Japanese Surnames
Japanese names are used in Japan and in Japanese communities throughout the world. Note that depending on the Japanese characters used these names can have many other meanings besides those listed here. See also about Japanese names.
205 surnames in our directory
Japanese
205Kanzaki is a Japanese surname and place name. It is written with the characters kan (神, meaning "god") and saki (崎, meaning "cape" or "peninsula"), thus literally "god's cape."The name originates from a location in Jap...
Katō is a Japanese surname written with the characters 加 (ka), meaning “add, increase,” and 藤 (tō), meaning “wisteria.” The element tō is a common indicator of descent from the powerful Fujiwara clan, as wisteria (fuji...
Katou is a Japanese surname, representing an alternate transcription of the kanji 加藤. This name is more commonly romanized as Katō or Kato. The kanji used in the modern writing system were chosen centuries after the na...
Kawaguchi is a Japanese surname that translates to "mouth of the river." The name is composed of two kanji elements: 川 (kawa), meaning "river" or "stream," and 口 (kuchi), meaning "mouth" or "entrance." It is a topograp...
Kawakami is a Japanese surname meaning "upper river," derived from the elements 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and 上 (kami) meaning "above, top, upper." As a toponymic surname, it likely originated from locations sit...
EtymologyKawasaki is a Japanese surname originating from the words kawa meaning "river, stream" and saki meaning "cape, peninsula". The name is a toponymic surname, referring to a location near a river's cape or peninsul...
Etymology Kazama is a Japanese surname composed of two kanji elements: kaza (風) meaning "wind, style" and ma (間) meaning "among, between, interval.” Thus, the name can be interpreted as “wind among [the trees]” or “int...
Kimura (木村 or 木邑) is the 17th most common Japanese surname. The name is composed of two elements: ki (木), meaning "tree" or "wood", and mura (村 or 邑), meaning "town" or "village". Thus, Kimura literally translates...
Kishimoto (written: 岸本) is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two elements: kishi (岸), meaning "beach, shore, bank," and moto (本), meaning "base, root, origin." The name thus signifies someone who lives near a sho...
Kita is a Japanese surname derived from the kanji 北 (kita), meaning "north." As a topographic surname, it likely originated from families living in northern regions of a village or area, or was adopted by those who migr...
Kitagawa (written respectively 北川 or 喜多川) is a Japanese surname. The first spelling, 北川, combines the kita meaning “north” and kawa meaning “river, stream,” translating as “north river.” The alternative spelling...
Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林, lit. 'small woods') is the 8th most common Japanese surname. It is a topographic surname derived from the elements 小 (ko) meaning "small" and 林 (hayashi) meaning "forest". The name literally...
Koizumi is a Japanese surname written with characters that typically mean "small fountain" or "old fountain." The most common spelling uses 小 (ko, meaning "small") and 泉 (izumi, meaning "spring" or "fountain"), though...
EtymologyKonishi (小西) is a Japanese surname composed of two kanji characters: ko (小) meaning "small" and nishi (西) meaning "west." The name thus literally translates to "small west" or "little west."Notable BearersPr...
Kubo is a Japanese surname composed of two kanji characters: ku (久), meaning "long time ago" or "eternity," and ho (保), meaning "protect" or "preserve." Combined, the name can be interpreted as "protecting for a long t...
Kumagai (written: 熊谷, lit. "bear valley") is a Japanese surname. It is composed of the elements kuma (熊) meaning "bear" and gai (谷) meaning "valley." The name is also transliterated as Kumagae.EtymologyThe surname Ku...
Etymology and OriginKumamoto is a Japanese surname with a topographic or locative origin. It is composed of two kuma (熊, "bear") and moto (本, "base, root, origin"), and can be interpreted as "bear's base" or "bear's or...
Kurata (written: 蔵田 or 倉田) is a Japanese surname. It combines either kura (倉) meaning "granary" or kura (蔵) meaning "storehouse" with ta (田) meaning "field" or "rice paddy". Thus, the surname originally referred t...
Kuroda is a Japanese surname derived from the logical combination of the characters kuro (黒, meaning "black") and ta (田, meaning "field, rice paddy"), thus denoting association with a "black rice field" or dark, fertil...
