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.
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”)
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 |
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 |
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. |