saki

Sachi (さち)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: sah-chee [sá.tɕì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 幸/倖 (sachi) meaning “good luck, happiness.” The word itself (also applying to its bound/original form satsu) was originally used with relation to hunting (thus it is speculated to have a possible relation to Korean 살 (sal) meaning “arrow”) and the current meanings may have been adopted from the Chinese source.
Other single kanji used in relation to the ideas of good luck and happiness include 祥 meaning “blessedness, (good) omen” and 福 meaning “good fortune, happiness, blessing, good luck.” The aforementioned kanji can also be used as part of a 2-kanji combination on either element. The second element is mainly written as either 智/知 (chi) meaning “wisdom” or 千 (chi) meaning “thousand,” but can also be written as 茅, from chigaya which refers to cogon grass, or 稚 (chi) meaning “young, new.” As for the first element, it can be written as:

  • 紗 meaning “gauze”
  • 沙/砂 meaning “sand”
  • 早 meaning “early”
  • 佐 meaning “help”
  • 咲 meaning “blossom”
  • 彩/采 meaning “colouring”
  • 桜/櫻 meaning “cherry (tree, blossom)”
  • 嵯, part of 嵯峨 (saga) meaning “high and steep, precipitous”
  • 瑳 meaning “polish, shine”
  • 左 meaning “left”
  • 小 meaning “small”
  • 冴 meaning “clarity; skilfulness”
  • 裟, part of 袈裟 (kesa), referring to robes of fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns
  • 爽 meaning “fresh”
  • 才 meaning “ability, gift, talent”

Popularity:
Usage of this name since the latter part of the Edo period (1603-1868) is uncommon. Percentage wise, it generally stayed within the 0.1% range, from the late Edo period through to the 1930s and then from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s.
Regarding current popularity, it has fallen to below 0.1% since the mid-1990s, though it only occasionally drops below 0.05%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-21 names research, the average percentage from 2017-21 is just over 0.075%.

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Kasane (かさね)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: kah-sah–ne [kà.sá.né̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 重ね (kasane) meaning “pile, heap,” from the imperfective/continuative form of the verb 重ねる (kasaneru) meaning “to pile up, stack up, add layers.” Nowadays, it is far more common for this name to be written with multiple kanji, often 3 with the final kanji mostly written as 音 meaning “sound.” For the first 2, most of them used can be seen below:

ka (か) sa (さ)
花/華 “flower” 沙 “sand”
佳 “beautiful, good” 紗 “gauze”
香 “fragrance” 咲 “blossom”
加 “addition” 彩/采 “colouring”
果 “fruit” 早 “early”
風 “wind”

Occassionally, it can be written with 2 kanji, a ka kanji combined with the element 実/實 (sane) meaning “seed (of a fruit), pit, pip, stone; substance, essence, entity.” Other kanji for the second element include 真 meaning “pure, true” and 心 meaning “heart, mind.”

Popularity:
Overall usage for this name is rare, more so especially before the 1980s where only a few bearers of this name can be found, the majority of which being male. Since that decade however, it has become almost exclusively a feminine name, peaking at around 0.006% in 1994.

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Sarii (さりい)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: sah-rʸee: [sá.ɾʲìː]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is borrowed from the English name Sally, a diminutive of Sarah that is often used as an independent first name. As for how this name can be written, most of the kanji used can be seen in the table below:

sa (さ) ri (り) i (い)*
紗 “gauze” 里 “village” 衣 “clothing”
沙/砂 “sand” 梨 “pear” 依 “reliance, dependence”
彩 “colouring” 莉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 伊 phonetic kanji
咲 “blossom” 理 “reason, logic” 生 “live, exist”
早 “early” 璃 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli” 維 “tie, rope”
冴 “clarity; skilfulness” 吏 “officer” 以 phonetic kanji
利 “advantage, benefit”
俐 “clever”
李 “Japanese/Chinese plum”
麗 “lovely, beautiful”
鈴 “bell”
凛 “cold; dignified”

* can be elided

Popularity:
Much of its usage is concentrated on those born from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards. However, compared to the shorted form Sari, percentages never top 0.01% (they range from 0.002-0.007%).

