Issendai.comGeisha Names: Takamaru to Yukizono
| Name | Meaning | Era by Decade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Takamaru |
Filial piety + precious (孝 丸) |
2000's? |
|
Takasuzu |
Filial piety + double longevity or double congratulations (孝寿々) |
2000's |
|
Take |
Take (竹) was a common girl’s name of the period, meaning “bamboo.” |
1870's |
|
Takeko |
Bamboo child (竹子) |
1910’s |
|
Takematsu |
Bamboo + pine (竹松) |
1910’s |
|
Takewaka |
Young bamboo (竹若) |
1920’s |
|
Takeyakko |
Bamboo handmaiden (竹奴) |
1910’s |
|
Tama |
Written in hiragana: たま. Tama (玉) was a common girl’s name of the period, meaning “jewel.” |
1890's |
|
Tamagiku |
Precious chrysanthemum, or jewel chrysanthemum (玉菊) |
1890's |
|
Tamakichi |
Jewel of fortune (玉吉) |
1870’s |
Hearn |
Tamakiku |
Jewel + kiku (玉きく). Probably intended to mean “precious chrysanthemum (玉菊).” |
1910’s |
|
Tamako |
Tama + child (たま子). Possibly intended to mean “jewel child (玉子).” |
1890's |
|
Tamaryō |
Jewel dragon (玉龍) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Tamasuke |
Jewel helper (玉助) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Tamatarō |
Precious oldest son (玉太郎) |
1910’s |
|
Tamaye |
Jewel + inlet [female name ending] (玉江) |
1890's |
|
Tamayu |
Excellent jewel (玉雄) |
1960’s? |
|
Tamazuru |
Precious crane (玉鶴) |
1910’s |
|
Tamiko |
Abundant beauty child (多美子) |
1930’s |
|
Tane |
Written in hiragana: たね. Tane (種) was a common girl's name that meant "seeds" and symbolized posterity. |
1910’s |
|
Taneji |
Seeds + two, second (種二) |
1910’s |
|
Taneju |
Tane + celebration/longevity (たね寿) |
2000's |
|
Taneko |
Seed child (種子) |
1910’s |
|
Tatsu |
Written in hiragana: たつ. Tatsu was a common girl's name of the period, referring to the zodiacal sign of the dragon (辰). |
1890's |
|
Tatsuko |
Written partially in hiragana. Possibly intended to mean “dragon child (辰子or 龍子).” |
1890's |
|
Teruhina |
Shining + hina (照ひな) |
1990's |
|
Teruji |
Second shining one (照二) |
1960’s? |
|
Teruko |
Teru + child (てる子), possibly intended to mean “shining child (照子).” |
1930's |
|
Teruyo |
Shining generation (照代) |
1910’s |
|
Tetsu |
Written in hiragana: てつ |
1810’s |
|
Toba |
Bird wing. The 1930's geisha Toba spelled her name with hiragana: とば. |
1930’s |
|
Toki |
One of the first female geisha of the Yoshiwara. |
1760’s |
|
Tokiko |
Timely child (時子). The Taisho-period geisha Tokiko wrote her name partly in hiragana: とき子 |
1910’s |
|
Tokimatsu |
Timely pine tree (時松) |
1890's |
|
Toku |
Written in hiragana: とく |
1810’s |
|
Tokumatsu |
Virtuous pine tree, or benevolent pine tree (徳松) |
1890's |
|
Tome |
とめ. A traditional girl’s name that means “stop (留),” and indicates that the parents hope they won’t have any more children. |
1910’s |
|
Tomeko |
Remaining child (とめ子) |
1920’s |
|
Tomewaka |
Tome + young (とめ若) |
1930’s |
|
Tomigiku |
Fortunate chrysanthemum (富菊) |
1910’s |
|
Tomiko |
1920’s: Tomi + child (とみ子) |
1920’s |
|
Tomimatsu |
Possibly “Virtuous pine tree, or benevolent pine tree (徳松).” |
1900's |
|
Tomino |
Written in hiragana: とみの. Possibly intended to mean "abundant field (富野)." |
1790’s |
|
Tomiryō |
Abundant dragon, or wealthy dragon (富龍), implying increasing abundance or increasing wealth. |
1910’s |
|
Tomitae |
Fortunate and much-loved (富多愛) |
2010's |
|
Tomitaka |
Greatly increasing good fortune (富多加) |
2000's |
|
Tomitsuru |
Fortunate crane (富鶴) |
1980’s |
|
Tomiwaka |
Abundantly wealthy and young (富若) |
1910’s |
|
Tomiyakko |
Abundant handmaiden, or wealthy handmaiden (富奴) |
1910’s |
|
Tomizuru |
Fortunate crane (富鶴) |
1910’s |
|
Tomogiku |
Companion chrysanthemum (友菊) |
1910’s |
|
Tomoko |
1910’s: Companion child (友子) |
1910’s |
|
Tomoryō |
Companion dragon (友龍) |
