fly

Tabito (たびと)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: tah-bʸee-to [tá.bʲì.tò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name comes from 旅人 (tabito; usually tabibito), referring to a traveller, a wayfarer or tourist. The second kanji can be substituted with other ones with the reading to, like 斗, referring to the Chinese constellation known as the Dipper, 翔 meaning “fly, soar,” 都 meaning “metropolis” or 登 meaning “ascent.” Another way to write this name is combining a ta kanji, e.g. 田 meaning “rice field/paddy,” and 人.

Popularity:
Overall usage for this name is rare. Aside from late Asuka/early Nara-period court noble, military leader and poet Ōtomo no Tabito (665-731) being one early example, modern usage of this name, from available evidence, goes back to at least the 1900s. Regarding usage levels from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards, in an average year, around 0.001-2% of boys receive this name, though it can occassionally rise to 0.003% or above.

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Kiito (きいと)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male, can be female as well
Pronunciation: kʸee-ee-to [kʲí.ì.tò̞]~kʸee:-to [kʲíì.tò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
How this name is written is mainly gender-dependent. For males, it mainly revolves around combining a ki kanji, like 希/稀, either meaning “rare” or part of 希望 (kibō) meaning “hope, wish, aspiration,” 季 meaning “season,” 葵, referring to a mallow (e.g. hollyhock) or a wild ginger or part of 向日葵 (himawari) meaning “sunflower,” or 輝 meaning “brightness, brilliance,” and a to kanji, such as 斗, referring to the Chinese constellation known as the Dipper, 叶 meaning “grant, answer,” 人 meaning “person” or 翔 meaning “fly, soar.” An i kanji can sometimes be added in the middle and they include 唯 meaning “only,” 依 meaning “reliance, dependence” and 偉 meaning “greatness.”
The second element of this name can also be written as 糸 (ito) meaning “thread, yarn, string” (mainly feminine) along with other related kanji, e.g. 絃/弦 meaning “(bow)string,” (mainly masculine) or it can be written as 愛, from the stem of adjective 愛しい (itoshii) meaning “lovely, dear, beloved.”
The single kanji 純, meaning “pure, genuine,” is also used for both genders, taken from the word 生糸 (kiito), referring to a raw silk thread.

Popularity:
This name is mostly used on those born in the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards, especially those born since the early 2010s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, average percentages for boys and girls from 2017-20 are just over 0.020% and under 0.005% respectively.

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

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.

Hidaka (ひだか)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: khee-dah-kah [çí.dà.kà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name revolves around a combination of a hi kanji, like 陽/日 meaning “day, sun” or 飛 meaning “fly, soar,” and, for the most part, a kanji with meanings stemming from the adjective 高い (takai) meaning “high, tall,” such as 嵩 meaning “bulk, volume, quantity,” 貴/尊 meaning “precious, valuable,” 崇 meaning “respect,” 天 meaning “sky” or 岳 meaning “peak; mountain.” The second element can also be written as 鷹, which refers to a hawk (in this case, mainly used for the combination 飛鷹).

Popularity:
Much of its usage is concentrated on those born from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards. Percentages throughout the 1990s and 2000s peak at no more than 0.005%, though it would end up rising to over 0.01% by 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.

Takuto (たくと)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: tah-kto [tá.kɯ̟̥̀ᵝ.tò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most of the kanji used are listed in the table below:

taku (たく) to (と)*
拓 “opening” 翔/飛 “fly, soar”
卓 “preeminence, excellence; table, desk” 人 “person”
琢 “polish, shine” 斗 “the Dipper”
匠/巧/工 “workman, artisan; craft” 登 “ascent”
逞 “burly, strong; robust” 音 “sound”
択 “choice, option” 都 “metropolis”
託 “entrusting” 叶 “grant, answer”
太 “plump, thick” 空 “sky” 杜 “shrine grove”
大 “big, large”* 久 “long time” 士 “warrior; samurai”
玖 “black jewel; nine” 仁 “benevolence, compassion, humanity”
豊 “abundant, wealthy, plentiful, rich”
隼 “peregrine falcon”
虎 “tiger”
永 “eternity”
澄 “lucidity, transparency”
心 “heart, mind”
渡 “crossing, passage”

Also used for this name are 奏音 (奏 meaning “playing music”) and 揮 (rarely used) which refers to an act of wielding and brandishing. Both examples are derived from German, the first from the word Takt, in this case a musical term for time or a bar/measure, the second shortened from Taktstock, referring to a conductor’s baton (in Japanese, タクト is used for this word as well as 指揮棒).

Popularity:
In use since the Meiji period (1868-1912), usage of this name remained rare to very uncommon until the second half of the 1980s when it began rising. By 1990, over 0.16% of boys received this name. The name ranked within the top 100 from the late 1990s to the late 2010s with percentages up above 0.3% for much of the 2000s and 2010s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well my 2014-20 names research, the average percentage in 2020 is below 0.14%, below the top 150.

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

Raito (らいと)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: rah-ee-to [ɾá.ì.tò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Normally, this name follows a rai+to kanji combination, some of the kanji used shown in the table below:

rai (らい) to (と)
來/来/徠 “arrival” 斗 “the Dipper”
頼 “request, favour; trust” 翔/飛 “fly, soar”
礼 “gratitude; manners; gift” 人 “person”
蕾 “bud” 叶 “grant, answer”
雷 “lightning, thunder” 音 “sound”
麗 “lovely, beautiful” 都 “metropolis”
萊/莱 “goosefoot” 大 “big, large”
良 “good” 偉 “greatness” 虎 “tiger”
羅 “thin silk, gauze” 杜 “shrine grove”
采 part of 采配 (saihai) “order, command”
心 “heart, mind”
門 “gate”

You may notice that Raito also transcribes to the English word light. It is indeed the case that, sometimes (especially among babies born from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards), kanji either related to the word or otherwise used for image conjuring are used, like 光 meaning “light; ray, beam, glow,” 月 meaning “moon,” 輝 meaning “brightness, brilliance” and 煌 meaning “glitter, sparkle.” While single kanji are used for this name, they are more likely to be combined with a to kanji or another kanji with some sort of connection to light, examples of the latter being 煌月, 輝星 and 月輝.

