Japanese Last Names

These Japanese last names are real family names from across Japan, listed A to Z with their kanji and meanings. Most describe the landscape, so a name like Yamamoto or Kobayashi reads almost like a short description of a place.

300 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Abe 阿部

Ancient clan name of uncertain meaning
Adachi 足立

Standing foot; district of Tokyo
Akiyama 秋山

Autumn mountain
Akutagawa 芥川

Mustard river; famed author's name
Amano 天野

Heavenly field
Ando 安藤

Peace + wisteria; Fujiwara branch
Aoki 青木

Green tree
Aoyama 青山

Green mountain
Arai 新井

New well
Arakawa 荒川

Wild river
Araki 荒木

Wild tree
Asano 浅野

Shallow field; daimyo clan
Ashikaga 足利

Shogun dynasty from Ashikaga town
Ayanokoji 綾小路

Twill lane; aristocratic Kyoto family

B

Baba 馬場

Horse-riding ground

C

Chiba 千葉

Thousand leaves
Chosokabe 長宗我部

Daimyo clan of Shikoku

D

Date 伊達

Daimyo clan of Sendai; stylish
Dazai 太宰

Great governor; Dazaifu official

E

Endo 遠藤

Far + wisteria; Fujiwara of Totomi province
Enomoto 榎本

Base of the hackberry tree

F

Fujii 藤井

Wisteria well
Fujimoto 藤本

Base of the wisteria
Fujino 藤野

Wisteria field
Fujisawa 藤沢

Wisteria swamp
Fujita 藤田

Wisteria rice field
Fujiwara 藤原

Wisteria plain; ancient noble clan
Fukuda 福田

Fortunate rice field
Fukuhara 福原

Fortunate plain
Fukui 福井

Fortunate well
Fukushima 福島

Fortunate island
Furukawa 古川

Old river
Furuta 古田

Old rice field
Fuwa 不破

Unbreakable

G

Goto 後藤

Literally after + wisteria; Fujiwara branch

H

Hamada 浜田

Beach rice field
Hamaguchi 浜口

Beach entrance
Hamasaki 浜崎

Beach cape
Hanada 花田

Flower rice field
Hanazawa 花沢

Flower swamp
Hara 原

Plain; meadow
Harada 原田

Rice field on the plain
Hasegawa 長谷川

Long valley river
Hashimoto 橋本

Base of the bridge
Hattori 服部

Clothing guild; ancient weaver clan
Hayakawa 早川

Swift river
Hayashi 林

Forest; grove
Hidaka 日高

High sun
Higashi 東

East
Higashiyama 東山

East mountain
Higuchi 樋口

Mouth of the water channel
Hino 日野

Sun field
Hirai 平井

Flat well
Hirano 平野

Flat plain
Hirata 平田

Flat rice field
Hirayama 平山

Flat mountain
Hirose 広瀬

Wide rapids
Hojo 北条

Northern strip; Kamakura regent clan
Honda 本田

Original rice field
Honjo 本庄

Original manor
Hori 堀

Moat; canal
Horie 堀江

Moat inlet
Horiuchi 堀内

Inside the moat
Hoshi 星

Star
Hoshikawa 星川

Star river
Hoshino 星野

Star field
Hosokawa 細川

Narrow river; noble clan

I

Ichijo 一条

First avenue; Kyoto noble house
Ichikawa 市川

Market river
Ichimura 市村

Market village
Ichinose 一ノ瀬

First rapids
Igarashi 五十嵐

Fifty storms
Ii 井伊

Well; Hikone daimyo clan
Iida 飯田

Cooked-rice field
Ikeda 池田

Pond rice field
Imagawa 今川

Present river; Sengoku daimyo clan
Imai 今井

New well
Inoue 井上

Above the well
Ishibashi 石橋

Stone bridge
Ishida 石田

Stone rice field
Ishiguro 石黒

Black stone
Ishihara 石原

Stone plain
Ishii 石井

Stone well
Ishikawa 石川

Stone river
Ishizaki 石崎

Stone cape
Isobe 磯部

Rocky shore section
Ito 伊藤

Wisteria of Ise; Fujiwara descent
Iwabuchi 岩渕

Rocky pool
Iwai 岩井

Rock well
Iwamoto 岩本

Base of the rock
Iwasaki 岩崎

Rock cape
Iwata 岩田

Rock rice field

K

Kagami 鏡

Mirror
Kagawa 香川

Fragrant river
Kaji 梶

Oar; paper mulberry tree
Kajiwara 梶原

Oar plain; Kamakura warrior clan
Kamiya 神谷

Divine valley
Kanda 神田

Divine rice field; shrine field
Kaneda 金田

Gold rice field
Kaneko 金子

Gold child
Kanno 菅野

Sedge field
Kanzaki 神崎

Divine cape
Kashiwagi 柏木

Oak tree
Katayama 片山

One-sided mountain
Kato 加藤

Wisteria of Kaga; Fujiwara branch
