45 gender-neutral Japanese baby names and their beautiful meanings

Whether you have Japanese heritage you’d like to honour, or simply a fondness for Eastern cultures, there are plenty of reasons to choose a beautiful Japanese-inspired name for your baby.

From its iconic cherry blossoms, to its historic castles, ancient temples and tiny rural towns, Japan is a place of wonder and beauty. Perhaps it’s the incredible cuisine, creative manga and anime art or the ridiculously cool technology that comes out of Japan that has you intrigued. Or maybe you’re looking to give a nod to your own culture and heritage.

Whatever your reason, you’ll love the extensive list of gender-neutral names taking inspiration from Japanese language, culture and beauty below.

45 gender-neutral Japanese baby names and their beautiful meanings

Akira This popular name means “bright”, “clear”, and “ideal”. Often making an appearance in manga and video games, it’s proving more and more popular in Western culture too.

Aoi Pronounced “ow-ee” this sweet name means “bluish”.

Aoki Often a Japanese surname, this adorable name means “blue tree”.

Enkai This nature name means “deep ocean waters”.

Hachi While Hachi translates more commonly to “eight”,  and is also known as “good fortune” and “wise leaf”.

Harue This sweet name means “Springtime Bay“.

Hikaru A beautiful gender-neutral that means “light” and “radiance”.

Hinata A beautiful flower name that means “sunflower”.

Hiromi This wealth name means “abundant”, “rich” and “fertile”.

Ichigo A cute, fruity name that means “strawberry” or, in it’s masculine form: “best guardian”.

Jin This gender-neutral name means “tenderness”. It also means “gold” in Chinese and “truth” in Korean.

Kairi The name Kairi is a beautiful gender-neutral nature name meaning “sea”.

Kana This strong name means “powerful”.

Kaoru A gorgeous name that means “fragrant” and “balmy”.

Katana This popular name means “honourable” or “sword”.

Kazumi A loving name that means “beautiful peace”.

Kin This name means “golden” and “pleasure”. In English, the word kin means “family”.

Kiyoshi This gender-neutral name means “bright”, “shining” and “clear”.

Kohaku A beautiful gem name that means “amber”.

Kosuke A popular name that means “rising sun”

Kozue A sweet nature name that means “tree branches”.

Kumi This unique Japanese name means “long period of time” or “beautiful”.

Kyo An adorable fruit name that means “apricot”. It also can mean “village” or “unite”.

Maemi The sweet meaning of gender-neutral name, Maemi is “smile of truth” or “honest child”.

Maro Meaning “truth” or “reason”, Maro is a gorgeous name to bestow upon your little one.

Michi An adorable name that means “righteous way” and “beautiful wise child”.

Mika A sweet-sounding name, Mika means “beautiful fragrance”.

Minato A beautiful name that means “harbor”.

Mitsu Meaning to “shine” or “reflect”, Mitsu is a perfect name for your little mini-me..

Mochi Not just the name of a sweet Japanese dessert, Mochi makes a great baby name too.

Natsu A gorgeous summer name that translates to “born in summer”.

Ren A great food and flower name that means “lotus”.

Rin A perfect name for a second or third child, Rin means “companion”.

Ryo A strong sounding name that means “fact”, “reality” and “understand”.

Saku A spiritual name the means “remembrance of the Lord”.

Seiko A gender-neutral name of Japanese origin that means “accomplish”, “truth” or “child”.

Shinobu A great name if you’ve had fertility hurdles, Shinobu means”endurance”, “perseverance” or “patience”.

Shun Had a speedy delivery? Shun means “speed”, “fast” and “quick”.

Sora An adorable nature name that means “sky”.

Tokyo A cute place name, Tokyo means “Eastern capital”.

Tomi A wealth baby names that means “rich”.

Tsubasa A beautiful bird name that means “wing”.

Yu A strong name that means “brave”, “leader” and “gentle”.

Yuki A sweet winter name that means “snow,” “happiness,” or “snow flower”.

Zen A beautiful boho name that means “meditation”.