common japanese name

Susumu (すすむ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: suu-suu–muu [sɨ̀ᵝ.sɨ́ᵝ.mɯ̟́ᵝ]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from the verb 進む (susumu) meaning “to advance, progress, go forward; to precede; to improve” with other kanji sharing this meaning including 晋, 迪 and 漸. It can also be derived from the cognate verb 勧/奨む (susumu) meaning “to recommend, advise, suggest.” Other kanji which relate in some way to one or both of the verbs include:

  • 将 meaning “exact, precise”
  • 亨 meaning “smooth progression”
  • 丞/侑 meaning “help”
  • 益 meaning “increase”
  • 範 meaning “example, model”
  • 先/前 meaning “point, tip, end; future”
  • 二 meaning “two”

Popularity:
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Susumu had been consistently ranking within the top 50 with percentage levels ranging from 0.6% to upwards of over 1%, as was the case in the 1930s. By the 1960s, it was already out of the top 50 with percentages below 0.4% and was already out of the top 100 by the late 1970s. By then, percentage levels decreased to below 0.2% and its usage continued to dwindle. Today, less than 0.01% of baby boys receive this name, based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research.

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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%.

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Yutaka (ゆたか)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: yuu-tah-kah [jɯ̟́ᵝ.tà.kà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from the adjective 豊か (yutaka) meaning “abundant, wealthy, plentiful, rich” with kanji that have similar meanings including 裕 and 穣, the latter taken from 豊穣 (hōjō), referring to an abundant grain crop. Other kanji that have meanings which extend in some way from the adjective’s meaning include:

  • 寛 meaning “broadminded”
  • 泰 meaning “great, excessive”
  • 広/浩 meaning “spacious, vast, wide” (裕 is also taken from 広い (hiroi))
  • 優 meaning “excellence, superiority”
  • 大 meaning “big, large”
  • 悠 meaning “far off, distant”

Alternatively, it can be written with multiple kanji, combining a kanji that is normally read as yu/yū, like 雄 meaning “male,” 由 meaning “reason, cause” or 佑/祐/侑 meaning “help,” with either one that shares, is similar to or extends to the adjective 高い (takai) meaning “high, tall,” such as 崇 meaning “respect,” 孝 meaning “filial piety” or 貴 meaning “precious, valuable,” or 鷹 (taka) meaning “hawk.” The second element can also be split into two kanji, combining a ta kanji, such as 太 “plump, thick” or 多 meaning “many, much,” with a ka kanji, e.g. 加 meaning “addition.”

Popularity:
By the latter half of the Meiji period (1868-1912), Yutaka had already become slightly commonly used. From the 1890s to the 1950s, it had ranked mostly within the middle third of the top 100 (sometimes charting within the top 50) with percentages ranging over 0.6-7%. By the second half of the 1960s, it had started to drop down in popularity, leading to Yutaka leaving the top 100 by 1990. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage of baby boys receiving this name stands at around 0.05%.

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Takahiro (たかひろ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

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

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name, to put it briefly, is a combination of the stem of adjectives 高い (takai) meaning “high, tall” and 広(廣)/弘/宏い (hiroi) meaning “spacious, vast, wide,” the latter also written as 浩, 博, 裕, 紘, 絋 and 拡 when using it for a name. For the first element, 鷹, which refers to a hawk, can also be used.
Other kanji in use for this name can be seen in the table below:

taka (たか) hiro (ひろ)
貴/尊 “precious, valuable” 洋 “ocean, sea”
隆 “prosperous” 大 “big, large”
孝 “filial piety” 寛 “broadminded”
崇 “respect” 啓 “opening”
敬*/尚 “reverence, respect” 太 “plump, thick”
卓 “preeminence, excellence; table, desk” 央 “middle, centre”
雄 “male” 公 “monarch, ruler”
嵩 “bulk, volume, quantity” 玄 “deep, profound; mystery, occult”
剛 “strong, hard”
誉 “honour”
聖 “sacred, holy”
峰 “peak, summit”

* also used in the 2nd element
At least two other combinations can be used as well which do not really fit to this table which include 太陽, from taiyō which refers to the sun, and 宇宙, from uchū meaning “universe, cosmos, space.”

