Issendai.comGeisha Names: Hamako to Kyoko
| Name | Meaning | Era by Decade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Hamako |
Seashore child (濱子) |
1890's |
|
Hamayū |
Seashore + courage (濱勇) |
1910’s |
|
Hamazō |
Possibly “seashore + third son (浜三)” |
1870's |
|
Han |
Written in hiragana: はん |
1910’s |
|
Hanachiyo |
Eternal flower (花千代) |
1910’s |
|
Hanaji |
Flower + next (花次) |
1890's |
|
Hanakichi |
Flower of bliss, or lucky flower (花吉) |
1890's |
|
Hanako |
Flower child (花子) |
1910’s |
|
Hanamatsu |
Flower + pine tree (花松) |
1810’s |
|
Hanaryō |
Flower dragon (花龍) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Hanayakko |
Probably “flower handmaiden (花奴)” |
1910’s |
|
Hane |
Written in furigana: はね |
1790’s |
|
Harukichi |
Possibly “fortunate spring (春吉)” |
1870's |
|
Haruko |
Spring child (春子) |
1890's |
|
Harusuke |
Spring helper (春助) |
1910’s |
|
Hatsu |
Written in hiragana: はつ. Possibly intended to mean “firstborn (初).” |
1910’s |
|
Hatsuko |
Innocent/artless/fresh child (literally, "first-time/beginning child") (初子) |
1920’s |
|
Hatsutarō |
Firstborn son (初太郎) |
1910’s |
|
Hatsuyo |
Firstborn generation (初代) |
1920’s |
|
Hidechiyo |
Eternally excellent (秀千代) |
1910’s |
Zenkoku no Daihyouteki Bijin |
Hidechō |
Excellent butterfly (秀蝶) |
1910’s |
|
Hideji |
Next excellence, or second excellent one (秀次) |
1910’s |
|
Hidemi |
Excellent beauty (秀美) |
1910’s |
|
Hideryū |
Possibly “excellent dragon (秀龍),” implying ascending levels of excellence. |
1910’s |
|
Hidetarō |
Excellent first son (秀太郎) |
1910’s |
|
Hidewaka |
Excellent youth (秀若) |
1910’s |
|
Hideyakko |
Excellent handmaiden (秀奴) |
1910’s |
|
Hidezuru |
Excellent crane (秀鶴) |
1910’s |
|
Hinachō |
Adorable little butterfly [lit. doll-butterfly] (雛蝶) |
1910’s |
|
Hinagiku |
Adorable little chrysanthemum [lit. doll-chrysanthemum] (雛菊) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Hinako |
Hina + child (ひな子). Possibly intended to mean "adorable little one (雛子)." |
1910’s |
|
Hinazuru |
Hina + crane (ひな鶴). Possibly intended to mean “adorable little crane (雛鶴).” |
2000's |
|
Hisa |
Written in hiragana: ひさ. Possibly a reference to 久, “a long time.” |
1910’s |
|
Hisachō |
Long-continued butterfly (久蝶) |
1990’s? |
|
Hisae |
Long-lasting glory (久栄) |
1930's |
|
Hisaei |
Possibly “long-lasting glory (久栄)” or “congratulations and glory (寿栄)” |
1910’s |
|
Hisafuku |
Long-continued good fortune (久福) |
1930’s |
|
Hisagiku |
Long-continued chrysanthemum (久菊) |
1930’s |
|
Hisako |
Enduring (in the sense of long-continued) child (久子) |
1910’s |
|
Hisamomo |
Long-continuing peach (久桃) |
2010's |
|
Hisano |
Long-lasting + no [name ending] (久乃) |
2000's |
|
Hisasuzu |
Long-lasting bell (久鈴) |
2010's |
|
Hisayo |
Long-lasting generation (久代) |
1920's |
|
Hisazuru, Hisatsuru |
Enduring crane (久鶴) |
1930's |
|
Ichi |
Marketplace (市), a traditional name for girls. |
1910’s |
|
Ichiei |
Marketplace + splendid (市栄) |
1810’s |
|
Ichiemi |
1910's: First smile (一笑) |
1910's |
|
Ichiharu |
Market + clear, bright, cheerful (市 晴) |
2000's |
|
Ichiho |
Market + ear of grain (市穂) |