Popularity:
In use since at least the 1920s, much of its usage is concentrated on those born in the Heisei period onwards. In 1990, it was only given to around 0.005% of boys, remaining stable until the late 1990s when it began to rise in usage. By the late 2000s, well over 0.12% of boys received this name.
Based on my 2014-20 names research, by 2014, it already ranked in the top 100 with 0.253% of boys receiving this name and peaking at 0.332% and ranking 74th in 2015. By 2020, it fell to around 0.104%, just above the top 200 threshold (when combined with Baby Calendar rankings data, the 2020 percentage increased to just below 0.12%).

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

Haruma (はるま)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: hah-ruu-mah [há.ɾɯ̟̀ᵝ.mà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is a combination of the element haru and a ma kanji, most of them included in the list below:

  • 真/眞 meaning “truth”
  • 馬 meaning “horse”
  • 磨/摩 meaning “polish, shine”
  • 慎/愼 meaning “careful, discreet”
  • 誠 meaning “truth, reality”
  • 翔 meaning “fly, soar”
  • 雅 meaning “refinement, elegance”
  • 麻 meaning “hemp, flax”
  • 守 meaning “protection”
  • 万 meaning “ten thousand”
  • 舞 meaning “dance”
  • 茉, part of 茉莉 (matsuri) referring to the Arabian jasmine
  • 希/稀 meaning “rare”
  • 将 meaning “exact, precise”
  • 大 meaning “big, large”
  • 満 meaning “full, whole”
  • 優 meaning “excellence, superiority”
  • 天 meaning “sky”

Popularity:
Usage of this name was somewhat rare up until the 1990s when it began to slowly rise in popularity, from over 0.01% in 1990 to over 0.04% by 2000. The rise steepened throughout the 2000s, rising to over 0.15% by 2007 before entering the top 100 for the first time by 2008. By 2009, it was given to well over 0.45% of baby boys, no doubt influenced by the now late actor Miura Haruma.
Based on my preliminary 2014-20 names research combined with survey data from Meiji Yasuda Life and Tamahiyo (+ Baby Calendar in later years), the name peaked in popularity in 2014 with the percentage averaging at well over 1.1%, placing it within the top 10. As of 2020, based on the aforementioned sources, the calculated percentage sits at well over 0.5%, ranking within the bottom half of the top 50.

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

Naoto (なおと)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: nah-o-to [ná.ò̞.tò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The most common form of this name is 直人, a combination of 直 (nao) meaning “ordinary, common; straight” and 人 (to) meaning “person.” Other kanji used for this name can be seen in the table below:

nao (なお) to (と)
尚/猶 “furthermore; still” 登 “ascent”
真 “pure, true” 翔/飛 “fly, soar”
誠 “truth, reality” 斗 “the Dipper”
治 “govern, manage” 都 “metropolis”
修 “discipline” 杜 “shrine grove”
有 “existing” 大 “large, big”
純 “innocent, chaste” 利 “sharp”
奈 phonetic kanji 央 “middle, centre” 仁 “benevolence, compassion, humanity”
那 phonetic kanji 生 “grow” 叶 “grant, answer”
七 “seven” 和 “harmony, peace” 士 “warrior; samurai”
渡 “crossing, passage”
永 “eternity”
澄 “lucidity, transparency”

Alternatively, this name can be written with a combination of a na kanji, like 七, 夏 meaning “summer,” or 凪 meaning “calm, lull,” and 音 (oto) meaning “sound.”

Popularity:
Usage of this name from the early Meiji period (1868-1912) to the late Shōwa period (1926-1989) was fairly uncommon with percentage not rising above 0.1% until the mid-1950s. Even from the 1950s to the 1970s, it did not rank within the top 100 with percentages ranging from 0.1% to just above 0.2%.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that Naoto started to continuously rank within the top 100 with percentages above 0.25% at any given year in that decade. By 1990, it was given to over 0.4% of boys, though it dropped back outside the top 100 before the new millennium. By 2009, usage levels fell below 0.1% but based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-20 names research, it did rise back above 0.1% with an average percentage of around 0.13%.

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

Sorato (そらと)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: so-rah-to [só̞.ɾà.tò̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is made up of Sora (in this case, usually written as 空 meaning “sky”) and a to kanji, some of which include:

  • 翔/飛 meaning “fly, soar”
  • 斗, referring to the Chinese constellation known as the Dipper
  • 燈 meaning “light, lamp”
  • 音 meaning “sound”
  • 叶 meaning “grant, answer”
  • 人 meaning “person”
  • 士 meaning “warrior; samurai”
  • 仁 meaning “benevolence, compassion, humanity”
  • 都 meaning “metropolis”
  • 渡 meaning “crossing, passage”
  • 杜 meaning “shrine grove”
  • 冬 meaning “winter”

Popularity:
With the rise of Sora in the Heisei period (1989-2019), usage of Sorato picked up accordingly. In 1990, it was only given to around 0.001% of boys, rising to around 0.010% by 2000 and over 0.03% by 2007. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage for that time frame is over 0.06%.

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.