1910’s |
|
Tomotarō |
Friend + eldest son (友太郎) |
1910’s |
|
Tomowaka |
Friend + youth (友若) |
1910’s |
|
Tomoyuki |
Companion + yuki (朋ゆき) |
2000's |
|
Tonbo |
Written in hiragana. The name may mean “dragonfly (蜻蛉).” |
1930's |
|
Tonko |
Possibly “kindly one (敦子)” |
1890's |
|
Tora |
とら. A traditional girl’s name that means “tiger (虎)” and refers to the tiger’s bravery. |
1810’s |
|
Toshifumi |
Toshi + beautiful lotus (とし芙美). Possibly intended to mean “Beautiful lotus of the year of good fortune.” |
2000's |
|
Toshihana |
Toshi + flower (とし花) . Possibly intended to mean “Flower of the year of good fortune.” |
2000's |
|
Toshiko |
Toshi + child (とし子) . Possibly intended to mean “Girl of the year of good fortune.” |
|
|
Toye or To’e |
Written in hiragana: とゑ |
1810’s |
|
Toyochiyo |
Eternally bountiful (豊千代) |
1910’s |
|
Toyohina |
Bountiful little adorable one [lit. doll] (豊雛) |
1790’s |
|
Toyoji |
Bountiful and sovereign/peerless (豊治) |
1960’s? |
|
Toyoju |
Bountiful longevity, or rich and long-lived (豊寿) |
1960’s? |
|
Toyoka |
Rising generation + perfume (登代香) |
1950’s? |
|
Toyomaru |
1950’s?: Abundantly precious one, or abundant + maru [name ending] (豊丸) |
1910’s |
|
Tsunechiyo |
Everlasting eternity (常千代) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuneko |
Everlasting child (常子) |
1910’s |
|
Tsunemomo |
Tsune + peach (つね桃) |
2000's |
|
Tsuneyo |
Everlasting generation (常代) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuneyū |
Everlasting courage (常勇) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuru |
Written in hiragana: つる. Probably intended to mean “crane (鶴),” a popular girl's name. |
1910’s |
|
Tsurue |
1810's: Crane bay (鶴江) |
1810’s |
|
Tsuruha |
1910’s: Crane + leaf (鶴葉) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuruji |
Second crane (鶴二) |
1810’s |
|
Tsuruka |
Written in hiragana: つるか |
1810’s |
|
Tsurukichi |
As fortunate as the long-lived crane (鶴吉) |
1810’s |
|
Tsurumatsu |
Tsuru + pine tree (つる松) |
1890's |
|
Tsurunosuke |
Crane helper, or helper who is as long-lived and fortunate as the crane (鶴之助) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuruyo |
Crane generation (鶴代) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuruyū |
Courage of the crane (鶴勇) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuta |
Written in hiragana: つた. Possibly intended to mean “ivy (蔦),” “moon treasure (月宝),” or “many harbors (津多).” |
1810’s |
|
Tsutaji |
Many harbors + next (津多次). It may mean “the next of many harbors,” or “the next woman bearing the name ‘many harbors.’” |
1920’s |
|
Tsuyachiyo |
Captivating eternity (艶千代) |
1910’s |
|
Tsuyu |
Written in hiragana: つゆ. Possibly intended to mean “dew (露)” or “plum-blossom rain (梅雨),” among several other readings. |
1910’s |
|
Ume |
Plum blossom (梅), a common girl's name. |
1910’s |
|
Umechie |
Plum-blossom + chie (梅ちえ). Possibly intended to mean “wise plum blossom (梅智).” |
2010's |
|
Umechiho |
Plum-blossom + chiho (梅ちほ) |
2010's |
|
Umechika |
Wise plum-blossom (梅智賀) |
2000's |
|
Umechiyo |
Eternal plum blossom (梅千代) |
1910's |
|
Umegiku |
1810's: Plum-blossom + giku or kiku (梅きく) |
1810’s |
|
Umeha |
Plum-blossom leaf (梅 葉) |
2000's |
|
Umehisa |
Plum blossom + compare + sand (梅比沙) |
2000's |
|
Umeji |
Plum blossom + two, second (梅二) |
1910’s |
|
Umejirō |
Plum blossom + second son (梅二郎) |
1910’s |
|
Umekichi |
The modern geisha Hiyama Umekichi writes her name as うめ吉. The older spelling of the name may be 梅吉, lucky plum blossom. |
1870’s |
|
Umekō |
Plum-blossom fragrance (梅香) |
1900’s |
|
Umeko |
Plum-blossom child (梅子); Lanston translates the name as “happiness of the plum.” |
1900’s |
|
Umematsu |
1810's: Plum-blossom and pine(梅松) |
1810’s |