1980’s? |
|
Ichika |
Market + perfume (市香) |
1910’s |
|
Ichimame |
Market + mame (市まめ) |
2000's |
|
Ichimomo |
Market + peach (市桃) |
2000's |
|
Ichiraku |
Market + pleasure (市楽) |
2000's |
|
Ichiryū |
First dragon (一龍) |
1900’s |
|
Ichisayo |
Market + sayo (市さよ) |
1990’s |
|
Ichitarō |
First son (一太郎) |
1910’s |
|
Ichiteru |
Market + shining (市照) |
2000's |
|
Ichitomi |
2000's: Most abundant (一 富) |
2000's |
|
Ichiume |
Market of plum blossoms (市梅), the name of Liza Dalby’s oneesan. |
1960’s |
|
Ichiya |
Market + complete (市彌) |
1910’s |
|
Ichiyakko |
First among handmaidens (一奴) |
1910’s |
|
Iku |
Possibly “nourishing (生).” The kanji literally means “life,” but Hearn translates it differently. |
1870's |
|
Ikumatsu |
1850’s: Many pine trees (幾松). Iku is difficult to translate, but roughly speaking, it increases the number of whatever follows it. |
1850’s |
|
Ima |
Possibly “now (今).” |
1910’s |
|
Imayoshi |
|
1810’s |
|
Ine |
Possibly “young rice plant (稲),” implying a nurturing nature |
1910’s |
|
Iroha |
Written in hiragana: いろは. May mean “coloring, makeup (彩)” or “birch, maple (椛).” |
1810’s |
|
Ishino |
Written in hiragana: いしの. Possibly intended to mean 石野, stone + field [common ending for female names], implying one whose strength of character is as strong asd unyielding as a stone. |
1810’s |
|
Ishiyakko |
Stone + handmaiden (石奴). Stone connotes firmness of character. |
1910’s |
|
Iso |
Written in hiragana: いそ |
1810’s |
|
Isoei |
Flourishing seashore (磯栄) |
1810’s |
|
Itozuru |
Thread + crane (糸鶴) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Kama |
Written in hiragana: かま. Kama was a traditional girl’s name meaning “kettle (釜).” |
1880’s |
|
Kame |
Written in hiragana: かめ. May refer to one who is as long-lived as the turtle (亀). |
1810’s |
|
Kameji |
Second turtle (亀二) |
1810’s |
|
Kamekichi |
Turtle + good fortune (亀吉), connoting fortune as good as that of the long-lived, nearly immortal turtle. In Japan, turtles were believed to live for 10,000 years, a potent symbol in a culture where the promise of longevity was prized above almost everything else. |
1790’s |
|
Kameko |
Kame + child (かめ子). Possibly means “turtle child,” or “girl who is as long-lived as the turtle (亀子).” |
1890's |
|
Kaneha |
Golden leaf (金葉) |
1910’s |
|
Kanemi |
Gold + beauty (金美) |
1910’s |
|
Kanoaki |
Granting illumination (叶明) |
2000's |
|
Kanoemi |
Granting a smile (叶笑) |
2010's |
|
Kanoka |
Granting achievement/results (叶果) |
2000's |
|
Kasen |
The first female geisha of the Yoshiwara, a former yūjo (high-ranking courtesan) who paid off her debts and went into business for herself as an entertainer. |
1760’s |
Downer |
Katsuchiyo |
Victorious eternity (勝千代) |
1910’s |
|
Katsue |
Victory + bay [female name ending] (勝江) |
2000's |
|
Katsugoro |
Victory + fifth son (勝五郎) |
1910’s |
|
Katsuha |
Victorious leaf (勝葉) |
1910’s |
|
Katsuichi |
Victorious + first/best (勝一) |
1910’s |
|
Katsuji |
Victory + next (勝次); the next victory, or the second girl named Victory |
1890's |
Ogawa |
Katsuna |
Victorious Nara (勝奈) |
2010's |
|
Katsune |
