Japanese names that start with 'Y'

Japanese names that start with ‘Y’ include Yoko, a name internationally recognized thanks to Yoko Ono, the influential artist and peace activist. Another popular 'Y' name is the unisex Yuki (雪 or 幸), which can mean "snow" or "happiness," and is borne by famed figures like composer Yuki Kajiura, whose music has graced iconic anime like "Sword Art Online."

Also beginning with ‘Y’, the male Japanese name Yuuki (勇気) carries a powerful and inspiring meaning, as it corresponds to the Japanese word for “courage.”

Japanese first names beginning with ‘Y’ offer a range of attractive options that we will look at in this article.

Japanese girl names that start with 'Y'

Here is a list of Japanese girl names that start with the letter ‘Y’ (when written in the Latin alphabet). We’ll discuss their Japanese spellings below.

Plenty of Japanese girl names begin with the letter ‘Y.’ This might seem surprising, given that very few English girl names start with this letter.

But the letter ‘Y’ represents a sound that occurs relatively often at the beginning of Japanese words, like for example:

Japanese word English word
山 (Yama) Mountain
夢 (Yume) Dream
雪 (Yuki) Snow
夜 (Yoru) Night

Whereas in English, the letter ‘Y’ appears most of the time at the end of words (for example: “pretty,” “lovely,” and “happy”)

The Japanese spellings of names

In general, each Japanese name has several different possible spellings; the meaning of that name depends on the chosen spelling.

Choosing a Japanese name involves making two choices: picking a name and also selecting a particular spelling among the available spellings for that name.

For example, the name Yumi can be spelled as 優美 (the first Kanji character means “gentle” and the second one means “beauty”). It can also be spelled as 由美 (with characters meaning “origin” and “beauty”). Another possible spelling is 裕美 (“abundance” and “beauty”).

We can identify a group of Japanese girl names that begin with Y consisting of those that can be written with the Kanji character 優 (which can mean “gentle” but can also mean “excellent”). Here are some examples of such names:

Name Possible Spelling Possible Meaning
Yūko 優子 優 (yū): gentle
子 (ko): child
Yumi 優美 優 (yu): gentle
美 (mi): beauty
Yumiko 優美子 優 (yu): gentle
美 (mi): beauty
子 (ko): child
Yumika 優美佳 優 (yu): gentle
美 (mi): beauty
佳 (ka): good

We can also identify a second group of Japanese girl names that start with Y, this one consisting of names that have a possible spelling that begins with the Kanji character 雪 (which can mean “snow”). Here are some examples of these:

Name Possible Spelling Possible Meaning
Yukiko 雪子 雪 (yuki): snow
子 (ko): child
Yukie 雪絵 雪 (yuki): snow
絵 (e): picture, painting
Yukina 雪名 雪 (yuki): snow
名 (na): name
Yukino 雪乃 雪 (yuki): snow
乃 (no): from

Japanese boy names that start with 'Y'

One of the difficulties of the Japanese language is that the same Kanji character can have several different readings (or pronunciations) depending on the word in which it appears.

For example, the character 安 (which means “peaceful,” “tranquil,” or “safe”) is read as “an” when it appears in the word 安心 (pronounced “anshin,” and meaning “peace of mind”), but that same character is read as “yasu,” when it appears in the name Yasushi, spelled as 安志.

Among Japanese male names that start with Y, we can identify a first group consisting of those that can be spelled with the Kanji character 安 (it is important to remember that most Japanese given names have several different possible spellings).

Name Possible Spelling Possible Meaning
Yasuo 安男 安 (yasu): peaceful
男 (o): man
Yasushi 安志 安 (yasu): peaceful
志 (shi): intention, plan
Yasuhiko 安彦 安 (yasu): peaceful
彦 (hiko): boy, prince
Yasunori 安則 安 (yasu): peaceful
則 (nori): rule
Yasuyuki 安幸 安 (yasu): peace
幸 (yuki): happiness
Yasumasa 安正 安 (yasu): peaceful
正 (masa): righteous

The Kanji character 裕 means “abundance” and it appears in the word 裕福 (yūfuku) which means “wealthy.” Several Japanese male names that start with Y contain this Kanji character in one or more of their possible spellings.