Popularity:
Takahiro had been used as an adulthood name among the upper class before the Meiji period (1868-1912) with at least 15 examples found on Wikipedia, one of them being Matsumae Takahiro (1829-1966), a daimyō of the Matsumae Domain in southern Hokkaido. Among the wider population throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the name was (very) uncommon.
It started to become more popular in the 1940s and 1950s, entering the top 100 in the mid-1950s and rising to the inside of the top 30 by the early 1960s. The peak decade of the name’s popularity was the 1980s when it ranked inside the top 10 and being given to over a percent of boys born back then. Regarding Heisei period (1989-2019) popularity, it still ranked inside the top 10 by 1990 though by then, it was starting to drop in popularity, falling to over 0.23% by 2000, in effect starting to rank outside the top 100. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage for that time frame dropped to over 0.06%.

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Rie (りえ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: rʸee-e [ɾʲí.è̞]

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

ri (り) e (え)
理 “reason, logic” 恵/慧 “wisdom”
里 “village” 絵 “picture, drawing”
利 “advantage, benefit” 江 “inlet, bay”
梨 “pear” 枝 “branch, bough”
莉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 衣 “clothing”
李 “Japanese/Chinese plum” 英 “wisdom, brilliance”
璃 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli” 栄 “glory, prosperity”
吏 “officer” 依 “reliance, dependence”
鯉 “common/koi carp” 愛 “beloved”
瑛 “crystal”
永 “eternity”
映 “reflection”
笑 “smile”
詠 “recitation”

Popularity:
This name was used in the Edo period (1603-1868) (back then, mostly written phonetically) with late period statistics from Tsunoda and Collazo averaging to over 0.18% with both sources placing Rie below the top 100 but inside the top 200. Usage remained fairly constant in the first half of the Meiji period (1868-1912) before dropping to below 0.1% by the Taishō period (1912-1926).
The name wouldn’t see a resurgence until the late 1950s and early 1960s. By the 1960s, percentages rose to over 0.45% before peaking at well over 1.2% by the 1970s, placing at the bottom of the top 10. By 1990, it was already dropping down in popularity though still ranking somewhat high with over 0.72% of girls receiving this name. That dropped to less than 0.1% by 2000, indicating that it fell out of the top 100 in the late 1990s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, just over 0.01% of baby girls were being given this name in that time frame.

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Satoshi (さとし)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: sah-to-shee [sá.tò̞.ɕì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name usually stems from the classical adjective 聡し/敏し (satoshi) meaning “clever, smart; sharp, discerning,” however it’s also possible to connect Satoshi to the continuative form of the related verb 諭す (satosu) meaning “to admonish, persuade, warn.” Other kanji which expand on these are used, listing a few examples with meanings, 聖 meaning “sacred, holy,” 学 meaning “learning, study,” 達 meaning “reach, arrive, attain” and 暁 meaning “dawn, daybreak.” Some other kanji used are listed below:

智/知 哲 悟 賢 慧 理 訓
怜 啓 敬 利 覚 総 了
玲 惺 朝 憲 誠 巧

They, alongside 里 meaning “village” and 郷 meaning “country(side),” can also be combined with a shi kanji, like 史 meaning “history,” 志 meaning “will, aim, goal,” 司 meaning “office” or 士, referring, in this case, to a man or samurai. For the first element, a sa kanji, e.g. 佐 meaning “help,” can be combined with a to kanji, e.g. 斗, referring to the Chinese constellation known as the Dipper. Another uncommon way to write this name is to combine a sa kanji with one that can be read as toshi, e.g. 寿 meaning “congratulations; longevity.”

Popularity:
By the latter half of the Meiji period (1868-1912), Satoshi had already started being placed in the bottom quarter of the top 100, which would last throughout the early 20th century. By that time, percentage levels didn’t exceed 0.4%. Fast forward to the early 1950s and it was ranked within the top 50, being given to well over 0.5% of boys born in that time period.
After stagnating for a little while, it rose again in the late 1950s which culminated in its first appearance within the top 10 by the early 1960s. At that point, percentage levels would exceed 1%, peaking in the late 1970s and early 1980s with over 1.4% of boys born back then receiving this name. By the late 1980s, it was already starting to drop down in popularity, falling below the top 20 and below 1%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research, average percentage levels today have fallen to 0.05% or below.