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Musashi (むさし)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: muu-sah-shee [mɯ̟́ᵝ.sà.ɕì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is most commonly written as 武蔵/武藏, taken from Musashi Province which corresponds to today’s Tōkyō Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture (the place name is a shift from Old Japanese Muzashi (spelled as 无耶志, 牟射志, etc.). Individually, 武 and 蔵/藏 mean “valour, bravery” and “possession” respectively. Written this way, it was originally a ‘hyakkanna’ (see Yohē for more) taken from that province (one case of usage being Miyamoto Musashi).
It is not known exactly where and how the placename originated but this Wiktionary page (first expanded upon in 2017) provides two theories to its etymology:

  • Shortening of 身狭下 (Musa-shimo), referring to the lower (northern) portion of earlier, larger 身狭 (Musa)
    • the page mentions that this theory may be that of a folk etymology
  • Borrowed from Ainu, from hypothetical ムンサリ (mun-sar-i)/ムンサリヒ (mun-sar-ihi) referring to marsh/wetland of weeds or useless plants, or possibly ムンサシㇼ (mun sa shir) with individual meanings of “grass, weeds,” “plain” and “land”
    • the two hypothetical forms were proposed by linguist Alexander Vovin, noting the province’s location in the middle of the Kantō Plain, though John Batchelor’s 1905 Ainu dictionary and grammar, used for the third form, makes no mention of a possessive suffix –i/ihi
    • the Ainu derivation for Musashi can also be backed up by how some sounds had shifted from Proto-Japonic to Old Japanese, particularly the voiced consonants b, d, z and g which occurred as a shift from nasal-obstruent clusters in Proto-Japonic (*mp, *nt, *ns, *nk)

With modern-day usage, other forms of this name are used, though rare/very uncommon compared to the main form. Some of the kanji in use can be seen in the table below:

mu (む) sa (さ)* shi (し)
夢 “dream” 冴 “clarity; skilfulness” 士°/侍 “man°; samurai”
結 “join, union, connecting; knot” 咲 “blossom” 志 “will, aim, goal”
沙 “sand” 心 “heart, mind”
宰 “chief, head, manager” 司 “office”

* can be elided

Popularity:
Post-Meiji restoration, the name was rarely used among the wider population from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. Regarding usage from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards, in 1990, it was given to less than 0.015%, remaining stable until 1998 when it began rising. After peaking at over 0.05% in 2002, it dropped back below 0.02% by 2009. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my 2014-20 names research, the average percentage from 2017-2020 is around 0.015%.

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Sasuke (さすけ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: sah-ske [sà.sɨ̥́ᵝ.ké̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is most commonly written as 佐助, both kanji generally refers to assistance, help or support. Other kanji with this reference can also be used in the second element, such as 介, 輔, 丞, etc. As for the first element, any kanji with the reading sa can be used, such as:

  • 咲 meaning “blossom”
  • 沙 meaning “sand”
  • 桜 meaning “cherry (tree, blossom)”
  • 冴 meaning “clarity; skilfulness”
  • 瑳 meaning “polish, shine”
  • 作 meaning “work, production”
  • 彩 meaning “colouring”
  • 紗 meaning “gauze”
  • 颯 meaning “quick, sudden”
  • 三 meaning “three”

Popularity:
This name was most commonly used before the 20th century. Based on Edo period (1603-1868) villager data from Collazo and merchant data compiled by Issendai + passenger lists from before the Second World War, percentages range from just under 0.1% to just over 0.2%.
Regarding its usage from the Heisei period (1989-2019) onwards, it was rarely used throughout the 1990s and 2000s, though it was used slightly more in the latter decade at more or less 0.005%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, usage of this name had increased somewhat in the second half of the 2010s with an average percentage of more than 0.02%.

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Hisaki (ひさき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Generally unisex
Pronunciation: khsah-kʸee~khsah–kʸee [çì̥.sá.kʲì]~[çì̥.sá.kʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The way this name is written is usually dependent on the gender of the bearer. For males, the first element is derived from the stem 久 (hisa), referring to a long time that has passed (can also written as 寿, referring to longevity, 永 meaning “eternity” or 弥 meaning “increase”). The second element can be written as 樹 meaning “tree,” 輝/暉 meaning “brightness, brilliance,” 喜 meaning “delight, pleasure,” among other ki kanji.
For females, it is mainly written as a combination of a hi kanji, like 陽/日 meaning “day, sun,” or 柊, referring to the false holly,” and 咲 (saki) meaning “blossom.”

Popularity:
Usage of this name is rather uncommon for both genders. Throughout the late 19th century and stretching into the 20th century, it was mostly used as a masculine name. Percentages peaked near or at around the 0.02% mark at some point from the 1960s to the 1990s.
Since the mid-2000s, this name has been given to more girls than boys. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, the average percentages for that time frame are around or over 0.045% for girls and around 0.01% for boys.

