascinating aspects of Japanese names is that the same kanji can be read in multiple ways. The character 明 can be "Akira," "Mei," "Haru," or "Tomo" depending on context. This creates enormous variety: Japan has a relatively small set of kanji but an almost limitless combination of readings, making each name truly unique even when sharing characters with others.

Many families still weigh seimei handan (姓名判断), reading luck from the stroke counts in a full kanji name. Open the Seimei Handan calculator for Tenkaku, Jinkaku, Chikaku, Gaikaku, and Sokaku at a glance, or read our cultural guide.