The sound of victory (勝音), or victorious sound |
2010's |
|
Katsuru |
Victorious lapis lazuli (勝瑠) |
2000's |
|
Kayo |
Beautiful generation (加代) |
1870’s |
|
Kichihana |
Lucky flower (吉花) |
1920’s |
|
Kichiyakko |
Lucky maidservant (吉奴) |
1920’s |
|
Kichiyo |
Lucky generation (吉代) |
1910’s |
|
Kichiyū |
Lucky and brave (吉勇) |
2000’s? |
|
Kichizō |
Fortunate third son (吉三) |
1920’s |
|
Kiku |
Written in hiragana: きく. Probably intended to mean “chrysanthemum (菊).” |
1810’s |
|
Kikuka |
Chrysanthemum blossom (菊花) |
1890's |
|
Kikumaru |
Precious chrysanthemum (菊丸) |
2000's? |
|
Kikumatsu |
Chrysanthemum + pine tree (菊松) |
1810’s |
|
Kikuno |
Chrysanthemum + no [name ending] (菊乃) |
2000's |
|
Kikuryō |
1890's: Chrysanthemum dragon (菊龍) |
1890’s |
|
Kikutsuru |
Chrysanthemum + tsuru (菊つる) |
2000's |
|
Kikuya |
The very first named female geisha, recorded at Fukagawa in the 1740’s. She was reputed to be “good at playing the shamisen and singing.” Given the career path of other young women of her day, she probably started work as an odoriko, a dancing girl, in her early teens, and transitioned to being a geisha when she turned 16 or 17 and could no longer wear the long hanging sleeves that were essential to odoriko. Like many another odoriko, she may have engaged in prostitution on the side. Her name was spelled 菊弥, or “chrysanthemum + more and more.” |
1740’s |
Seigle |
Kikuyakko |
1913: Chrysanthemum handmaiden (菊奴) |
1910’s |
|
Kikuyu |
Chrysanthemum evening (菊夕) |
2000's |
|
Kimiei |
Sovereign splendor (君榮) |
1910’s |
|
Kimigiku |
Sovereign + giku (君ぎく). Probably intended to mean “sovereign chrysanthemum (君菊).” |
2000's |
|
Kimikiku |
Sovereign chrysanthemum (君菊) |
1920’s |
|
Kimina |
Peerless Nara (君奈) |
2000's |
|
Kimitarō |
Peerless firstborn son (君太郎) |
1910’s |
|
Kimitomo |
Sovereign friend, or friend of the ruler (君友) |
2000's |
|
Kimiyakko |
Sovereign handmaiden (君奴) |
1920’s |
|
Kin |
Written in hiragana: おきる. Probably intended to mean “gold (金).” |
1890's |
|
Kin’ei |
Golden splendor (金榮) |
1910’s |
|
Kin’ichi |
Golden first/best (金一) |
1910’s |
|
Kingo |
Golden fifth son (金五) |
1900's |
|
Kingoro |
Golden fifth son (金五郎) |
1910’s |
|
Kinhei |
Golden peace (金平) |
1910’s |
|
Kinko |
Near child (近子) |
1950’s |
|
Kinmatsu or Kanematsu |
Golden pine tree (金松) |
1910’s |
|
Kinpachi |
Gold + eight (金八), with the connotation of “steadily increasing wealth” |
1890's |
|
Kinroku |
Golden record (金錄) |
1910’s |
|
Kinryō |
Golden dragon (金龍) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Kinryū |
Golden dragon (金龍) |
1910’s |
|
Kinshi |
Written in hiragana: きんし |
1890's |
|
Kinsuke |
Golden helper (金助) |
1890's |
|
Kinu |
Written in hiragana: きぬ. Kinu is a traditional girl’s name that means “silk (絹).” |
1910’s |
|
Kinyo |
Written in hiragana: きんよ . |
1910’s |
|
Kinzō |
Golden third son (金三). |
1910’s |
|
Kitanomatsu |
Pine tree of the north (北の松) |
1810’s |
|
Kiyo |
Written in hiragana: おきよ. Kiyo (清) was a common girl’s name of the period, meaning “clear, bright, beautiful.” |
1890's |
|
Koaki |
Little Asian hope (小亜希) |
1990's |
|