Katsura 桂

Katsura tree
Kawabata 川端

Riverbank
Kawada 川田

River rice field
Kawaguchi 川口

River mouth
Kawahara 川原

Riverbed; river plain
Kawai 河合

River junction
Kawakami 川上

Upper river
Kawamoto 川本

Base of the river
Kawamura 川村

River village
Kawano 河野

River field
Kawasaki 川崎

River cape
Kawashima 川島

River island
Kikuchi 菊池

Chrysanthemum pond
Kimura 木村

Tree village
Kinoshita 木下

Under the tree
Kirishima 霧島

Misty island
Kishi 岸

Shore; riverbank
Kishimoto 岸本

Base of the shore
Kita 北

North
Kitagawa 北川

North river
Kitamura 北村

North village
Kitano 北野

North field
Kobayashi 小林

Small forest
Kojima 小島

Small island
Kondo 近藤

Near + wisteria; Fujiwara of Omi province
Konishi 小西

Small west
Konoe 近衛

Imperial guard; Fujiwara regent house
Kubo 久保

Hollow; long-lasting protection
Kubota 久保田

Rice field in the hollow
Kudo 工藤

Craft + wisteria; Fujiwara who served as a carpentry official
Kujo 九条

Ninth avenue; Kyoto noble house
Kumagai 熊谷

Bear valley
Kuramoto 倉本

Base of the storehouse
Kurihara 栗原

Chestnut plain
Kuriyama 栗山

Chestnut mountain
Kuroda 黒田

Black rice field; daimyo clan of Fukuoka
Kuroki 黒木

Black tree
Kurosawa 黒沢

Black swamp
Kusanagi 草彅

Grass cutter
Kuwabara 桑原

Mulberry plain

M

Maeda 前田

Front rice field
Maruyama 丸山

Round mountain
Masuda 増田

Increasing rice field
Matsubara 松原

Pine plain
Matsuda 松田

Pine rice field
Matsui 松井

Pine well
Matsumoto 松本

Base of the pine tree
Matsuo 松尾

Pine tail; foot of the pine
Matsushita 松下

Under the pine tree
Matsuura 松浦

Pine bay
Matsuyama 松山

Pine mountain
Matsuzaki 松崎

Pine cape
Minami 南

South
Minamoto 源

Origin; imperial-descended clan
Mishima 三島

Three islands
Mitsui 三井

Three wells
Miura 三浦

Three bays
Miyake 三宅

Three houses; from miyake, an imperial granary estate
Miyamoto 宮本

Base of the shrine
Miyata 宮田

Shrine rice field
Miyazaki 宮崎

Shrine cape
Miyoshi 三好

Three good things
Mizoguchi 溝口

Ditch mouth
Mizuno 水野

Water field
Mochizuki 望月

Full moon
Mogami 最上

Highest; Tohoku daimyo clan
Mori 森

Forest
Morimoto 森本

Base of the forest
Morita 森田

Forest rice field
Moriyama 森山

Forest mountain
Murakami 村上

Above the village
Murata 村田

Village rice field

N

Nabeshima 鍋島

Pot island; Saga daimyo clan
Nagai 永井

Eternal well
Nagano 長野

Long field
Nagaoka 長岡

Long hill
Nagashima 長島

Long island
Nagata 永田

Eternal rice field
Nakagawa 中川

Middle river
Nakahara 中原

Middle plain
Nakai 中井

Middle well
Nakajima 中島

Middle island
Nakamura 中村

Middle village
Nakanishi 中西

Middle west
Nakano 中野

Middle field
Nakao 中尾

Middle ridge
Nakata 中田

Middle rice field
Nakayama 中山

Middle mountain
Nakazawa 中沢

Middle swamp
Natsume 夏目

Summer eye; jujube tree
Nijo 二条

Second avenue; Kyoto noble house
Ninomiya 二宮

Second shrine
Nishi 西

West
Nishida 西田

West rice field
Nishikawa 西川

West river
Nishimura 西村

West village
Nishino 西野

West field
Nishio 西尾

West ridge
Nishiyama 西山

West mountain
Noda 野田

Field rice paddy
Noguchi 野口

Field entrance
Nomura 野村

Field village

O

Oda 織田

Weaving rice field; warlord Nobunaga's clan
Ogasawara 小笠原

Small bamboo-hat plain; samurai clan
Ogata 緒方

Thread direction; ancient Kyushu clan
Ogawa 小川

Small river
Ogura 小倉

Small storehouse
Ohara 大原

Great plain
Ohashi 大橋

Great bridge
Ohno 大野

Great field
Oishi 大石

Big stone
Okada 岡田

Hill rice field
Okamoto 岡本

Base of the hill
Okuda 奥田

Inner rice field
Okumura 奥村

Inner village
Okuyama 奥山

Inner mountain
Onishi 大西

Great west
Ono 小野

Small field
Onodera 小野寺

Small field temple
Oshima 大島