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Yoshiko (よしこ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: yo-shko [jó̞.ɕì̥.kò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The second element of this name is usually 子 (ko) meaning “child.” As for the first element, it usually comes from the classical adjective 良し/善し/好し (yoshi, modern yoi/ii) meaning “good, excellent” (can also be written as 吉, 佳 or 宜), though it can also come from 由 (yoshi) meaning “reason, cause.” Other kanji related to the adjective include:

  • 芳 meaning “fragrance, aroma”
  • 美 meaning “beauty”
  • 嘉 meaning “praise, esteem”
  • 淑 meaning “graceful, modest”
  • 喜/歓/欣 meaning “delight, pleasure”
  • 義 meaning “morality, justice, honour”
  • 祥/禎 meaning “blessedness, (good) omen”
  • 儀 meaning “ceremony; matter, affair”
  • 優 meaning “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority”
  • 仁 meaning “benevolence, compassion, humanity”
  • 与/與 meaning “gift, award”
  • 能 meaning “talent, gift”
  • 寿/壽 meaning “congratulations; longevity”
  • 楽/樂 meaning “comfort, ease”
  • 誉/譽 meaning “honour”

The first element can also be written phonetically or with two kanji, a yo kanji like 代/世 meaning “generation,” 与/與 or the single kanji above and a shi kanji, such as 志 meaning “will, aim, goal” or 史 meaning “history.”

Popularity:
Like most names ending in -ko, the name started seeing increasing usage by the latter half of the Meiji period (1868-1912) and became very popular early on. By the 1900s, it was already a top 10 name with percentages at over 1.5%. That increased to over 2%, lasting from the 1910s to the 1940s, in some years leading Yoshiko to be the most popular girl name.
By the 1960s, it was still fairly popular (at just under 1%) though it was already dropping down in popularity. By 1990, less than 0.1% of girls received this name, ranking outside the top 200. Today, it is an extremely rare baby name.

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Atsushi (あつし)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: ah-tsshee [á.tsɨ̥̀ᵝ.ɕì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most single kanji used for this name stems from the classical adjective 厚し/篤し (atsushi, modern day atsui) meaning “kind, cordial, hospitable” (as a name, also written as 敦, 惇 and 渥). Other related single kanji for this name include:

  • 淳/純 meaning “pure”
  • 充 meaning “fullness”
  • 貴 meaning “precious, valuable”
  • 睦 meaning “intimate, friendly, harmonious”
  • 享 meaning “enjoyment; receiving”
  • 徳 meaning “virtue”
  • 優 meaning “gentle, elegant”

It can also come from the classical adjective 熱し/暑し (atsushi) meaning “hot,” as seen in the usage of the kanji 温 meaning “warmth.”
They can also be suffixed with a shi kanji, such as 志 meaning “will, aim, goal,” 史 meaning “history,” 司 meaning “office” or 士 meaning “warrior; samurai.”

Popularity:
Though it was in marginally moderate usage in the early 20th century, the name didn’t pick up steam until the 1950s. By then, it began its own golden era where percentage levels are at 0.7% or more. The name peaked from the early 1970s to the mid 1980s where it ranked within the top 10 and percentage levels are at more than a percent.
By the latter half of the 1980s, the name had began to drop down in popularity and by 2000, it was already given to less than 0.2% of boys, by then ranking outside the top 100. According to my preliminary 2014-9 names research, around 0.08% of baby boys were given this name and according to Baby Calendar rankings data, it has ranked outside the top 200 from 2017-2019.

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Haruka (はるか)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: hah-ruu-kah [há.ɾɯ̟̀ᵝ.kà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from the adjectival noun/adverb 遥か/遙か (haruka) meaning “far off, distant,” shared with kanji such as 悠 and 遼 and has a relation with 永, from naga meaning “long.” 瑶/瑤 is also used for this name (normally used in compounds referring to beauty), which look similar 遥/遙.
Some of the other kanji in use for this name, mainly in multi-kanji combinations, include:

