Welcome

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Welcome to Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi, a blog whose aims of this blog are to cover many of the names that exist in the country, ancient and modern, popular and rare, and also share lists of names with a variety of themes.

My other website, Maybe it is Daijirō (aka Maks), features posts regarding my own naming research and also other older posts made before the creation of BSAH. Both websites are no longer maintained: see this statement.

The list of sources that I used for this blog is included here. On this page is a pronunciation guide so you can get familiarised with the pronunciation of Standard Japanese and the way I transcribe pronunciations. A list of names that have been posted on BSAH is also included here, as well as a list of name lists being published.

Please note that any individuals mentioned on any of the posts published here will have their names written in the Original Japanese name order, that being family name + given name.

Thank you for reading.

On (おん)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Generally unisex
Pronunciation: on [ṍ̞ɴ̀]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
For the most part, this name is written with kanji that has this reading, such as 温 meaning “warmth,” 穏 meaning “moderation” or 恩 meaning “favour, obligation.”

Popularity:
Rarely used since at least the late 19th century, it was a mostly masculine name up until relatively recently. By the 2010s, average usage levels for both genders were generally above 0.005%, occasionally getting above 0.01%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Ninako (になこ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: nʸee-nah-ko [ɲ̟í.nà.kò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The second element of this name is usually written as 子 (ko) meaning “child.” As for the first element, there is one instance of it being written with the single kanji 担, taken from 担い (ninai), referring to the act of bearing, shouldering, carrying (on one’s shoulder) or taking responsibility for someone or something. However, it is more often with two kanji, as can be seen in the table below:

ni (に) na (な)
仁 “benevolence, compassion, humanity” 奈 phonetic kanji
二/弐 “two” 菜 “greens”
新 “new” 那 phonetic kanji
丹 “red earth, vermilion” 南 “south”
和 “calm, gentle”

Popularity:
Very rare in overall usage, this name has been given to females mainly within the last several decades. Usage levels often max out at around 0.001%, though it can occasionally rise to 0.002% or over.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Shinba (しんば)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: sheem-ba [ɕĩ́m̀.bà]
Variant transliterations: Shimba, Simba

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most of the kanji used for this name can be seen in the table below:

shin (しん) ba (ば)
心 “heart, mind” 羽 “feather”
真/眞 “truth, reality” 絆 “bonds, relationship; tether”
神 “spirit, psyche; god, deity” 葉 “leaf”
伸 “lengthen, expand” 覇 “domination”
信 “honesty, sincerity” 晴 “clear, fine”
新 “new” 芭 part of 芭蕉 (bashō) “Japanese (fibre) banana”
進/晋 “advance, progress” 陽 “day; sun”
芯 “wick, marrow; core, centre”
親 “close, familiar, intimate”
慎 “careful, discreet”
臣 “retainer, attendant”
紳 part of 紳士 (shinshi) “gentleman”

Popularity:
Usage of this name began to rise a tiny bit soon after the release of ‘The Lion King’ in 1994 as usage levels max out at 0.001% for the first few years. From 1999, it rose above 0.002% with its first peak occurring in 2005 and 2006 with 0.010% and 0.011% of baby boys receiving this name in these respective years.
After singer, actress and semi-retired model Tsuchiya Anna gave birth to her second son with this name (Simba) in March of 2010, the name rose further in usage to the point where, more often than not, usage levels rise above 0.02%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Fū (ふう)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: fuu: [ɸɯ̟́ᵝ.ɯ̟̀ᵝ]
Variant transliterations: Fu, Fuu

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is most commonly written as 楓 which, as a word, usually refers to the Formosan sweetgum tree but also used in certain kanji combinations to refer to the maple tree (normally read on its own as kaede).
It can also be written as 風 meaning “wind” or 芙, part of 芙蓉 (fuyō) referring to the Confederate rose. These aforementioned kanji, along with kanji with the (partial) reading fu, e.g. 歩 meaning “step,” can be combined with an u kanji, such as 羽 meaning “feather,” 優 meaning “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” or 生 meaning “birth; creation.”

Popularity:
Fū was rarely used up until around the second half of the 1990s. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, usage levels ranged from near 0.01% for boys to over 0.02% for girls.
The name rose further in the 2010s, sometimes getting above 0.05% for girls and 0.02% for boys.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Banri (ばんり)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: bahw͂-rʸee [bã́ɰ̃̀.ɾʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 万里/萬里 (banri), literally ten thousand ri (equivalent to approximately 3,927 kilometres). It also figuratively represents a very long or immeasurable distance.
Substitutes for this name include 伴 (ban) meaning “companion,” 絆 (ban) meaning “bonds, relationship; tether,” 理 (ri) meaning “reason, logic,” 利 (ri) meaning “advantage, benefit” and 莉 (ri), part of 茉莉 (matsuri) referring to the Arabian jasmine.

