| Sources | Pronunciation guide |
Today’s list will be all about feminine names that are taken from things in the natural world, be it flowers, trees or rocks.
It is going to be a bit shorter that some of the lists I’ve done recently, but other than that, let’s jump into the first name on the list, which is:
- Akane – this next name is mainly written as 茜, which refers to the (Japanese) madder plant
- Anzu – 杏 is the main form for this next name (An is the more popular reading), referring to the apricot fruit, though 杏子 can be used as well
- Karin – while not the most popular writing for this name, 花梨 can refer to the Burmese rosewood or the (Chinese) quince
- Kurumi – this next name is sometimes written as 胡桃 though not the most popular writing and it refers to a walnut
- Mayumi – this name can be written as a single kanji (檀) or with two kanji (真弓/眞弓), referring to Hamilton’s spindletree (Euonymus sieboldianus)
- Momo – the next name on this list is mainly written as 桃, referring to a peach (tree or fruit)
- Ran – this name is mainly written as 蘭, which refers to the orchid flower
- Ruri – written as either 瑠璃 or 琉璃, this name refers to the lapis lazuli metamorphic rock
- Sakura – ranking behind Aoi in the most popular nature-themed names overall, though it is most popularly written phonetically, 桜/櫻 can be used, referring to the cherry tree or blossom
- Yuzu – this final name on the list can be written as 柚 (the more popular choice) or 柚子, referring to the yuzu citrus fruit
What do you think? If you would like to add in your thoughts or other suggestions for this list, please share them in the comments below.
Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi 