- TopographicJapaneseIwasaki
Meaning: Rocky cape (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseMatsuda
Meaning: Pine rice field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseTanaka
Meaning: In the rice field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseOno
Meaning: Small field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseNakano
Meaning: Middle field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseMurata
Meaning: Village rice field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseTakada
Meaning: High rice field (Japanese)
- LocationalJapaneseAbe
Meaning: An ancient clan name (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseNomura
Meaning: Field village (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseSugiyama
Meaning: Cedar mountain (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseMiyamoto
Meaning: Base of the shrine (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseKojima
Meaning: Small island (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseOnishi
Meaning: Big west (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseHirano
Meaning: Flat field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseKimura
Meaning: Tree village (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseNagata
Meaning: Long rice field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseYoshikawa
Meaning: Lucky river (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseOkada
Meaning: Hill rice field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseYamada
Meaning: Mountain rice field (Japanese)
- TopographicJapaneseNakajima
Meaning: Middle island (Japanese)
Tap a name card for details. Real surnames, counts and ethnicity shares: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census surname file. First names: 2020 Census first-name file. Other origins: open surname lists for each country, checked by hand. Fantasy names are invented by this tool.
Japanese family names in English spelling
The Japanese chip is already selected. Names are shown in the Hepburn romanization most English speakers know, like Tanaka and Yamamoto. Tap Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese to use this as a wider Asian last name generator.
How Japanese surnames work
- Family name first. In Japan the family name comes before the given name: Tanaka Hana, not Hana Tanaka. In English the order is often switched.
- Built from nature and place. Many names combine simple words: Yamamoto (base of the mountain), Tanaka (in the rice field), Matsumoto (base of the pine tree).
- Common names cluster. Sato and Suzuki are the most common surnames in Japan.
In the US, Nakamura ranks 4,635th and Tanaka 4,706th. Look up any name with the US surname lookup.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common Japanese last name?
Sato, followed by Suzuki.
Can I use these names for anime or manga characters?
Yes. Pair them with a first name of your own, and see our character last name generator page for naming tips.
Are Chinese and Korean names included?
Yes. Tap their chips. Korean surnames are especially concentrated: Kim, Lee and Park are shared by a large share of Koreans.