Large island
Ota 太田

Great rice field
Otani 大谷

Great valley
Otomo 大友

Great friend; Kyushu daimyo clan
Otsuka 大塚

Large mound
Oyama 小山

Small mountain
Ozaki 尾崎

Tail of the cape
Ozawa 小沢

Small swamp

R

Ryuzoji 龍造寺

Dragon-built temple; Kyushu clan

S

Saito 斎藤

Purification wisteria; Fujiwara branch
Sakaguchi 坂口

Entrance to the slope
Sakai 酒井

Sake well
Sakamoto 坂本

Base of the slope
Sakata 坂田

Slope rice field
Sakurai 桜井

Cherry blossom well
Sano 佐野

Helping field
Sasaki 佐々木

Helping tree
Sato 佐藤

Helper of the Fujiwara; help + wisteria
Sawada 沢田

Swamp rice field
Shibata 柴田

Brushwood rice field
Shimada 島田

Island rice field
Shimizu 清水

Pure water
Shinohara 篠原

Bamboo-grass plain
Shirai 白井

White well
Sonoda 園田

Garden rice field
Sugawara 菅原

Sedge plain; ancient scholarly clan
Sugihara 杉原

Cedar plain
Sugimoto 杉本

Base of the cedar
Sugita 杉田

Cedar rice field
Sugiyama 杉山

Cedar mountain
Suzuki 鈴木

Bell tree

T

Taguchi 田口

Rice field entrance
Takada 高田

High rice field
Takagi 高木

Tall tree
Takahashi 高橋

Tall bridge
Takano 高野

High field
Takeda 武田

Warrior rice field; famous samurai clan
Takemoto 竹本

Base of the bamboo
Takeshita 竹下

Under the bamboo
Takeuchi 竹内

Within the bamboo
Tamura 田村

Rice field village
Tanabe 田辺

Beside the rice field
Tanaka 田中

In the middle of the rice field
Tanigawa 谷川

Valley river
Taniguchi 谷口

Valley mouth
Terada 寺田

Temple rice field
Tokuda 徳田

Virtue rice field
Tominaga 富永

Eternal wealth
Tomita 富田

Wealthy rice field
Toyoda 豊田

Abundant rice field
Tsuda 津田

Harbor rice field

U

Uchida 内田

Inner rice field
Ueda 上田

Upper rice field
Uehara 上原

Upper plain
Ueno 上野

Upper field

W

Wada 和田

Harmony rice field
Watanabe 渡辺

Around the ferry crossing

Y

Yamada 山田

Mountain rice field
Yamaguchi 山口

Mountain entrance
Yamamoto 山本

Base of the mountain
Yamamura 山村

Mountain village
Yamanaka 山中

In the mountains
Yamane 山根

Mountain root
Yamaoka 山岡

Mountain hill
Yamashita 山下

Below the mountain
Yamazaki 山崎

Mountain cape
Yasuda 安田

Peaceful rice field
Yasui 安井

Peaceful well
Yokoi 横井

Side well
Yokota 横田

Side rice field
Yokoyama 横山

Side mountain
Yoshida 吉田

Lucky rice field
Yoshikawa 吉川

Lucky river
Yoshimura 吉村

Lucky village
Yoshino 吉野

Lucky field; cherry blossom region
Yoshioka 吉岡

Lucky hill

Generate random japanese surnames

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Kaneko

金子

Gold child
Nishikawa

西川

West river
Sugimoto

杉本

Base of the cedar
Aoyama

青山

Green mountain
Onishi

大西

Great west
Iida

飯田

Cooked-rice field

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How Japanese surnames are built from landscape words

Most Japanese surnames are written with two kanji, and the majority describe a feature of the land where a family once lived or farmed. Yama means mountain, kawa or gawa means river, ta or da means rice field, mura means village and moto means base or origin. Put them together and you get Yamamoto, the base of the mountain, Nakamura, the middle village, and Tanaka, the middle of the rice field. Knowing a handful of these pieces lets you read the meaning of many names in the list above.

Other common elements include shima or jima (island), hashi (bridge), mori (forest), hara (field or plain), saki or zaki (cape) and ki or gi (tree). Because kanji can be read in more than one way, the same written name sometimes has two pronunciations, and two different names can sound identical. The romanized spelling also varies. Ito may appear as Itoh or Itō, and Ono may be written Ohno, depending on whether a family marks the long vowel and how its passport was first issued.

