未来

Sumika (すみか)

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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%.

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Mami (まみ)

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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%.

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Miyabi (みやび)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: mʸee-yah-bʸee [mʲí.jà.bʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from the adjective 雅 (miyabi) meaning “courtly, elegant, refined,” from the stem/continuative form of the verb みやぶ (miyabu) meaning “to be courtly, elegant, refined.” The verb itself is derived from 宮 (miya) meaning “palace; shrine” combined with the verb-forming suffix ぶ (bu) that has a meaning of “to seem like, have that quality.”
雅 can also be part of a 2-kanji combination with a kanji inserted either after or before. For the former, a kanji that can be read as bi is used, like 陽/日 meaning “day; sun,” 弥 meaning “increase” or 姫/妃 meaning “princess.” For the latter, a kanji with the reading mi is used, such as 美 meaning “beauty,” 心 meaning “heart, mind” or 未, referring to the sign of the Sheep or part of the word 未来 (mirai) meaning “future.”
As for other ways to write this name, 雅 in 2-kanji combinations can be substituted with those with the (partial) reading miya, like 都/京, from miyako referring to a capital or a seat of government (originally referring to the place of residence of the emperor), and 宮. For 3-kanji combinations, ya kanji used for this include 弥, 夜 meaning “night,” 雅 and 哉.

Popularity:
In use since at least the 1920s, the name started to rise in usage for girls in the 1970s and 1980s. By 1989, just under 0.03% of baby girls received this name, peaking at over 0.11% in 1999 before dropping to over 0.05% by 2009.
By the mid-2010s, it had gone back up, sometimes getting above 0.1% again. By this point, usage for boys had already gone well above 0.02% which wasn’t the case throughout much of the 1990s. The rise as a masculine name was likely prompted by guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor MIYAVI.

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Mie (みえ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mʸee-e [mʲí.è̞]
Archaic writing: みゑ (Miwe), みへ (Mihe)

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

mi (み) e (え)
美/深 “beauty” 恵/慧 “wisdom”
三 “three” 絵 “picture, drawing”
実/實 “seed; fruit” 枝 “branch, bough”
未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future” 江 “inlet, bay”
見 “looking, viewing” 栄 “glory, prosperity”
珠 “gem, jewel” 衣 “clothing”
弥 “increase” 重 “fold, layer”
英 “wisdom, brilliance”
瑛 “crystal”
依 “reliance, dependence”
詠 “recitation”
映 “reflection”

This name coincides with the word 三重 (mie; also sanjū) meaning “triple, threefold, three-ply, triplicate” (also used in reference to Mie Prefecture).

Popularity:
Usage of this name in the Edo period (1603-1868) was uncommon with percentages under 0.2% based on data from Tsunoda and Collazo. It did not rise above that mark until the Meiji period (1868-1912) and percentages peaked in the early 1920s, topping just over 0.4% and ranking in the 60s.
Falling in popularity from the 1930s, it did not rise again until the 1950s and 1960s with a second peak occurring in the first half of the 1970s. By then, percentages rose above 0.4%, similar to the first peak, and ranking within the lower half of the top 100 before dropping out again by the 1980s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my 2014-20 names research, current yearly percentages have fallen below 0.01%.

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Miteki (みてき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mʸee-te–kʸee [mʲì.té̞.kʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The most commonly used form of this name is 美笛, individually meaning “beauty” and “flute; whistle.” Other kanji in use for this name include 未 (mi), referring to the sign of the Sheep or part of the word 未来 (mirai) meaning “future,” 実 (mi) meaning “seed; fruit,” 海 (mi) meaning “sea, ocean” and 滴 (teki) meaning “drip, drop (of liquid).”

Popularity:
Much of its usage is concentrated on those born in the first half of the Heisei period (1989-2019), influenced in large part by the television dorama ‘愛し方がわからない’ (Aishikata ga wakaranai), broadcast from October to December of 1989, which featured a main character with this name. Peaking at 0.007% in 1990, it dropped to 0.003% or below by 1993, remaining below this threshold since then.