Kuroiwa is a Japanese surname that literally translates to "black rock" or "black cliff." It is composed of two kanji elements: kuro (黒) meaning "black" and iwa (岩) meaning "cliff, rocks." The name is relatively uncomm...
Kuroki (written: 黒木) is a Japanese surname meaning 'black tree,' composed of kuro ('black') and ki ('tree, wood'). This surname is prevalent in Japan, reflecting a common pattern of toponymic or descriptive surnames de...
Kurosawa is a Japanese surname meaning "black marsh." It is composed of the elements kuro ("black") and sawa ("marsh"), common in Japanese toponymic surnames that refer to landscape features. The surname is widely recogn...
Kusumoto is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two elements: kusu meaning "camphor tree" and moto meaning "base, root, origin", together conveying the sense of "camphor tree root or origin". The name is written with t...
Maeda is a common Japanese surname with a literal meaning rooted in the landscape: the characters 前 (mae 田 (ta) combine to mean "front field" or "forward rice paddy," suggesting a location in front of a field. This top...
Maekawa (written: 前川) is a Japanese surname composed of the elements 前 (mae, meaning "front, forward") and 川 (kawa, meaning "river, stream"). The name literally means "front river" or "forward river," likely denoting...
Maki 1 is a Japanese surname. Its meaning derives from the Japanese kanji 牧 (maki), which signifies "shepherd" or "tend cattle." This occupational origin reflects the historical role of families who were involved in liv...
Maki 2 is a Japanese surname. In Japanese, it is written with the ma character (真) meaning "real, genuine" and the ki character (木) meaning "tree". Together, the surname Maki 2 thus means "true tree" or "genuine tree",...
Matsubara (松原) is a Japanese surname composed of two elements: 松 (matsu) meaning 'pine tree, fir tree' and 原 (hara) meaning 'field, plain'. Thus, the name translates literally to 'pine plain' or 'pine field'.As a pla...
Matsuda is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two kanji characters: 松 (matsu), meaning “pine tree” or “fir tree,” and 田 (ta), meaning “field” or “rice paddy.” Together, the name evokes the image of a “pine ricefield...
Matsumoto is a Japanese surname originating from place names, composed of the elements matsu meaning "pine tree" and moto meaning "base, root, origin" – hence “pine tree base” or “origin of the pine.”Distribution and His...
Matsumura is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two kanji: 松 (matsu), meaning "pine tree" or "fir tree", and 村 (mura), meaning "town" or "village". Thus, the name literally translates to "pine tree village."Etymolog...
Matsuoka (written: 松岡 or 松丘) is a Japanese surname meaning 'pine tree hill,' derived from the elements matsu ('pine tree') and oka ('hill, ridge'). As of 2024, it ranks as the 142nd most common surname in Japan, belo...
Matsushita (written: 松下 lit. "below the pine tree") is a Japanese surname. The name is composed of the elements matsu (松, "pine tree, fir tree") and shita (下, "under, below"), evoking a sense of natural imagery and h...
Minami (南) is a Japanese surname and occasionally a feminine given name (rarely used for males), deriving from the minami element meaning "south". Written with a single kanji 南, it is one of the most common locational...
Miura is a Japanese surname composed of the elements mi (三), meaning "three," and ura (浦), meaning "bay" or "inlet." The name therefore likely originated as a toponymic name, referring to a place characterized by three...
Miyagawa is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two miya meaning 'temple, shrine, palace' and kawa meaning 'river, stream', thus the name literally translates to 'shrine river'. The name is written in kanji as 宮川.Ety...
Miyajima (宮島) is a Japanese surname meaning "shrine island," derived from the elements miya (temple, shrine, palace) and shima (island). The name originates from the island of Itsukushima, commonly called Miyajima, loc...
Miyake is a Japanese surname with roots in geography and composition. The name is written with the kanji characters 三 (mi) meaning "three" and 宅 (yake) meaning "house, home", thus translating to "three houses" or "thir...
Miyamoto (宮本) is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two elements: miya (宮), meaning “temple,” “shrine,” or “palace,” and moto (本), meaning “base,” “root,” or “origin.” Thus, the name can be interpreted as “base of...