haru (はる) ka (か)
春 “spring” 香/薫/芳/郁 “fragrance”
晴 “clear/fine weather” 佳 “beautiful, good”
陽 “day; sun” 花/華* “flower”
明 “bright” 加 “addition”
美 “beauty” 夏 “summer”
榛 “Asian hazel; Japanese alder” 果 “fruit”
治 “govern, manage” 歌 “song”
温/暖 “warmth” 日* see 陽
晏 “calm, tranquil” 海 “sea, ocean”
葉 “leaf” 瑠 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli” 和 “harmony, peace; sum”
巴 heraldic comma design 留 “stop” 可 “acceptable, fair”
波 “wave” 翔 “fly, soar”
羽 “feather” 叶 “grant, answer”
賀 “congratulation”
奏 “playing music”
風 “wind”
楓 “maple”
河 “river, stream”
嘉 “praise, esteem”
雅 “elegance, grace”
珂 “jewel”

* also used in the first element

The main difference in usage between males and females for this name is that while single kanji usage and multi-kanji combinations are more varied in usage, albeit erring more towards the latter, for females, single kanji usage is far more prevalent for males.

Popularity:
The name began to be used in the Meiji period (1868-1912). Up until the 1980s, it was uncommonly used with the first peak occurring in the 1910s with around 0.2% of girls born in that decade receiving this name alongside lesser masculine usage. It fell down in popularity by the 1930s and did not rise significantly again until around the 1960s and 1970s.
By the 1980s, well over 0.5% of girls received that name along with over 0.03% of boys, rising in 1990 to over 1.25% for the girls and less than 0.05% for the boys. The high percentage places Haruka at the bottom half of the girls’ top 10. The name dropped a bit to 10th place by 1992 with the percentage at over 1.1% before rising again to over 1.4% in 1993 and peaking at over 2% in 1994, by then becoming the most popular feminine name in Japan. Two pieces of media being released/broadcast in 1993 contain a female character with the name Haruka, the first being a film released in February of that year called ‘はるか、ノスタルジィ’ (Haruka, nostalgie) and the second (in my view, the primary influence) being a television drama first broadcast in July called ‘素晴らしきかな人生’ (Subarashiki kana jinsei).
Haruka stayed in the top spot for girls throughout the rest of the 1990s and early 2000s until it was displaced by Yui. By 2004, it was in 2nd place with over 1.3% of girls receiving this name, dropping to 9th place by 2007 and out of the top 10 by 2009, by then falling below the 1% mark to over 0.8%. Based on survey data from Tamahiyo, Meiji Yasuda Life and Baby Calendar as well my preliminary 2014-8 names research, Haruka has been ranking within the bottom half of the top 50 for several years now with percentages within the 0.4% to 0.5% range. As for masculine usage, it has remained largely stable with little dips and jumps, though it has gone a little over 0.05% recently.

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

Aiko (あいこ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: ah-ee-ko [á.ì.kò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The most commonly used form of this name is 愛子, made up of 愛 (ai) meaning “love, affection” and 子 (ko) meaning “child.” Other single kanji in the first element include 藍 meaning “indigo” and 逢/相 meaning “meeting.” It can also be written phonetically (as あい or アイ) or split into two kanji, with an a kanji like 亜, 愛, 吾/我 or 安 meaning “quiet, peaceful” and an i kanji such as 衣 meaning “clothing,” 依 meaning “reliance, dependence” or 以. Other kanji can be used for the second element as well, particularly on younger women and girls, such as 湖 meaning “lake” and 心 meaning “heart, mind.”

Popularity:
In the midst of the surge in -ko names in the early 20th century, Aiko was already well within the top 50 by the 1910s and had peaked within the top 10 in the 1920s with well over 1.1% of girls receiving this name by then. After that came a moderately steep decline, leaving the top 100 by the 1960s and 1970s with levels at around or just under 0.2%, before making a mini comeback into the top 100 in the 1980 with over 0.35% of girls being given the name in that decade.
By the time the Heisei period (1989-2019) rolled around, Aiko had again left the top 100, dropping to over 0.07% by the late 1990s. The birth of Princess Aiko in December of 2001 provided the name another boost, though at over 0.17% in 2002, it did not return to the top 100 that time around. After dropping and rising within the 0.1% range for the rest of the 2000s, it fell out of that range by the 2010s. According to my preliminary 2014-8 names research, over 0.05% of girls born in that time period received this name.

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