Popularity:
Overall usage of this name is rare to very uncommon with just under 0.002% of the overall male population recorded in telephone book data with this name.
For much of the 20th century, usage levels peak at around 0.003%. By the mid-2000s, it became more common for this name to rise above 0.003%, occasionally within the 0.01% range.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Sumika (すみか)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: suu-mʸee-kah [sɨ́ᵝ.mʲì.kà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is derived from 澄 (sumi) meaning “lucidity, transparency” with other related kanji including 純 meaning “innocent, chaste” and 済 meaning “completion, finish” (the verb 済む (sumu) is cognate to 澄む). 住, meaning “residence, dwelling” and derived from a different verb 住む, is rarely used here.
The first element can also be split into two-kanji, a su kanji like 寿/壽 meaning “congratulations; longevity,” 須 and 素 meaning “plain” and a mi kanji, such as 美 meaning “beauty,” 実 meaning “seed; fruit,” 未, referring to the sign of the Sheep or part of the word 未来 (mirai) meaning “future” and 心 meaning “heart, mind.” As for the second element, any kanji with the reading ka can be used:

  • 香/郁 meaning “fragrance”
  • 華/花 meaning “flower”
  • 佳 meaning “beautiful, good”
  • 夏 meaning “summer”
  • 加 meaning “addition”
  • 果 meaning “fruit”
  • 可 meaning “acceptable, fair”
  • 歌 meaning “song”
  • 伽 meaning “nursing, attending, entertaining”
  • 和 meaning “harmony, peace; sum”
  • 海 meaning “sea, ocean”
  • 圭 meaning “angle, edge”
  • 風 meaning “wind”
  • 霞 meaning “mist”
  • 嘉 meaning “praise, esteem”
  • 樺 meaning “birch”
  • 茄, part of 茄子 (nasu) meaning “eggplant/aubergine”
  • 楓 meaning “maple”
  • 日 meaning “day; sun”
  • 雅 meaning “elegance, grace”

Popularity:
Much of its uncommon usage is concentrated on those born within the last several decades. By 1989, over 0.02% of girls received this name, peaking later in 1992 at over 0.07%, largely driven by forms of this name that begin with 純. From then on until the mid-2000s, usage levels had gone down and up within the 0.04% to 0.06% range before falling back to over 0.02% by the late 2000s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-21 names research, the average percentage from 2017-21 is over 0.03%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Kushina (くしな)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: kshee-nah [kɯ̟̥̀ᵝ.ɕí.nà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is written as either 櫛 (kushi) meaning “comb” or a combination of a ku kanji, like 久 meaning “long time,” 紅 meaning “crimson” or 来/來 meaning “to come, arrive,” and a shi kanji, such as 志 meaning “will, aim, goal” or 詩 meaning “poem.” As for the second element, any kanji with the (partial) reading na can be used, such as 奈, 菜 meaning “greens” or 凪 meaning “calm, lull.”
Kushina is included in part of the name of the mythological goddess Kushinadahime (also known as Kushiinadahime, Inadahime, etc.). There, the first part of her name is interpreted to come from the adjective 奇し (kushi) meaning “mysterious, wonderful, miraculous,” the second part, 稲田 (inada), referring to a rice field or paddy field.

Popularity:
Rarely used as a modern given name at just over 0.005% at its peak, it didn’t come into usage until at least the early 2010s, after Naruto character Uzumaki Kushina (whose name is speculated to be influenced from the mythological goddess), the mother of the titular character, first made her manga debut in January 2008 followed by her anime debut in ‘Naruto Shippūden’ in September 2009.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Mami (まみ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mah-mʸee [má.mʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most of the kanji used for this name can be seen in the table below:

ma (ま) mi (み)
真/眞 “pure, true” 美/深 “beauty”
麻 “hemp, flax” 実 “seed; fruit”
茉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future”
磨/摩 “polish, shine” 海 “sea, ocean”
舞 “dance” 珠 “gem, jewel”
万 “ten thousand” 巳 sign of the Snake
満 “full, whole”* 弥 “increase”
愛 “beloved” 望 “desire, wish, hope”
稀/希 “rare” 見 “looking, viewing”
己 6th heavenly stem in Chinese calendar
水 “water”
心 “heart, mind”
三 “three”

* can also be used as a second element kanji

Popularity:
Mami started rising in usage after the Second World War (before, it was very uncommon to rare), entering the top 100 by the second half of the 1950s. However, it ranked at the bottom half (largely staying within the upper 0.2% range) and would exit the top 100 by the mid-1960s before re-entering in the mid-1970s.
Its general peak of popularity occurred in the 1980s and early 1990s when it ranked up to just outside the top 25 and usage levels generally ranged between 0.7% and 0.8%. From then on, it gradually fell in popularity, leaving the top 100 by the turn of the millennium. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-21 names research, the average percentage from 2017-21 fell to below 0.03%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Shizuru (しずる)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: shee-zuu–ruu [ɕì.zɨ́ᵝ.ɾɯ̟́ᵝ]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is most commonly written as 静流, a combination of 静 (shizu) meaning “quiet, calm” (also written as the old variant 靜, 閑 and 鎮) and 流 (ru) meaning “current, flow.”
The second element can also be written as 瑠/琉, part of 瑠璃/琉璃 (ruri) meaning “lapis lazuli” or 留 meaning “stop.” As for the first element, other kanji in use that relate to 静 include 寧 meaning “tranquillity,” 玄 meaning “deep, profound; mystery, occult” and 穏 meaning “moderation.” It can also be split into two kanji, a shi kanji like 志 meaning “will, aim, goal,” 紫 meaning “purple, violet” or 詩 meaning “poem” combined with a zu kanji, such as 津 meaning “harbour, haven” or 寿 meaning “congratulations; longevity.”

Popularity:
Much of its usage is concentrated on those born in the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards. It began to see a rise in usage from 1992, influenced in large part by the TV anime adaptation of the manga series ‘YuYu Hakusho’ which featured the female character Kuwabara Shizuru.
Usage levels rose above 0.01% for girls on several occasions from the mid-90s to the early 2000s whereas for boys, it peaked at around 0.003%. By the late 2000s, its usage for girls had dropped down somewhat to less than 0.005%, staying that way since.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.