brave

Yūto (ゆうと)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: yuu:-to [jɯ̟́ᵝɯ̟̀ᵝ.tò̞]

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

yū (ゆう) to (と)
悠 “quiet, calm; far off, distant” 斗 “the Dipper”
優 “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” 人 “person”
勇 “bravery, courage” 翔/飛 “fly, soar”
祐/佑/侑 “help” 仁 “benevolence, compassion, humanity”
結 “tie, bond” 都 “metropolis”
雄 “male” 叶 “grant, answer”
友 “friend”* 登 “ascent”
裕 “abundant, rich” 杜 “shrine grove”
有 “existence” 音 “sound”
湧 “springing, surging” 和 “harmony, peace”
由 “reason, cause” 士 “warrior; samurai”
夢 “dream” 隼 “peregrine falcon”
宥 “soothing, calming” 大 “big, large”
心 “heart, mind”
燈/灯 “light; lamp”

* also used in the second element
An u kanji, like 羽 meaning “feather,” 海 meaning “sea, ocean” or 生 meaning “birth,” can be inserted in between.

Popularity:
Though it has been in use in the Taishō period (1912-1926), it was very uncommonly used until the mid-1980s when it began jumping in usage to over 0.2%, beginning its journey to stardom. The name briefly became the most popular boy name in Japan in around 2007 and 2008 before being overtaken by Haruto by the end of the decade. At its peak, it was given to over 2% of baby boys.
Though it is still a popular name to choose for a baby boy, its usage has been slowly declining. Based on survey data from numerous websites linked in the Sources page as well as my 2014-20 names research, it currently ranks in the bottom half of the top 10 (was still ranking in the top half until a few years ago) with percentages below 1.2%.

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

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.

Kanji (かんじ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: kahn-jee [kã́ɲ̟̀.d͡ʑì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most of the kanji used for this name are displayed in the table below:

kan (かん) ji (じ)
寛 “broadminded” 治 “cure; management”
勘 “perception, intuition, the sixth sense” 二 “two”
貫 “piercing, penetration” 次 “next”
幹 “(tree) trunk, base” 司 “office”
完 “perfect, complete” 士°/侍 “man°; samurai”
敢 “daring, brave, bold” 仁 “benevolence, compassion, humanity”
莞 “smiling”* 志 “will, aim, goal”
冠 “crown, diadem, coronet” 路 “road, path; way”
観 “look, appearance​” 慈 “mercy, affection”
関 “barrier, gate” 児 “child, boy”
侃 “outspoken” 時 “time”
勧 “recommendation, advice”
歓 “delight, pleasure”

Compounds for this name which are also words are 莞爾* meaning “smiling” and 完治 (more often read as kanchi) which refers to a complete recovery.

Popularity:
Though the separate elements and even the related Kanjirō (mostly 勘次郎/勘治郎) were used in the Edo period (1603-1868), Kanji is nowhere to be seen in either Collazo’s villager data or the merchant data, indicating that, at most, it was a very rarely used name.
Usage of this name increased in the Meiji period (1868-1912) with the percentage throughout the 19th century portion of the period at well over 0.2%, at its best placing within the bottom of the top 100. Throughout the early 20th century, percentages remained within the 0.1% range but fell below it by the 1940s and 1950s, dropping to 0.02% or less throughout the 1990s and 2000s. According to Baby Calendar rankings data combined with my preliminary 2014-20 names research, the average percentage for that time frame had increased a tad bit to over 0.03%.

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

Muga (むが)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: muu-gah [mɯ̟́ᵝ.ɡà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The main form of this name is 無我, from the noun meaning “selflessness.” Other kanji used for this name include 武 (mu) meaning “valour, bravery,” 夢 (mu) meaning “dream” and 雅 (ga) meaning “elegance, grace.”

Popularity:
Usage of this name is extremely rare (the earliest known example being the late actor Takewaki Muga) with the overall percentage from telephone book data calculated at around 0.000001% or less and Heisei period (1989-2019) percentages at any given year not topping 0.001%.

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

Takehiro (たけひろ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: tah-ke-khee-ro [tà.ké̞.çì.ɾò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is most commonly written as 雄大, made up of the kanji 雄 meaning “male” and 大 meaning “big, large.”
Regarding its overall make-up, the first element is derived mainly from the stem 猛/武 (take) which refers to bravery and ferocity with other related kanji including 健 meaning “healthy,” 毅, 剛 or 壮, the last three having meanings related to strength and hardiness. It can also be derived from 丈 (take) meaning “height, stature” or 岳 (take) meaning “peak; mountain” (both cognates) and also 竹 (take) which means “bamboo.”
As for the second element, it is derived from the stem of adjective 広(廣)/弘/宏い (hiroi) meaning “spacious, vast, wide” (as a name, also written as 博, 浩, 裕, 紘, etc.) with other related kanji in use including 洋 meaning “ocean, sea,” 寛 meaning “broadminded,” so on and so forth.

