未来

Hiromi (ひろみ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: khee-ro–mʸee [çì.ɾó̞.mʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name stems from the adjective 広(廣)/弘/宏い (hiroi) meaning “spacious, vast, wide” (also 浩, 博, 裕, 紘, 絋, 拡). Other kanji which related to the adjective’s meanings include 寛 meaning “broadminded,” 大 meaning “big, large.” 洋 meaning “ocean, sea,” 悠 meaning “far off, distant,” 祐 meaning “help, assist,” 拓/啓 meaning “opening” and 光 meaning “light; ray, beam, glow.” A 2-kanji first element is possible, combining a hi kanji, like 比 or 妃, the latter meaning “princess,” and a ro kanji, e.g. 呂.
As for the second element, any mi kanji can be used, such as:

  • 美 meaning “beauty”
  • 実/實 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”
  • 巳, referring to the sign of the Snake
  • 己, referring to the 6th heavenly stem in Chinese calendar
  • 見/視 meaning “looking, viewing”
  • 弥 meaning “increase”
  • 水 meaning “water”
  • 三 meaning “three”
  • 味 meaning “flavour, taste”

Mainly used on males, 大海 and 大洋, normally read as taikai and taiyō and both referring to the ocean, are also used for this name.

Popularity:
In use since at least the Meiji period (1868-1912), the type of usage in the early 20th century compared to what would occur later on was different, namely the level of usage (it was uncommon, peaking at around the 0.1% range) and who was being given the name more (it skewed heavily towards males, though female usage was slowly increasing).
Female usage of this name started to skyrocket in the 1940s and by the next decade, it was already within the top 50, being given to over 0.6% of baby girls born in that decade. Peak feminine usage happened in the 1960s with well over 2% of women born in that decade referring to this name, placing it within the top 5. Survey data from Dai-ichi Life via Tsunoda seems to concur with the peak usage statement with Hiromi ranking within the top 5 for 8 consecutive years from 1960 to 1967 (it was the top name in the survey for 1970 but did not show up again in the top 5 until 1975-7).
Feminine usage levels were dropping down by the 1970s, though percentages were still over 1% in the 1970s and most of the 1980s. Regarding male usage from the 1950s-1980s, it was still within the 0.1% range in the 1950s and 1960s, but it was already dropping down in popularity. By 1990, it was given to over 0.44% of girls and over 0.01% of boys, the name dropping out of the girls’ top 100 by 1992. Since the 2000s, it is a very uncommon to rare name for both genders.

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

Miho (みほ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mʸee-ho [mʲí.hò̞]

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

mi (み) ho (ほ)
美/深 “beauty” 穂/穗 “ear/head (of plant); point, tip”
実/實 “seed; fruit” 帆 “sail”
未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future” 歩 “step”
海 “sea, ocean” 保 “protection; preservation”
光 “light; ray, beam, glow” 星 “star”
望 “desire, wish, hope” 萌 “bud, sprout”
三 “three” 甫 “first”
弥 “increase” 芳 “fragrance, aroma”
珠 “gem, jewel” 宝 “treasure”
心 “heart, mind” 豊 “abundant, wealthy, plentiful, rich”
見/観 “looking, viewing” 浦 “inlet”
味 “flavour, taste” 葡 part of 葡萄 (budō) “grape(vine)”
満 “full, whole”
水 “water”

Popularity:
Usage for this name in the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taishō (1912-1926) periods is uncommon with overall percentages at less than 0.1% with its increase in popularity beginning in the early Shōwa period (1926-1989).
Less than 0.2% of women in the mid-century data born in the 1950s have this name, increasing to more than 0.4% for the 1960s and more than 1% in the 1970s and 1980s, by then making Miho a popular feminine name. The name would remain in the top 20 for much of the 1990s with percentages ranking from over 0.9% in the mid 1990s to just around 1.2% in the earlier portion.
By 2000, it was already in the midst of dropping down in popularity, being given to over 0.46% of girls in that year, which would place Miho at just around the top 50. It would have left the top 100 by 2004 with percentages at just over 0.22%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research (alongside Namae Jiten data for the 90s and 00s), since the early 2010s, percentages have dropped below 0.1% and would stay that way for the foreseeable future.

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

Mia (みあ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mʸee-ah [mʲí.à]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is based on the pan-European name Mia, stemming from a contraction of Maria used in Scandinavia, Germany and the Netherlands. As for the kanji used for this name, they include:

mi (み) a (あ)
美/深 “beauty” 愛 “love, affection”
心 “heart, mind” 亜 phonetic kanji
海 “sea, ocean” 空 “space, room”
未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future” 杏 “apricot”
実 “seed; fruit” 彩 “colour”
望 “desire, wish, hope” 碧 “blue”
珠 “gem, jewel” 葵 “hollyhock; wild ginger;” part of 向日葵 (himawari) “sunflower”
弥/彌 “increase” 綺 “thin silk;” part of 綺麗 (kirei) “pretty; clean”
翠 “green” 絢 “gorgeous, brilliant”
光 “light; ray, beam, glow” 逢 “meeting”
藍 “indigo”
朱 “vermilion”

Popularity:
In use since at least the 1970s, much of its usage is concentrated on females born in the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards. In 1990, it was given to less than 0.01% of girls, rising very steadily to just above it by 2000.
In keeping with Mia’s growing popularity throughout much of the world at the time, the name started rising in popularity in Japan during the 2000s with well over 0.05% of girls receiving this name by 2007. Based on Baby Calendar ranking data from 2017-2019, it is ranking close to entering the top 100, meaning that percentages have since rose to well over 0.2%.

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

Mirai (みらい)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: mʸee-rah-ee [mʲí.ɾà.ì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is mainly written as 未来 (also 未來 and 未徠) which refers to the future. Other kanji used for this name include:

mi (み) rai (らい)
美 “beauty” 礼 “gratitude; manners; gift”
実 “seed; fruit” 頼 “request, favour; trust”
海 “sea, ocean” 麗 “lovely, beautiful”
光 “light; ray, beam, glow” 蕾 “bud”
珠 “gem, jewel” 雷 “lightning, thunder”
弥 “increase” 良 “good” 依 “reliance, dependence”
心 “heart, mind” 羅 “thin silk, gauze” 衣 “clothing”
望 “desire, wish, hope”
湊 “harbour, port”

Popularity:
Signs of initial continuous usage for this name occurred in the 1970s, though it wasn’t until the arrival of the Heisei period (1989-2019) that usage rose and remained sort of where it is now.
The percentage of boys with this name rose to over 0.03% in 1989, though that became short-lived and dropped to around 0.009% by 1990. Female usage, however, remained relatively steady after 1989 with over 0.13% of girls receiving this name by 1990. Usage for females dropped a bit for much of the 1990s, though by 2000, it rose back up to over 0.15% of girls (also over 0.07% of boys).
Since then, usage for this name for both genders dropped back down in general. According to my preliminary 2014-8 names research, over 0.07% of girls and over 0.04% of boys received this name.

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