Please take this list with a grain of salt. Japanese boys’ name lists are larded with names of historical and literary figures whose names are dead and gone. (Japanese names, unlike European names, are not evergreen; after a few generations, most names are as outdated as Hermenegart or Caradoc.) I’ve grayed out questionable names until I can verify that they’re still in use.
Birth Order Names
Until a generation or two ago, the most popular class of boys’ names were birth order names: Taro (first), Jiro (second), Saburo (third), Shiro (fourth), Goro (fifth). Taro got so much play that it’s a generic suffix for “boy” now. All of these names are now far, far out of style, though you might see them used as suffixes.
Suffixes
-dai, “big”
-e, “bay”
-goro, “fifth son”
-hei, “peace”
-hiro, “wise”
-jiro, “second son”
-ki, “tree”
-ko, “child”
-o, “generation”
-maru, “valuable” (formerly a popular suffix for samurai boys’ childhood names)
-masa
-ro
-shiro, “fourth son”
-suke, “help”
-ta, “great,” or sometimes “well built” (probably refers to solidity and permanence rather than a six-pack)
-taro, “first son,” or simply “boy”
-to, “person”
-ya
-yoshi
The Most Popular Japanese Boys’ Names of 2024
- Haruto, Hinato, Haruka
- Nagi, Nagisa
- Asahi
- Dan, Haru
- Hinata
- Ao, Aoi
- Ritsu
- Ren
- Sōma, Fūma
- Minato
- Hayate, Sō
- Hinata, Yōta, Haruta
Source: Nippon.com
If there are multiple variations on a name, they’re listed under their plain form or their -o form.
| Name | Meaning, Alternate Names |
|---|---|
| Akako | Red |
| Akemi | Beauty of dawn |
| Akihiko | Bright |
| Akio | Bright Akito |
| Akira | Bright, or intelligent |
| Bakin | |
| Bakusui | |
| Basho | |
| Bishamon | |
| Bokusui | |
| Bokuyo | |
| Botan | Peony, the flower of June; symbol of long life |
| Chika | Near, close Chikaaki, Chikafusa |
| Chikamasa | Close, good |
| Chikao | Clever, wise |
| Chishin | |
| Chitose | Thousand years |
| Chokichi | Long-lasting good luck |
| Dai | Great |
| Daichi | Great + land |
| Daigoro | Great fifth son |
| Daijiro | Great second son |
| Daiki | Great + tree/shining/valuable |
| Daishiro | Great fourth son |
| Daisuke | Great help |
| Daitaro | Great first son |
| Den | Bequest from ancestors Denbei, Denji (nickname) |
| Dengyo | |
| Denjiro | Good ancestors |
| Doami | |
| Doho | |
| Doni | |
| Eiichi | |
| Eiji | |
| Fuyu | Winter |
| Gen | Spring or source Genjiro |
| Gendo | |
| Genji | |
| Genkei | Source of reverence |
| Genkichi | Fortunate source |
| Genku | |
| Genmei | |
| Ginjiro | Silver + second son |
| Gohachiro | Five-eight male, i.e., thirteenth son |
| Gokomatsu | |
| Goro | Fifth son |
| Hachiuma | Eight horses |
| Hajin | |
| Hama | Shore |
| Haro | Wild boar’s first son |
| Haru | Born in spring Haruakira, Haruchika, Harue, Harujiro |
| Haruka | Tranquil |
| Hideaki | Wisdom, cleverness |
| Hideo | Excellent Hideki |
| Hiro | |
| Hiromasa | Broad-minded, just |
| Hiroshi | Generous |
| Hisao | |
| Hisayuki | |
| Hisoka | Secretive, reserved |
| Hitoshi | |
| Hiyoshi | |
| Hoshu | Conservative |
| Ichiro | First son |
| Ietaka | |
