Kushina (くしな)
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.
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