Miyashita (written: 宮下) is a Japanese surname meaning "under the shrine/temple," derived from the elements miya (temple, shrine, palace) and shita (under, below). It is a toponymic surname, likely originating from hous...
Miyata is a Japanese surname that combines the elements miya (宮), meaning "temple, shrine, or palace," and ta (田), meaning "field, rice paddy." This compound surname thus translates to "temple field" or "shrine field,"...
Miyazaki (Japanese: 宮崎) is a Japanese surname that originated from a place name. The name is composed of two kanji elements: 宮 (miya), meaning "temple," "shrine," or "palace," and 崎 (saki), meaning "cape" or "peninsu...
Mizuno is a Japanese surname composed of the elements 水 (mizu, "water") and 野 (no, "field" or "wilderness"), literally meaning "water field." The surname probably originated from a topographic feature, indicating a res...
Mizushima (written: 水島) is a Japanese surname combining the elements mizu meaning "water" and shima meaning "island". The characters literally translate to "water island", suggesting a geographic origin near water or a...
Mizutani is a Japanese surname that can be written with the characters 水 (mizu) meaning "water" and tani meaning "valley", thus literally "water valley". It is a classic example of a toponymic surname derived from geogr...
Mochizuki is a Japanese surname written with the characters 望月, which literally means "wish moon" or "full moon." The name is a compound of mochi (meaning "wish, desire") and tsuki ("moon"). The element mochi can also...
Mori is a Japanese and Italian surname recorded in multiple cultural and historical contexts. In Japan, the name is written with the kanji 森 (mori), meaning "forest," and originates as a topographic surname for someone...
Morikawa (most commonly written in Japanese as 森川) is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two elements: mori meaning "forest" and kawa meaning "river" or "stream". This is a typical topographic surname, originally gi...
Morimoto (written: 森本) is a Japanese surname meaning "(one who lives) near the forest." The name is composed of two mori (森) meaning "forest" and moto (本) meaning "base, root, origin." As a topographic habitational n...
Morishita (written: 森下) is a Japanese surname meaning "under the forest" or "below the woods". It is composed of two kanji elements: 森 (mori), meaning "forest", and 下 (shita), meaning "under, below". This surname is...
Morita is a Japanese surname written with the characters 森 (mori, meaning "forest") and 田 (ta, meaning "field" or "rice paddy"), thus literally translating to "forest field". The name is common throughout Japan, reflec...
Moriyama (森山) is a Japanese surname composed of two elements: mori meaning "forest" and yama meaning "mountain, hill" — literally "forest mountain." This pair of richly visual natural meanings is typical of Japanese su...
Moto is a Japanese surname originating from the word moto (本), meaning "base, root, or origin." However, in Japanese onomastics, it most frequently functions as a suffix element (e.g., -moto) in compound surnames, such...
Mutō (武藤) is a Japanese surname combining the characters mu (武, "military" or "martial") and tō (藤, "wisteria").Etymology and HistoryThe kanji compound 武藤 literally means "warrior wisteria," reflecting a tradition...
Nagasawa (written: 長沢 or 長澤) is a Japanese surname literally meaning "long swamp" or "long marsh." It is composed of the element naga (長, "long") and sawa (沢 or 澤, "marsh" or "swamp"). This topographic surname lik...
Nakabayashi (written: 中林) is a Japanese surname. It is composed of two kanji elements: naka (中) meaning "middle" and hayashi (林) meaning "forest," giving the combined meaning of "middle forest." Notable Bearers Notab...
Nakagawa is a Japanese surname composed of two elements: naka meaning "middle" and kawa meaning "river, stream". This toponymic surname originates from the many places named Nakagawa in Japan, typically referring to a se...
Nakahara is a Japanese surname that is also found among diaspora communities, particularly in the United States. It is composed of two elements: naka (中) meaning "middle" and hara (原) meaning "field" or "plain". Thus,...
Nakai is a Japanese surname with origins in geographic and topographic features. The name is written with the characters 中 (naka), meaning 'middle,' and 井 (i), meaning 'well, mine shaft, pit.' This combination suggests...
Nakajima is a Japanese surname that combines the elements naka (中, meaning “middle”) and shima (島, meaning “island”), literally meaning “middle island”. This etymology reflects the Japanese practice of creating surname...