|
Umeo |
Plum blossom + o [male suffix] (梅夫) |
1910’s |
|
Umeraku |
Plum-blossom + raku (梅らく). Raku may be a reference to the old-fashioned name element raku, meaning “pleasure/music”and written 楽 or 樂, in which case Umeraku means “pleasure of the plum blossoms.” |
2000's |
|
| Umeryō | Plum-blossom + dragon (梅龍) | 1910's | 1914 Miyako Odori |
Umeryū |
Plum-blossom + dragon (梅龍) |
1910's |
|
Umesaya |
Plum-blossom + saya (梅さや) |
2010's |
|
Umesuke |
Plum-blossom helper (梅助) |
1910’s |
|
Umesuzu |
Plum-blossom + double congratulations, or plum-blossom + double longevity (梅寿々) |
2000's |
|
Umewaka |
1920’s: Plum-blossom bud (梅若) |
1920’s |
|
Umewaka |
Plum-blossom youth (梅若) |
1910’s |
|
Umeyae |
Plum-blossom + yae (梅やえ) |
2000's |
|
Umeyakko |
Plum-blossom handmaiden (梅奴) |
1910’s |
|
Umeyū |
1910’s: Plum-blossom courage (梅勇) |
1910’s |
|
Uno |
Written in hiragana: うの |
1810’s |
|
Unofuku |
The rabbit’s good fortune (卯の福) |
1940’s |
|
Unoha |
The rabbit’s leaf (卯の葉) |
1920’s |
|
Unohide |
The rabbit’s excellence (卯の秀) |
1940’s |
|
Unoji |
The rabbit’s second (卯の二). If “Uno” is treated as a standalone name, Unoji can also mean “the second girl named Uno.” |
1950’s |
|
Unoka |
Written in hiragana: うのか. Several possible meanings, including “rabbit’s flower (卯乃花)” and “rabbit’s perfume (卯乃香).” The rabbit is the symbol of the fourth month of the year, April, so the spellings might be better translated as “April flower” and “April perfume.” (But take this with a grain of salt.) |
1910’s |
|
Unokayo |
The rabbit’s increasing generation (卯の加代) |
1950’s |
|
Unokazu |
The rabbit’s first, or the rabbit’s best (卯の一). If “Uno” is treated as a standalone name, Unokazu can also mean “the first girl named Uno.” |
1930’s |
|
Unokiyo |
The rejoicing generation of the rabbit (卯の喜代) |
1940’s |
|
Unoko |
The rabbit’s child (卯の子) |
1910’s |
|
Unoshizu |
The rabbit’s peacefulness (卯の静) |
1950’s |
|
Unosuke |
Helper of the rabbit (卯之助). The rabbit is the symbol of the fourth month of the year, April, so the name might be better translated as “April helper” or “child who arrived in April.” (But take this with a grain of salt.) |
1910’s |
|
Unowaka |
The rabbit’s youth (卯の若) |
1920’s |
|
Uta |
Written in hiragana: うた. Probably intended to mean song (歌), a common girl's name. |
1910’s |
|
Utachiyo |
Eternal song (歌千代) |
1920’s |
|
Utaji |
Lafcadio Hearn claims the common geimei ending –ji means “service,” and lists Uta-ji, Shinne-ji, and Katsu-ji as examples of this. Utaji would therefore mean “song-service.” However, in sources that give the characters, -ji is usually written with the kanji for “two (二)” or “next (次),” both of which were normally given to indicate that a girl was her parents’ second daughter. The meaning must be slightly different in the context of geimei, but without corroborating evidence, I can’t see extending the meaning to mean “servant” or “service.” Utaji is more likely to mean “song + two (歌二)” or “song + next (歌次),” connoting the second girl named Uta. |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Utaka |
Song + perfume (歌香) |
1910’s |
|
Utakichi |
Fortunate song (哥吉) |
1810’s |
Urakusai |
Utamatsu |
Song + pine tree (哥松). May refer to the sound of the wind in the pines. |
1810’s |
|
Utanosuke |
Song helper (歌之助) |
1950’s |
|
Utayū |
Courageous song (歌勇) |
1910’s |
|
Utazuru |
Song + crane (歌鶴). (The 1913 Miyako Odori program spells the name “Utajuru” because of an oddity in Romanization. In the middle of a word, tsuつsometimes becomesづ, which is usually Romanized as zu, or occasionally as dzu. The 1913 Miyako Odori program Romanizes it as ju. Zu is closer to the real pronunciation, so I have changed the spelling.) |
1910’s |
|