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Kumi (くみ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: kuu-mʸee [kɯ̟́ᵝ.mʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The most commonly used form of this name is 久美, individually meaning “long time” and “beauty.” Some other kanji in use for this name can be seen below:

ku (く) mi (み)
公 “monarch, ruler” 実 “seed; fruit”
紅 “crimson” 未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future”
玖 “black jewel; nine” 巳 sign of the Snake
孔 part of 孔雀 (kujaku) “peafowl” 見 “looking, viewing”
九 “nine” 弥 “increase”
宮 “palace; shrine” 珠 “gem, jewel”

Popularity:
In use since at least the Edo period (1603-1868), it was uncommonly used back then with percentages in the latter part at under 0.09%. It increased to over 0.1% in the first half of the Meiji period (1868-1912) but decreased to less than 0.05% by the 1920s and 1930s.
Kumi’s fortunes turned around beginning after the Second World War with percentages rising above 0.05% again. By the early 1960s, it jumped in popularity (just as the more popular Kumiko peaked in popularity) with percentages nearing 0.5% throughout the decade, ranking near the top 50. The jump in popularity may have been influenced by the actress Mizumo Kumi.
The name stayed within the top 100 throughout the 1970s but began falling off there in the 1980s. By 1989, around 0.14% of girls born in that year received this name, the percentage gradually decreasing throughout the 1990s and 2000s. By the late 2000s, it fell below 0.01% and percentages since then hover above and below that threshold.

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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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Mutsumi (むつみ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: muu-tsuu–mʸee [mɯ̟̀ᵝ.tsɨ́ᵝ.mʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from the continuative form of the verb 睦む (mutsumu) meaning “to be harmonious, be intimate/close.” 睦 is used for both genders and 和, meaning “harmony, peace,” is also used as well, albeit rarely.
They can also be combined with a mi kanji, though that tends to be used mostly for females (unless marked with * in which, in this case, it can be used for males as well). They include 美* meaning “beauty,” 実* meaning “seed; fruit,” 海* meaning “sea, ocean,” 未, referring to the sign of the Sheep or part of the word 未来 (mirai) meaning “future,” 望 meaning “desire, wish, hope,” 弓 meaning “bow” and 珠 meaning “gem, jewel.”
As other ways to write this name, for one, a mi kanji can be prefixed with 陸, which looks similar to 睦 but is normally read as riku with the meaning “land, shore” (the opposite tends to happen as well for Riku). Also, a mu kanji, e.g. 夢 meaning “dream,” can be suffixed with 摘 (tsumi) meaning “picking, plucking.”

Popularity:
Overall usage of this name is uncommon, rising in popularity as a feminine name in the 1940s. For the next few decades, percentages would stay within the 0.1% range before dropping below it by the mid-1990s. As for masculine usage, percentages were over 0.02% in the 1940s and 1950s but would drop to 0.005% or below by the 1960s. Masculine percentage levels would stay mostly consistent since then, even as feminine percentage levels remained below 0.02% in the 2010s.

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Narumi (なるみ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: nah-ruu–mʸee [nà.ɾɯ̟́ᵝ.mʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is derived mainly from the verb 成/為る (naru) meaning “to become, grow, reach, attain,” to which 也, 徳 meaning “virtue” and 育 meaning “raise, rear, grow up,” among a fair few more are also used. Less commonly, it is also derived from the verb 鳴る (naru) meaning “to sound, ring, resound, echo.” Other ways of writing the first element include the phonetic なる/ナル and a combination of a na kanji, like 奈, 那, 菜 meaning “greens” or 七 meaning “seven,” with a ru kanji, such as 瑠/琉, part of 琉璃/瑠璃 (ruri) meaning “lapis lazuli,” or 留 meaning “stop.”
As for the second element, it can be written 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”
  • 海 meaning “sea, ocean”
  • 珠 meaning “gem, jewel”
  • 弥 meaning “increase”
  • 望 meaning “desire, wish, hope”
  • 見 meaning “looking, viewing”
  • 巳, referring to the sign of the Snake
  • 己, referring to the 6th heavenly stem in Chinese calendar
  • 味 meaning “flavour, taste”
  • 三 meaning “three”

Popularity:
Throughout much of the 20th century, Narumi had been uncommonly used (and slightly more balanced, for that matter, in terms of usage by gender) and it didn’t begin to see a rise in popularity (particularly as a feminine name) until the latter half of the 1980s. This was around the time when the Shōwa period (1926-1989) was in its final years and the history of modern Japan began another new chapter at the start of the Heisei period (1989-2019). In fact, the peak of Narumi’s popularity as a feminine name occurred in the first year of the latter period (1989) when over 0.67% of girls received this name, which is particularly telling given that 成 makes up the second kanji of Heisei, written as 平成.
By 1992, the percentage for girls dropped to just over 0.3%, placing it within the bottom quarter of the top 100 before briefly bouncing back to over 0.45% by 1994. By 1997, it was already out of the top 100 with percentages dropping to just over 0.05% by 2009, below the top 200, and largely stabilising since then. Regarding usage for boys in that time period, it’s really more of a footnote, as percentages then were most below the 0.01% range with a few years where masculine usage crossed above the threshold.

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