Japanese last names with meanings

Explore the most common and beautiful Japanese last names (surnames) with meanings, kanji, and cultural context.

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Japanese last name ideas with meanings

  • Tanaka (田中)
  • Yoshida (吉田)
  • Yamada (山田)
  • Ikeda (池田)
  • Maeda (前田)

5 of 26 · Show all

Japanese last name ideas with meanings

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Rice fields26

rice field + middle
lucky + rice field
mountain + rice field
pond + rice field
front + rice field
wisteria + rice field
hill + rice field
good fortune + rice field
big + rice field
pine + rice field
plain + rice field
rice field + village
harmony + rice field
stone + rice field
upper + rice field
forest + rice field
inside + rice field
high + rice field
warrior + rice field
village + rice field
west + rice field
peace + rice field
flat + rice field
base + rice field
beach + rice field
island + rice field

Mountains, forests and trees26

mountain + base
mountain + entrance
mountain + cape
mountain + below
middle + mountain
side + mountain
round + mountain
cedar + mountain
small + mountain
small + forest
forest
forest
bell + tree
tree + village
green + tree
high + tree
tree + below
pine + base
small + pine
cedar + base
bamboo + inside
hill + base
slope + base
wisteria + plain
wisteria + base
thousand + leaf

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Water, rivers and wells25

pure + water
stone + river
small + river
long + valley + river
middle + river
west + river
lucky + river
old + river
market + river
river + entrance
river + cape
well + upper
stone + well
wisteria + well
pine + well
new + well
cherry blossom + well
sake + well
water + field
three + bay
middle + island
small + island
high + bridge
bridge + base
crossing + edge

Villages, fields and shrines19

middle + village
village + upper
west + village
north + village
lucky + village
field + village
middle + field
small + field
upper + field
flat + field
high + field
field + entrance
plain
valley + entrance
shrine + cape
shrine + base
rock + cape
gold + child
big + west

About Japanese last names with meanings

Most Japanese surnames describe a place: Tanaka means 'middle of the rice field' and Yamamoto 'base of the mountain'. Each name below comes with its meaning.

Frequently asked questions

Sato, Suzuki, Takahashi and Tanaka are usually listed as the most common in Japan.

Most describe a place or landscape. Tanaka means the middle of the rice field, and Yamamoto means the base of the mountain.

That ending is often 田, the kanji for rice field. Yamada is mountain plus rice field, and Maeda is front plus rice field.

90+, in four lists, each with kanji and meanings. If you need more, search and get 50+ new ideas.

Yes. In Japanese the family name comes first, so Tanaka Yui is Yui of the Tanaka family. In English, many people reverse it.

Yes. Every name on this page is free to use for characters, stories, games or anything else.

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