Wakaba |
New leaves (若葉), a name implying freshness. |
1910’s |
|
Wakachō |
Young butterfly (若蝶) |
1910’s |
|
Wakagusa |
Young grass (若草), implying the "tender grass of spring," according to Lafcadio Hearn. |
1870’s |
Hearn |
Wakai |
Youth (若) |
1870’s |
Hearn |
Wakaji |
Literally “young + road (若路).” The 路 character was used interchangeably with other “-ji” characters, like 二, so a more accurate reading of this name is “young + two, second, next.” |
1910’s |
|
Wakakichi |
1910's: Youthful good fortune (若吉) |
1870's |
|
Wakakimi |
Young and peerless (若君) |
1910’s |
|
Wakako |
Waka + child (わか子). Possibly intended to mean “young one (若子).” |
1910’s |
|
Wakakoma |
Young filly (若駒) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Wakamurasaki |
Young purple (若紫). Also translated as “young violet,” referring to the color and not the flower. (The flower is sumire 菫.) The color denotes love and constancy, and has romantic associations with the heroine of The Tale of Genji and its author, Murasaki Shikibu. |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Wakaroku |
Young + six, or sixth young one (若六) |
1890's |
|
Wakatsune |
Youth everlasting (若常) |
1910’s |
|
Wakaume |
Poem of the plum-blossom (和歌梅). The type of poem referred to is a waka (和歌), a classical Japanese poem. |
1910’s |
|
Wakayakko |
Young handmaiden (若奴) |
1910’s |
|
Wakayo |
Young generation (若代) |
1910’s |
|
Wakayone |
Young grains of rice (若米), a name implying wealth as well as youth |
1910’s |
|
Wakazuru |
Young crane (若鶴) |
1890’s |
Hearn2 |
Wako |
Possibly “peaceful one (和子),” among many, many possible readings. |
1900's |
|
Yachiyoko |
Eight + eternal child (八千代子) |
1890's |
|
Yae |
Possibly “multilayered [lit. eightfold] (八重),” a reference to the multilayered blossoms of a particular species of cherry tree. A common girl's name. |
1910’s |
|
Yaemi |
Increasingly + e + beautiful (弥ゑ美) |
2010's |
|
Yaewaka |
Eightfold youth, or layer upon layer of youth (八重若) |
1910’s |
|
Yaezuru |
Eightfold crane, or layer upon layer + crane (八重鶴), probably referring to the crane’s longevity. |
1910’s |
|
Yaichi |
Increasingly + one, first (彌一) |
1910’s |
|
Yamatochi |
This name was recorded by Charles Appleton Longfellow, an American visitor whose Japanese transcriptions do not betray a finely tuned ear for the language. I haven’t had any luck translating this name, or even finding a reliable source attesting to it as a Japanese name. |
1870’s |
|
Yasaku |
Increasingly + work, harvest (彌作) |
1910’s |
|
Yasohachi |
One of the first female geisha of the Yoshiwara. |
1760’s |
|
Yasu |
Possibly “the tranquil one (安),” a common girl's name. |
1870’s |
|
Yoi |
よい. A traditional girl’s name that could be spelled “evening (宵).” |
1910’s |
|
Yone |
よね. “Grains of rice (米),” a common name for girls of the era that implied wealth. |
1810’s |
|
Yonehachi |
Yonehachi (grains of rice rice + eight, 米八) appeared as a geisha character in a popular and much-adapted 1830’s novel, Shunshoku Umegoyomi. I don’t know whether the name predated the novel, but in later years, real geisha did bear the name. "Yone" has a secondary meaning of wealth, and the number eight 八 is a symbol of increasing prosperity [link], so Yonehachi can be translated as "increasing wealth." |
1830’s |
|
Yoneyakko |
Grains of rice + handmaiden (米奴), a name implying wealth. |
1910’s |
|
Yoshimaru |
Fragrant and perfect [male name ending] (芳丸) |
1910’s |
|
Yuiko |
Citrus clothes (柚衣子) |
1990’s |
|
Yukako |
Having beauty (有佳子) |
2000's |
|
Yūkari |
Playful + perfume + village (遊香里) |
1960’s |
|
Yukiryo |
Blessed/lucky and good/excellent (幸良) |
1960’s? |
|
Yukizono |
Blessed garden, or fortunate garden (幸苑) |
1990’s? |
Updated 12/16/2014