幸

Sachi (さち)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: sah-chee [sá.tɕì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 幸/倖 (sachi) meaning “good luck, happiness.” The word itself (also applying to its bound/original form satsu) was originally used with relation to hunting (thus it is speculated to have a possible relation to Korean 살 (sal) meaning “arrow”) and the current meanings may have been adopted from the Chinese source.
Other single kanji used in relation to the ideas of good luck and happiness include 祥 meaning “blessedness, (good) omen” and 福 meaning “good fortune, happiness, blessing, good luck.” The aforementioned kanji can also be used as part of a 2-kanji combination on either element. The second element is mainly written as either 智/知 (chi) meaning “wisdom” or 千 (chi) meaning “thousand,” but can also be written as 茅, from chigaya which refers to cogon grass, or 稚 (chi) meaning “young, new.” As for the first element, it can be written as:

  • 紗 meaning “gauze”
  • 沙/砂 meaning “sand”
  • 早 meaning “early”
  • 佐 meaning “help”
  • 咲 meaning “blossom”
  • 彩/采 meaning “colouring”
  • 桜/櫻 meaning “cherry (tree, blossom)”
  • 嵯, part of 嵯峨 (saga) meaning “high and steep, precipitous”
  • 瑳 meaning “polish, shine”
  • 左 meaning “left”
  • 小 meaning “small”
  • 冴 meaning “clarity; skilfulness”
  • 裟, part of 袈裟 (kesa), referring to robes of fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns
  • 爽 meaning “fresh”
  • 才 meaning “ability, gift, talent”

Popularity:
Usage of this name since the latter part of the Edo period (1603-1868) is uncommon. Percentage wise, it generally stayed within the 0.1% range, from the late Edo period through to the 1930s and then from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s.
Regarding current popularity, it has fallen to below 0.1% since the mid-1990s, though it only occasionally drops below 0.05%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-21 names research, the average percentage from 2017-21 is just over 0.075%.

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Konami (こなみ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: ko-nah–mʸee [kò̞.ná.mʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 小波 (konami) which refers to wavelets or a ripple on the water (literally meaning “small/little wave”). As a name, 小浪 is also used which have the same meanings for these two kanji. It can also be written with three kanji (as well as こな+mi kanji), as shown in the table below:

ko (こ) na (な) mi (み)
瑚 part of 珊瑚 (sango) “coral” 菜 “greens” 美 “beauty”
湖 “lake” 奈 phonetic kanji 実 “seed; fruit”
胡 “foreign;” part of 胡桃 (kurumi) “walnut” 那 phonetic kanji 海 “sea, ocean”
幸 “good luck, happiness” 南 “south”* 未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future”
虹 “rainbow” 名 “name” 見 “looking, viewing”
心 “heart, mind” 凪 “calm, lull” 巳 sign of the Snake
香 “fragrance” 和 “calm, gentle”  
恋 “(romantic) love”    
琴 koto (the 13-stringed Japanese zither)    
古 “ancient”    

* also used with reading nami as opposed to na combined with a mi kanji

Popularity:
In rare use in the late Edo period (1603-1868) with an average percentage (based on Tsunoda and Collazo) of 0.012%, the name peaked in popularity during the Meiji period (1868-1912) with the average percentage throughout the period at well over 0.1%. Regarding its popularity from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards, it hasn’t been as commonly used with percentages ranging from over 0.003% in 2007 to just under 0.02% in the mid-1990s and within the past several years.

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Koko (ここ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: ko-ko [kó̞.kò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
For this name, it is usually written with two different ko kanji (or one ko kanji with the addition of a noma (々), a kanji repeating marker). Some of these kanji can be seen below:

  • 心 meaning “heart, mind”*
  • 瑚, part of 珊瑚 (sango) meaning “coral”
  • 來/来/徠 meaning “coming”
  • 幸/倖 meaning “good luck, happiness”
  • 虹 meaning “rainbow”
  • 恋 meaning “(romantic) love”
  • 胡, either meaning “foreign” or part of 胡桃 (kurumi) meaning “walnut”
  • 琴, referring to the 13-stringed Japanese zither
  • 香 meaning “fragrance”
  • 湖 meaning “lake”
  • 紅 meaning “crimson”
  • 鼓 meaning “drum, beat”
  • 子 meaning “child”**

* can also be used on its own, shortened from kokoro
** more often used as the second kanji

Popularity:
Most of the females named Koko were born in the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards. In 1990, it was only given to around 0.002% of girls, remaining stable for several years before rising to around 0.01% by 1996. Usage of this name rose more steeply in the early 2000s and by 2007, just over 0.09% of girls received this name, placing Koko within the bottom section of the top 200.
Based on Baby Calendar rankings data combined with my 2014-20 names research, the average percentage from 2017-2020 is over 0.11%. As of 2020, Koko is ranking outside the top 200 on both datasets.