Common last names in Japan and their history

Sato (佐藤) and Suzuki (鈴木) sit at the top of most national rankings, followed by Takahashi, Tanaka, Ito, Watanabe, Yamamoto, Nakamura, Kobayashi and Kato. Sato, Ito and Kato all end in the character 藤, meaning wisteria, a nod to the powerful Fujiwara clan. Branch families added a first character to show a post or a province, so Kato is traditionally read as the Fujiwara of Kaga, and Sato is often explained as a Fujiwara who held an assistant's office.

For most of Japanese history only nobles, samurai and some wealthy commoners used surnames officially. That changed in the Meiji era. A law of 1875 required every household to register a family name, and many farmers and townspeople chose one quickly, often taking the name of their village, a nearby landmark or a local lord. This late and rapid adoption helps explain why Japan has such an enormous variety of surnames today, many of them rare and tied to a single district.

Japanese last names for boys and fictional characters

Japanese surnames are not gendered. A brother and sister share the same family name, and under current law a married couple must also share one, which in practice usually means the wife takes the husband's name. When people look for Japanese last names for boys, they usually want a surname that sounds strong for a male character, and that comes from meaning and sound rather than grammar. Takeda (warrior field), Kurosawa (black swamp) and Ishida (stone field) all have a firm, clipped sound.

For a softer feel, look for names built on flowers, water and trees, such as Sakurai (cherry blossom well), Mizuno (water field) or Hayashi (forest). Keep name order in mind too. In Japanese the family name comes first, so the novelist Murakami Haruki is Haruki Murakami on most English book covers. Since 2020 official Japanese government documents in English have used family name first. Okinawan names such as Higa, Kinjo and Shimabukuro add a distinct regional note to a cast.

Frequently asked questions

What are some common last names in Japan?

Sato and Suzuki usually rank first and second, followed by Takahashi, Tanaka, Ito, Watanabe, Yamamoto, Nakamura, Kobayashi and Kato. Most of these describe places, such as Yamamoto (base of the mountain), or link back to the Fujiwara clan through the wisteria character.

Are Japanese last names different for men and women?

No. Japanese surnames have no masculine or feminine forms, so siblings of any gender share one family name. Given names carry the gender, often through endings like -ko or -mi for girls and -ro or -ta for boys, although modern parents often break these patterns.

Why do some Japanese surnames have two spellings in English?

Romanization differs. Long vowels may be marked with a macron (Itō), an h (Itoh), a doubled letter (Itou) or not at all (Ito). Families and passports settle on one form, so the same kanji name can appear several ways. The list above uses the simplest common spelling.

Can I use these names for an anime or manga character?

Yes. Every name in the list is a real surname, so it will feel authentic to readers who know Japanese. Check the meaning before choosing, since some names carry strong images, and remember that Japanese stories usually give the family name first when characters are introduced formally.