Koden |
|
1870's |
|
Kodzuru/Kozuru |
Possibly “little stork” |
1870’s |
|
Koen |
Little charm |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Kofuku |
Little fuku (小ふく) |
2000's |
|
Kofusa |
Little fusa (小ふさ). Probably intended to mean "little tassel (小房)." |
1890's |
|
Kogiku |
1810’s: Little giku (小きく), probably intended to mean “little chrysanthemum (小菊).” |
1810’s |
Urakusai |
Koi |
Koi (carp) (鯉 or こい), a name referring to what Longstreet and Longstreet refer to as the koi’s “voluptuous grace and unique coloring.” It may also be a reference to the koi’s longevity. |
1880’s |
|
Koiku |
Little perfume (小郁) |
2000's |
|
Kojako |
Possibly “little snake (小蛇子),” meaning a girl who was born in the Year of the Snake (implying a mysterious, refined, and seductive nature), or “little wicked one (小邪子).” |
1920's |
|
Komagiku |
Possibly "filly + chrysanthemum (駒菊)" |
1910’s |
|
Komaji |
1810’s: Filly’s path (駒路) |
1810’s |
|
Komako |
Possibly “filly (駒子)” |
1910’s |
|
Komame |
Little bean (小豆) |
1910’s |
|
Komari |
Little jasmine (小莉) |
2000's? |
|
Komaru |
Little + maru (hiragana). Possibly intended to mean “little precious one.” |
1890's |
|
Komasu |
1910’s: Little dance (小舛). The masu kanji is extremely rare—it appears in two personal names and as the name of the “dancing legs” radical, but nowhere else. |
1910’s |
|
Komomo |
1910’s: Child + peach. This use of “child” in front of a name is extremely rare. |
1910’s |
|
Komume |
Written in hiragana: こむめ. Possibly intended to mean “little plum-blossom (小梅).” |
1890's |
|
Koriki |
Possibly “little strong one (小力),” among many other meanings. |
1870's |
|
Korin |
Little bell (小凜) |
1910’s |
|
Koroku |
Little six (小六). Six is an auspicious number, so Koroku’s name may commemorate an event that happened on the sixth day of the sixth month, or otherwise involved a notable number of sixes. |
1890's |
|
Kosaki |
Little blossom (小咲) |
1910’s |
|
Kosaku |
Little piece of work, or little harvest (小作). Possibly a nickname for a girl whose name started with the 作 character. |
1910’s |
|
Kosan |
Possibly “little three (小三)” or “little mountain (小山).” |
1910’s |
|
Kosei |
Possibly “little purity (小清)” |
1890's |
|
Kosen |
Little folding fan (小 扇) |
1870's |
|
Koshizu |
Little tranquil one (小静) |
1890's |
|
Kosome |
Possibly “little dyed one (小染)” |
1910’s |
|
Kosue |
Little end [of something] (小末) |
1930's |
|
Kosuzu |
Little bell (小鈴) |
2000's? |
|
Kotaka |
"Little high," possibly a nickname for a tall girl |
1890’s |
|
Kotake |
Little bamboo (小竹) |
1870’s |
|
Kotama |
Little jewel, or little precious one (小玉) |
1910’s |
|
Kotarō |
Little firstborn son (小太郎) |
1920’s |
|
Kotatsu |
Little dragon (小辰), referring to the zodiacal Year of the Dragon rather than the common word for the dragon. |
1870's? |
|
Koteru |
1810's: Little teru (小てる). Probably intended to mean “little shining one (小照).” |
1810's |
|
Kotetsu |
Possibly “little iron one (小鉄)” |
1870’s |
|
Koto |
Possibly “koto (お琴 or おこと),” a reference to the beauty of the Japanese harp. |
1900’s |
|
Kotobuki |
Longevity, or congratulations. Possibly written with the 寿 or 壽 character, or in hiragana: ことぶき. |
1870’s |
Hearn |
Kotoei |
Koto + bay [female name ending] (こと江) |
1910’s |
|
Kotogiku |
Koto (Japanese harp) + chrysanthemum (琴菊) |
1910’s |
|
Kotoha |
Koto [Japanese harp] + leaf (琴葉) |
2000's |
|
Kotoji |
Next koto (Japanese harp), or second woman who is named after the koto (琴次) |
1890's |
|
Kotomi |
1920's: Little ascending beauty (小登美) |
1920’s |
|
Kotono |
Koto [Japanese harp] + no [name ending] (琴 乃) |
2000's |
|
Kotoyo |
|
1890's |
|
Kotsuma |
Little + tsuma (小つま). Tsuma (妻 or 夫) means “wife,” and was formerly used between lovers to mean “dear.” Kotsuma may therefore mean “little dear one,” giving the gentlemen she talked to the illusion of instant intimacy. |
1890's |
|
Koume |
"Little plum blossom (小梅)," nickname of the geisha Umewaka (Plum-blossom bud) as well as the complete geimei of many other geisha. |
1810’s |
|
Kouta |
Little + uta. Possibly intended to mean “little song (小歌).” |
1890's |
|
Koyachiyo |
Probably “little eightfold eternity (小八千代)” |
1910’s |
|
Koyakko |
Little handmaiden (小奴). Apprentice name of the geisha who grew up to be named first Yakko, then Sadayakko. Later geisha also adopted the name. |
1880’s |
|
Koyana |
Written in hiragana: こやな |
1910’s |
|
Koyei |
Little yei (小ゑい). Yei is spelled with the archaic ゑ hiragana, and can also be pronounced Ei or Wei. |
1890's |
|
Koyō |
Little sparkle (小耀) |
2000's |
|
Ko-yokko |
Probably a misspelling of Koyakko, “little handmaiden (小奴).” |
1910’s |
|
Koyone |
Little grains of rice (小米). Yone, the word for grains of rice that are ready to be cooked and eaten, used to have a secondary meaning of “wealth”—a less slangy analogue of the American use of “bread” to mean “money.” |
1950’s |
|
Koyoshi |
2010’s: Little yoshi (小よし). Possibly intended to mean “little good one (小善).” |
2000's? |
|
Koyuka |
Little yuka (小ゆか). Yuka may stand for purple or violet (紫), destiny (縁), or perfume (香), among many, many other possible meanings. |
1910’s |
|
Koyuki |
1890’s: Little snow (小雪) |
1890’s |
|
Koyumi |
Little beautiful friend (小友美) |
2000's |
|
Kozakura |
Little cherry blossom (小桜). Hearn translates this name as “little cherry tree,” but sakura usually refers to the flowers. |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Kuma |
Written in hiragana: くま. Possibly intended to mean bear (熊). Bears in Japan are associated with courage, strength, and perseverance, and are considered to be devoted mothers [link]. |
1810’s |
|
Kumakichi |
Fortunate bear (熊吉) |
1810’s |
|
Kumano |
Written in hiragana: くまの. Possibly intended to mean “bear + no [name ending] (熊乃).” |
1810’s |
|
Kumayoshi |
|
1810’s |
|
Kunigiku |
Country/state/province + giku (國ぎく). Probably intended to mean “chrysanthemum of the country (國菊).” |
1910’s |
|
Kyō |
Capitol (京), possibly referring to Kyoto. A traditional girl's name. |
1910’s |
|
Kyōji |
Peace of the capitol (京治), possibly referring to Kyoto. |
1920’s |
|
Kyōka |
Excellent apricot ( 杏佳) |
2000's |
|
Kyoko |
1950's?: Apricot child (杏子) |
1950’s? |
link |
Updated 12/16/2014