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Kōmei (こうめい)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: ko:-me: [kó̞ò̞.mè̞ː]
Variant transliterations: Komei, Koumei, Kohmei

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The second element of this name is mainly written as 明 meaning “brightness; clarity,” but other mei kanji can be used, e.g. 盟 meaning “alliance.” As for the first element, any kanji with the reading kō can be used, such as:

  • 幸/倖 meaning “good luck, happiness”
  • 煌 meaning “brilliant, bright, dazzling”
  • 孔, part of 孔子 (Kōshi), referring to Confucius
  • 康 meaning “peace”
  • 孝 meaning “filial piety”
  • 光 meaning “light; ray, beam, glow”
  • 洸 meaning “valiant, brave”
  • 昊 meaning “sky”
  • 皇 meaning “imperial”
  • 広/浩/滉 meaning “spacious, vast, wide”
  • 耕 meaning “tilling, cultivation”
  • 功 meaning “merit, success; achievement”
  • 航 meaning “navigation”
  • 好 meaning “good, excellent”
  • 高 meaning “high, tall”
  • 興 meaning “interest, entertainment”

When using 明 for the second element, this name can be linked to two words, 公明 meaning “fairness, openness, impartiality​” and 光明 meaning “bright light; hope, bright future.”

Popularity:
Usage of this name is rather uncommon. From the late 19th to the early 20th century, most boys receiving this name were born in Okinawa with occassional usage outside. Regarding Heisei period (1989-2019) popularity, percentages throughout the 1990s and the turn of the millennium stabilised at around the 0.01% range before rising throughout the 2000s to well over 0.03% by 2009. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, the average percentage from 2017-2020 is around 0.04%.

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

Satsuki (さつき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: sah-tskʸee [sà.tsɨ̥́ᵝ.kʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 五月/皐月 (satsuki) (皐 is also used for this name), which archaically referred to the the fifth month of the lunar calendar but is now used in poetic contexts to refer to the month of May. It also refers to a type of azalea known as Rhododendron indicum, so named because of the timing of its usual blooming. As explained on Wiktionary, some sources derive the word from a possible contraction of the synonym 早苗月 (sanaedzuki). Some others however point to an ancient word さ (sa) as the first element, relating to rice and used in many ancient terms relating to the rice plant.
As for other ways to write this name, there are two pathways which relate to gender proportion. The first one is mostly feminine and it is most commonly written as a sa+月 combination, kanji in the first element including 咲 meaning “blossom,” 沙/砂 meaning “sand,” 彩 meaning “colouring,” 紗 meaning “gauze,” so on and so forth. The second element can be substituted with a tsu+ki combination, combining either 津 (tsu) meaning “harbour, haven” or 都 (tsu) meaning “metropolis” with a ki kanji, such as 希/稀, either meaning “rare” or part of 希望 (kibō) meaning “hope, wish, aspiration,” 姫 meaning “princess,” 季 meaning “season” or 樹/木 meaning “tree.”
The second one is mainly masculine with a significant feminine minority and it is most commonly written with a combination of 颯 meaning “sudden, quick” (others including 皐 and 幸/倖, the latter meaning “good luck, happiness”) and a ki kanji or 月.

Popularity:
Satsuki has been used as a feminine name since the late Nara period (710-794), back then suffixed with 賣/女 (-me). However, it wasn’t until the Meiji period (1868-1912) that its usage began to rise (for both genders). The name first peaked in usage for females in the 1900s and 1910s, ranking within the bottom quarter of the top 100 with percentage levels at slightly below 0.3%.
In the following decades, female percentages would maintain within the 0.1% range, not touching the top 100, stretching into the 1990s and 2000s by which point masculine usage would rise into the 0.02% and 0.03% levels by 2000. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage for baby girls is over 0.23% with the percentage for boys at over 0.05%, representing a slight increase in overall popularity compared to the previous decade.