| Ike | |
| Iku | Nourishing |
| Isamu | Rock |
| Isas | Meritorious |
| Ishi | Stone Ishio |
| Isoroku | Fifty-six |
| Izumi | |
| Jien | |
| Jiro | Second son |
| Jo | God will increase |
| Joji | Farmer |
| Jun | Obedient, purity |
| Junichi | Junichiro |
| Kaito | Sea + Big Dipper |
| Kamenosuke | Turtle’s helper |
| Kane | Golden or accomplished |
| Kanji | Tin |
| Katsutoshi | To win cleverly |
| Kazu | Peace Kazuhiro, Kazuki, Kazuo, Kazuya |
| Ken | The same |
| Ken’ichi | |
| Kenji | Second son |
| Kenta | |
| Kenzo | |
| Kin | Golden Kinjiro, Kinshiro, Kintaro |
| Kiosho | Clear, bright |
| Kita | |
| Kiyoshi | Quiet |
| Kobo | |
| Koichi | |
| Koji | Child, little. Very popular in the past couple of generations. |
| Koki | |
| Kouhei | Peace + calm |
| Kumakichi | Fortunate bear |
| Kunihiko | |
| Makoto | Sincerity |
| Mamoru | Protect Mamosuke |
| Manabu | |
| Masa | Righteous Masahiro, Masajiro, Masao, Masataro |
| Masajun | Good + obedient |
| Masashi | |
| Masato | Justice |
| Masayoshi | |
| Minoru | |
| Nagataka | Everlasting filial duty |
| Naoko | Straight, honest Naoki, Naoto, Naoya |
| Noboru | |
| Nobu | Nobusuke |
| Ogano | Little deer field |
| Osamu | |
| Ozuru | Big stork |
| Raiden | Name of the thunder god |
| Ren | Correct |
| Rikio | |
| Riku | Land |
| Ringo | Apple |
| Ryouichi | |
| Ryouta | |
| Ryunosuke | |
| Ryuu | Dragon |
| Saburo | Third son |
| Samuru | Possibly the English name “Samuel” |
| Satoru | |
| Seichi | |
| Seiji | |
| Sen | |
| Shigeru | |
| Shin | Faithful Shinjiro, Shinshiro |
| Shinakio | Faithful + bright |
| Shiro | Fourth son |
| Shou | Soar Shouji, Shouta |
| Shouhei | Soar + calm |
| Shunshi | |
| Shunsuke | |
| Shuzo | Third son |
| Souta | |
| Susumu | |
| Tadashi | Correct |
| Tahara | |
| Taizo | Third son |
| Takahiro | Valuable |
| Takashi | |
| Takehiro | |
| Takeshi | Unbending like a bamboo tree |
| Takumi | Pioneer Takuya |
| Tani | Valley |
| Taro | First son |
| Tasou | |
| Tatsuru | |
| Tatsuya | Tatsuhiro, Tatsuro |
| Tetsuo | Tetsuya |
| Tobikuma | Flying cloud |
| Tokujiro | Virtuous second son |
| Tokutaro | Virtuous first son |
| Tomi | Rich |
| Torao | Tiger |
| Toshihiro | Intelligent + wise |
| Toshio | Year of plenty Toshi |
| Toyohisa | |
| Tsubasa | Wing |
| Tsutomu | |
| Umi | Ocean |
| Yasahiro | Peaceful, calm, wise |
| Yaso | Eight-ten. The word for “nine” sounds like the word for “suffering,” so this name means that suffering should skip the child the way the child’s name skips suffering. Explanation from Languagehat.com. |
| Yasuo | Tranquility Yasuhiro, Yasunari |
| Yemon | Guarding the gate |
| Yokichi | |
| Yoshi | Quiet, tranquil Yoshio |
| Yoshihara | |
| Yoshihisa | |
| Yoshikazu | |
| Youji | |
| Yukio | Snow boy; implies that he gets or goes his own way Yukiko |
| Yutaka | |
| Yuu | Superior, gentle Yuuta, Yuuto, Yuusuke (but not the Yuusuke of Poltergeist Report! That Yuusuke is spelled with the “yuu” that means “eerie.”) |
| Yuudai | Hero + great |
| Zen | Just Zenjiro, Zenshiro, Zentaro |
| Zoami | |
| Zoki | |
| Zuisho |
Updated 12/5/2025