Name Possible Spelling Possible Meaning
Yūji 裕司 裕 (yū): abundant
司 (ji): rule
Yūsuke 裕介 裕 (yū): abundant
介 (suke): mediate
Yūya 裕也 裕 (yū): abundant
也 (ya): to be
Yūta 裕太 裕 (yū): abundant
太 (ta): thick
Yūichirō 裕一郎 裕 (yū): abundant
一 (ichi): one, first
郎 (rō): son
Yūto 裕斗 裕 (yū): abundant
斗 (to): Big Dipper

When used as a standalone word, the Kanji character 義 is read as “gi” and it means “justice.” But when it appears in Japanese given names, this same character is often read as “yoshi,” as can be seen in the examples below:

Name Possible Spelling Possible Meaning
Yoshiaki 義明 義 (yoshi): justice
明 (aki): bright
Yoshihiro 義弘 義 (yoshi): justice
弘 (hiro): vast
Yoshio 義雄 義 (yoshi): justice
雄 (o): masculine
Yoshitaka 義孝 義 (yoshi): justice
孝 (taka): filial piety
Yoshihiko 義彦 義 (yoshi): justice
彦 (hiko): boy, prince
Yoshinori 義徳 義 (yoshi): justice
徳 (nori): virtue
Yoshikazu 義和 義 (yoshi): justice
和 (kazu): harmony

The Kanji character 幸 can be used as a standalone word that is pronounced “kō” and means “happiness.” But when this character appears in names, it is often read as “yuki”; as a result, it can be used at the beginning of several Japanese names that start with Y.

Name Possible Spelling Possible Meaning
Yukio 幸夫 幸 (yuki): happiness
夫 (o): man
Yukihiro 幸弘 幸 (yuki): happiness
弘 (hiro): vast
Yukihiko 幸彦 幸 (yuki): happiness
彦 (hiko): boy, prince
Yukiya 幸也 幸 (yuki): happiness
也 (ya): to be

Notable Figures with Japanese First Names Beginning with 'Y'

The letter 'Y' begins many popular and classic Japanese first names, such as Yuki, Yumi, and Yasuo. It's no surprise, then, that many of Japan's most celebrated figures across the globe share this initial. From pioneering artists and world-champion athletes to visionary filmmakers and influential musicians, the list of famous individuals with 'Y' names showcases a remarkable breadth of talent and achievement.

Name Occupation
Yasujirō Ozu One of the most influential film directors in history, known for his distinctive cinematic style.
Yasutaka Tsutsui Influential novelist and science fiction author, known for works like "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time."
Yayoi Kusama Globally renowned contemporary artist famous for her iconic polka dots and infinity installations.
Yohji Yamamoto Legendary fashion designer recognized worldwide for his avant-garde, oversized silhouettes.
Yoko Ono Globally renowned artist, singer, and peace activist; wife of The Beatles' John Lennon.
Yoko Shimomura Video game composer acclaimed for her music in the "Kingdom Hearts" and "Final Fantasy" series.
Yoichiro Nambu Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist known for his contributions to particle physics.
Yoshihide Suga Politician who served as the 99th Prime Minister of Japan.
Yoshiki Musician, composer, and leader of the legendary rock band X Japan.
Yoshitaka Amano Artist and character designer famous for his iconic illustrations for the "Final Fantasy" series.
Yu Darvish Professional baseball pitcher and a multiple-time All-Star in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Yui Aragaki Popular actress, singer, and model known for numerous leading roles in Japanese TV dramas and films.
Yuji Horii Acclaimed video game designer and creator of the iconic "Dragon Quest" role-playing game series.
Yukio Mishima One of Japan's most important 20th-century authors, known for his novels, plays, and controversial nationalism.
Yumi Matsutoya Highly successful singer-songwriter, often referred to as the "Godmother of J-pop."
Yuzuru Hanyu A figure skating legend, two-time Olympic champion, and multiple world record holder.