elegance

Fū (ふう)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: fuu: [ɸɯ̟́ᵝ.ɯ̟̀ᵝ]
Variant transliterations: Fu, Fuu

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is most commonly written as 楓 which, as a word, usually refers to the Formosan sweetgum tree but also used in certain kanji combinations to refer to the maple tree (normally read on its own as kaede).
It can also be written as 風 meaning “wind” or 芙, part of 芙蓉 (fuyō) referring to the Confederate rose. These aforementioned kanji, along with kanji with the (partial) reading fu, e.g. 歩 meaning “step,” can be combined with an u kanji, such as 羽 meaning “feather,” 優 meaning “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” or 生 meaning “birth; creation.”

Popularity:
Fū was rarely used up until around the second half of the 1990s. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, usage levels ranged from near 0.01% for boys to over 0.02% for girls.
The name rose further in the 2010s, sometimes getting above 0.05% for girls and 0.02% for boys.

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

Sumika (すみか)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

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%.

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

Miyabi (みやび)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

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.

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

Mayuri (まゆり)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mah-yuu–rʸee [mà.jɯ̟́ᵝ.ɾʲí]

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

ma (ま) yu (ゆ) ri (り)
真/眞 “pure, true” 百合 “lily”
麻 “hemp, flax” 由 “reason, cause” 里 “village”
茉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 優 “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” 莉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri)
万 “ten thousand” 友 “friend” 理 “reason, logic”
満 “full, whole” 佑/祐/佑/侑 “help” 梨 “pear”
摩/磨 “polish, shine” 有 “existence” 璃 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli”
舞 “dance” 悠 “quiet, calm; far off, distant” 利 “advantage, benefit”
愛 “beloved” 結 “tie, bond” 李 “Japanese/Chinese plum”
雅 “refinement, elegance” 夕 “evening” 吏 “officer”
柚 “yuzu fruit” 凛/凜 “cold; dignified”
唯 “only” 栞 “bookmark”
裕 “abundant, rich”
遊 “play”
夢 “dream”

Popularity:
Overall usage of this name is uncommon, only starting to rise in the middle of the Shōwa period (1926-1989). In any given year in the 1990s and 2000s, usage levels generally rise above 0.01%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-21 names research, by that time frame, percentages usually tend to go above 0.02%.

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

Yoshimasa (よしまさ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: yo-shee-mah-sah [jò̞.ɕí.mà.sà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element 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 義 meaning “morality, justice, honour,” 慶/喜/欣/悦 meaning “delight, pleasure,” 芳 meaning “fragrance, aroma” and 祥 meaning “blessedness, (good) omen.”
As for the second element, it is derived from either 正 (masa) meaning “exact, precise,” as a name also written as 将 (hence the usage of 政 meaning “rule” and 真/眞 meaning “pure, true”) or the verb 勝る/優る (masaru) meaning “to excel, surpass, exceed; to outweigh” (hence the usage of 昌 meaning “prosperous” and 雅 meaning “refinement, elegance”).

Popularity:
Before the Meiji period (1868-1912), this name was used as an adulthood name among the upper class with over 20 examples of its full or partial usage found in the Japanese Wikipedia dating as far back as the early Heian period (794-1185).
As far as post-Edo period (1603-1868) usage is concerned, it is uncommon among the overall population with percentages peaking above 0.2% at times, particularly in the first half of the Meiji period. By the 1990s, it dropped to below 0.05%, falling further to within the 0.01% range by the 2010s.

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

Hayuma (はゆま)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: hah-yuu-mah [há.jɯ̟̀ᵝ.mà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
For the first element, any kanji can be used that contains the stem reading hay-, like 隼 (hayabusa), referring to the peregrine falcon, 颯/駿, from 疾風 (hayate) referring to a gale or otherwise a strong or swift wind, 映, from the classical verb 映ゆ (hayu) meaning “to shine, glow,” or 早 (haya) meaning “early.” It can also be split into two kanji, a ha kanji like 羽 meaning “feather” or 波 meaning “wave” and a yu kanji such as 優 meaning “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority,” 由 meaning “reason, cause” or 祐/佑 meaning “help.”
As for the second element, any kanji with the reading ma can be used, such as:

  • 磨/摩 meaning “polish, shine”
  • 真/眞 meaning “truth”
  • 馬 meaning “horse”
  • 麻 meaning “hemp, flax”
  • 万 meaning “ten thousand”
  • 茉, part of 茉莉 (matsuri) referring to the Arabian jasmine

Popularity:
With its usage influenced by footballer Tanaka Hayuma, especially after his marriage to model Malia in 2001 and the birth of their son the next year, percentages from 2002 to the end of the 2000s (when 隼磨 was the most popular form) stayed between 0.005% and 0.010%, going above the 0.010% threshold in the second half of the 2010s.

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

Yūto (ゆうと)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

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.

Yae (やえ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: yah-e [já.è̞]
Archaic writing: やへ (Yahe), やゑ (Yawe)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 八重 (yae), literally meaning “octuple” from 八 (ya) meaning “eight” and 重 (e) meaning “fold, layer” but can also be used to refer to a thing that is multi-layered or doubled. Other kanji can be used for this name, such as:

ya (や) e (え)
弥/彌 “increase” 恵 “wisdom”
耶 phonetic kanji 栄 “glory, prosperity”
椰 “(coconut) palm” 枝 “branch, bough”
矢 “arrow” 笑/咲 “smile”
也 phonetic kanji* 依 “reliance, dependence”
優 “gentle, elegant” 絵 “picture, drawing”
陽 “day; sun” 衣 “clothing”
夜 “night” 生 “growth”**
野/埜 “field” 江 “inlet, bay”
英 “wisdom, brilliance”
瑛 “crystal”

* can refer to archaic auxiliary verb なり (nari) meaning “to be”
** mainly used in the form 弥生, usually read as Yayoi

Popularity:
In the late Edo period (1603-1868), based on data from Tsunoda and Collazo, an average of over 0.2% of females bore this name (at the time, mainly written phonetically), putting it outside the top 100 but inside the top 200. Usage grew in the Meiji period (1868-1912), peaking at well over 0.8% in the 1890s, inside the top 50. Like other names in use pre-20th century, it declined in popularity in the first half and by the late Shōwa period (1926-1989), the percentage fell to less than 0.05%.
By the mid-1990s, Yae was at its lowest point with percentages certainly not topping above 0.01% and sometimes not getting above 0.005%. This lasted into the early 2010s but, with the broadcast of the taiga drama ‘Yae no Sakura’ in 2013, its fortunes has somewhat changed. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, the average percentage from 2017-2020 is somewhere over 0.05%.

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

Uzuhi (うずひ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: uu-zuu-khee [ɯ̟́ᵝ.zɨ̀ᵝ.çì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name’s most common form is 太陽, taken from taiyō which refers to the sun. The 太 in Uzuhi seems to be taken from 太秦 (Uzumasa), a location situated within the Ukyō ward of Kyōto.
Other kanji can be used for this name, such as 優 meaning “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” for the first element, 日, another form of 陽, or 晃 meaning “brilliant, bright, dazzling” for the second element.

Popularity:
Usage of this name is extremely rare. Through my research, I’ve only found at least 5 examples by searching. Despite this, it seems that it is mainly used among younger generations, particularly those born after 2000.

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