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

Himawari (ひまわり)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: khee-mah-wah-rʸee [çì.má.ɰᵝà.ɾʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name comes from the word 向日葵 (himawari) meaning “sunflower,” derived from a combination of 日 (hi) meaning “sun” and 回り (mawari) meaning “rotation,” based around the misconception that the (fully grown) sunflowers follow the direction of the sun.
Combinations stemming from 向日葵 can be used, like 日向葵, 日葵/陽葵, 陽咲/日咲 and 日向咲 (咲 meaning “blossom”).

Popularity:
Usage of this name is relatively recent, starting to rise in usage from 1993. However, compared to its shorter form Himari, it’s not as popular, only having been used by 0.03% or more of baby girls since the mid-2000s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, the average percentage in that time frame is over 0.04% with a few years going below that mark.

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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.

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

Satsuki (さつき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female, can be male as well
Pronunciation: sah-tskʸee [sà.tsɨ̥́ᵝ.kʲí]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 五月/皐月 (satsuki) (皐 is also used for this name), which archaically referred to the the fifth month of the lunar calendar but is now used in poetic contexts to refer to the month of May. It also refers to a type of azalea known as Rhododendron indicum, so named because of the timing of its usual blooming. As explained on Wiktionary, some sources derive the word from a possible contraction of the synonym 早苗月 (sanaedzuki). Some others however point to an ancient word さ (sa) as the first element, relating to rice and used in many ancient terms relating to the rice plant.
As for other ways to write this name, there are two pathways which relate to gender proportion. The first one is mostly feminine and it is most commonly written as a sa+月 combination, kanji in the first element including 咲 meaning “blossom,” 沙/砂 meaning “sand,” 彩 meaning “colouring,” 紗 meaning “gauze,” so on and so forth. The second element can be substituted with a tsu+ki combination, combining either 津 (tsu) meaning “harbour, haven” or 都 (tsu) meaning “metropolis” with a ki kanji, such as 希/稀, either meaning “rare” or part of 希望 (kibō) meaning “hope, wish, aspiration,” 姫 meaning “princess,” 季 meaning “season” or 樹/木 meaning “tree.”
The second one is mainly masculine with a significant feminine minority and it is most commonly written with a combination of 颯 meaning “sudden, quick” (others including 皐 and 幸/倖, the latter meaning “good luck, happiness”) and a ki kanji or 月.

Popularity:
Satsuki has been used as a feminine name since the late Nara period (710-794), back then suffixed with 賣/女 (-me). However, it wasn’t until the Meiji period (1868-1912) that its usage began to rise (for both genders). The name first peaked in usage for females in the 1900s and 1910s, ranking within the bottom quarter of the top 100 with percentage levels at slightly below 0.3%.
In the following decades, female percentages would maintain within the 0.1% range, not touching the top 100, stretching into the 1990s and 2000s by which point masculine usage would rise into the 0.02% and 0.03% levels by 2000. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage for baby girls is over 0.23% with the percentage for boys at over 0.05%, representing a slight increase in overall popularity compared to the previous decade.

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

Sayuki (さゆき)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: sah-yuu–kʸee [sà.jɯ̟́ᵝ.kʲí]

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

sa (さ) yuki (ゆき)
紗 “gauze” 雪 “snow”
沙/砂 “sand” 幸/倖 “good luck, happiness”
咲 “blossom” 由 “reason, cause” 希/稀 “rare;” part of 希望 (kibō) “hope, wish, aspiration”
早 “early” 優 “gentle, elegant; excellence, superiority” 紀 “account, chronicle”
彩/采 “colouring” 友 “friend” 姫 “princess”
桜 “cherry (tree, blossom)” 佑/祐 “help” 季 “season”
佐 “help” 有 “existence” 貴 “precious, valuable”
冴 “clarity; skilfulness” 夕 “evening”

Popularity:
Though it was used in the early 20th century, it was very rare compared to its usage in the Heisei period (1989-) onward. In 1990, it was given to only around 0.006% of girls. Though it went up and down in usage for the next few years, by 1996, it rose to over 0.015%, gradually shifting upwards for the next 10 years or so. By 2007, over 0.065% of girls received this name. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, percentage levels for Sayuki had stabilised within the 0.05-7% range.

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