Popularity:
Though it had been used as an adulthood name among the upper class before the Meiji period (1868-1912) (see two examples here), it wasn’t until around the 1920s that it started seeing an increase in usage, albeit staying stagnant for a time afterwards until the 1960s. It peaked in popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s with percentage levels at one point being close to 0.2% (not in top 100 but close) before dropping back down again with percentage levels staying at 0.02% or below since the late 2000s.

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

Yūhi (ゆうひ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male, can be female as well
Pronunciation: yuu:-khee [jɯ̟́ᵝɯ̟̀ᵝ.çì]
Variant transliterations: Yuhi, Yuuhi

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Some of the kanji used for this name can be seen in the table below (blue and pink colours indicate a kanji for this name is more prominently used for males/females):

yū (ゆう) hi (ひ)
優 “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” 陽/日 “day; sun”
結 “tie, bond” 飛 “fly, soar”
悠 “quiet, calm; far off, distant” 妃/姫 “princess”
友 “friend” 柊 “false holly”
雄 “male” 燈/灯 “light; lamp”
祐/佑/侑 “help” 光 “light; ray, beam, glow”
夕 “evening” 一 “one”
勇 “bravery, courage” 緋 “scarlet”
湧 “springing, surging”
由 “reason, cause”

This name coincides with the words 夕日 meaning “evening/setting sun,” 勇飛 meaning “flying jump, great achievement” and 雄飛 meaning “launching out, embarking upon (a career)​.” The first one is largely a unisex combination while the last two are mainly masculine.

Popularity:
Much of its usage is concentrated on those born in the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards. In 1990, it was given to less than 0.01% of boys and less than 0.005% of girls. Usage rose steadily in the 1990s before becoming more steep in the 2000s. By 2009, over 0.08% of boys and over 0.02% of girls received this name, rising to over 0.19% and over 0.07% by the second half of the 2010s, the latter percentages based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research.

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

Ken’yū (けんゆう)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: kew̃-yuu: [kẽ̞́ɰ̃̀.jɯ̟̀ᵝː]
Variant transliterations: Ken’yu, Ken’yuu

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most of the kanji in use for this name can be seen in the table below:

ken (けん) yū (ゆう)
健 “health” 悠 “quiet, calm; far off, distant”
賢 “intelligence” 勇 “bravery, courage”
剣 “sword, sabre, blade” 優 “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority”
憲 “constitution, law” 祐/佑/侑 “help”
顕 “exposure” 裕 “abundant, rich”
謙 “modest, humble” 雄 “male”
兼 “concurrence” 友 “friend”
拳 “fist” 由 “reason, cause”
絢 “gorgeous, brilliant” 右 “right”
堅 “strength, solidity”
建 “building, construction”
研 “sharpening; study”

Popularity:
Though it has been (very uncommonly) used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the majority from Okinawa prefecture, the name has seen a rise in usage since the 2000s, rising to over 0.01% by 2009 and over 0.04% by the second half of the 2010s, the latter based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research.

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

Megumu (めぐむ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male, can be female as well
Pronunciation: me-guu–muu [mè̞.ɡɯ̟́ᵝ.mɯ̟́ᵝ]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from the verbs 恵/惠む (megumu) meaning “to bless, to show mercy to” or 芽ぐむ/萌(萠)む (megumu) meaning “to bud, sprout.”
Other kanji used in relation to one of the verbs or both include 愛 meaning “love, admiration,” 慈 meaning “mercy, affection,” 恩 meaning “favour, obligation,” 徳 meaning “virtue” and 仁 meaning “benevolence, compassion, humanity.” They can also be suffixed with a mu kanji, like 夢 meaning “dream,” 武 meaning “valour, bravery” or 務 meaning “service, duty, task.”

Popularity:
Overall usage for this name is very uncommon with percentage levels over the course of modern Japanese history not peaking above 0.03% for both genders. Usage of this name primarily centred on males throughout much of the 20th century before shifting to more unisex territory in the Heisei period (1989-2019). By then, percentage levels dropped to below 0.01%.

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

Mutsuko (むつこ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: muu-tsko [mɯ̟́ᵝ.tsɨ̥̀ᵝ.kò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The second element of this name is usually written as 子 (ko) meaning “child.”
As for the first element, it is most commonly written as 睦 (mutsu) meaning “intimate, friendly, harmonious” or phonetically (むつ/ムツ). Other kanji include 六/陸 meaning “six” and 陸奥, which refers to the former Mutsu Province that makes up the eastern and northern sections of the Tōhoku region. Another way of writing the first element is by combining a mu kanji, which includes 睦 and 六/陸 but also 夢 meaning “dream,” 務 meaning “service, duty, task” or 武 meaning “valour, bravery,” with a tsu kanji, such as 津 meaning “harbour, haven” or 都 meaning “metropolis,” or the phonetic つ/ツ.

Popularity:
In line with other -ko names, the name started to rise in usage in the 1890s and though it was initially uncommon, it did peak in the 1930s and 1940s with percentage levels at well over 0.2%, placing it within the bottom quarter of the top 100. Only after a few decades however, it became very uncommon to rare, not topping 0.01% since the Heisei period (1989-2019).

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