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

Masayuki (まさゆき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: mah-sah-yuu-kʸee [mà.sá.jɯ̟̀ᵝ.kʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is derived from either 正 (masa) meaning “exact, precise” or the stem of the verb 勝る/優る (masaru) meaning “to excel, surpass, exceed; to outweigh” while the second is mainly written as either 之/行 meaning “way, travel” or 幸 meaning “good luck, happiness.” Other kanji in use for the first element include:

  • 雅 meaning “refinement, elegance”
  • 昌 meaning “prosperous”
  • 政 meaning “rule”
  • 真/眞 meaning “pure, true”
  • 将, see 正
  • 晶 meaning “sparkle, crystal” (may be used for similarity to 昌)
  • 理 meaning “reason, logic”
  • 誠 meaning “truth, reality”

Popularity:
The name saw some usage as an adult name among the upper class before the Meiji period (1603-1868), counting over 25 examples from the Kamakura (1185–1333) to the Edo (1603-1868) periods on the Japanese Wikipedia, two of which also included on the English version (Hoshina and Sanada).
Heading into the latter half of the Meiji period, the name was already within the top 100 among the wider population. This would last well into the early 1990s with a general peak in popularity from the 1950s to the 1970s with percentages at 0.6% or over. By 2000, less than 0.1% of boys received this name and usage of Masayuki slowly fell over the years and decades. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage for that time frame is calculated at only over 0.03%.

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

Sayuki (さゆき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: sah-yuu–kʸee [sà.jɯ̟́ᵝ.kʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Here are most of the kanji used for this name:

sa (さ) yuki (ゆき)
紗 “gauze” 雪 “snow”
沙/砂 “sand” 幸/倖 “good luck, happiness”
咲 “blossom” 由 “reason, cause” 希/稀 “rare;” part of 希望 (kibō) “hope, wish, aspiration”
早 “early” 優 “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” 紀 “account, chronicle”
彩/采 “colouring” 友 “friend” 姫 “princess”
桜 “cherry (tree, blossom)” 佑/祐 “help” 季 “season”
佐 “help” 有 “existence” 貴 “precious, valuable”
冴 “clarity; skilfulness” 夕 “evening”

Popularity:
Though it was used in the early 20th century, it was very rare compared to its usage in the Heisei period (1989-) onward. In 1990, it was given to only around 0.006% of girls. Though it went up and down in usage for the next few years, by 1996, it rose to over 0.015%, gradually shifting upwards for the next 10 years or so. By 2007, over 0.065% of girls received this name. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, percentage levels for Sayuki had stabilised within the 0.05-7% range.

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

Risa (りさ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: rʸee-sah [ɾʲí.sà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Though it has been in use before the 20th century as mentioned again later on, in recent decades, the name’s usage is seemingly inspired by the pan-European name Lisa. Most of the kanji used for this name is shown in the table below:

ri (り) sa (さ)
梨 “pear” 紗 “gauze”
理 “reason, logic” 沙/砂 “sand”
里 “village” 咲 “blossom”
莉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 彩/采 “colouring”
凛/凜 “cold; dignified” 佐 “help”
利 “advantage, benefit” 桜 “cherry (tree, blossom)”
璃 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli” 爽 “fresh”
李 “Japanese/Chinese plum” 早 “early”
吏 “officer” 幸 “good luck, happiness”
浬 “nautical mile”
琳 “jewel”
鈴 “bell”
怜/伶 “clever, smart”

Popularity:
This name has been in use as far back as the early Edo period (1603-1868), the earliest example I can find belonging to one of the concubines of Tokugawa Iemitsu. Based on data from Tsunoda and Collazo, the average percentage of women bearing this name in the latter part of the period is over 0.17%, placing it below the top 150.
As with most feminine name of the period, it fell down in popularity through the first half of the 20th century. However, it started rising again in the 1960s and it started to become somewhat of a popular name by the 1980s with a peak period between 1990 and 1996. By then, percentages were 1% or above and Risa ranked within the lower half of the top 20. Since then however, it dropped down in popularity, falling off the top 50 by 2007 (the percentage being around 0.39%) and the top 100 by the mid-2010s (Baby Calendar, however, still has Risa ranking in the top 100 until 2019).

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