Japanese names that mean lucky or happy
Japanese names of happiness and good fortune: 幸, 吉, 福, 祥 and 慶, from Sachiko to Kōki.
幸 sachi, yuki, kō: happiness吉 kichi: good luck福 fuku: fortune
幸 means happiness and good fortune, and it was one of the great name kanji of the twentieth century: Sachiko (幸子, child of happiness) was among the most popular girls' names for decades. It is also read yuki and kō, giving Yukio and Kōta.
吉 (good luck) appears in older names like Kichirō and in many surnames such as Yoshida. 福 (fortune), 祥 (good omen) and 慶 (celebration) carry the same hope for a happy life.
On this page
The kanji behind lucky names
| Kanji | Readings | Meaning | In names |
|---|---|---|---|
| 幸 | さいわ, さち, しあわ, こう | happiness | 4 ranked names |
| 吉 | よし, きち, きつ | good luck | Rare in ranked names |
| 福 | ふく | good fortune | Rare in ranked names |
| 祥 | さいわ, きざ, よ, つまび | good omen | Rare in ranked names |
| 慶 | よろこ, けい | joy, celebration | 3 ranked names |
Popular names with a lucky kanji
Spellings that have made Japan's yearly baby name rankings, most popular first.
Lucky names of real people
Given names with a lucky kanji carried by notable Japanese people. The number shows how many notable people share each one.
More lucky names
Rarer spellings found in Japanese name records. In each one the lucky kanji keeps its own reading, so the meaning is really there, not just the sound.
Last names with a lucky meaning
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 吉田 | Yoshida | 吉 good luck + 田 rice field |
| 福田 | Fukuda | 福 good fortune + 田 rice field |
| 吉川 | Yoshikawa | 吉 good luck + 川 river |
| 吉野 | Yoshino | 吉 good luck + 野 field |
| 福井 | Fukui | 福 good fortune + 井 well |
| 吉岡 | Yoshioka | 吉 good luck + 岡 hill |
| 吉川 | Kikkawa | 吉 good luck + 川 river |
| 福原 | Fukuhara | 福 good fortune + 原 field |
| 福永 | Fukunaga | 福 good fortune + 永 eternity |
| 吉井 | Yoshii | 吉 good luck + 井 well |
| 吉沢 | Yoshizawa | 吉 good luck + 沢 marsh |
| 福山 | Fukuyama | 福 good fortune + 山 mountain |
| 吉原 | Yoshihara | 吉 good luck + 原 field |
| 末吉 | Sueyoshi | 末 end + 吉 good luck |
| 吉住 | Yoshizumi | 吉 good luck + 住 to live |
| 吉武 | Yoshitake | 吉 good luck + 武 warrior |
| 福本 | Fukumoto | 福 good fortune + 本 origin |
| 秋吉 | Akiyoshi | 秋 autumn + 吉 good luck |
| 藤吉 | Fujiyoshi | 藤 wisteria + 吉 good luck |
| 吉良 | Kira | 吉 good luck + 良 good |
Questions
What Japanese name means lucky?
Sachi and Sachiko (幸) mean happiness and good fortune. Kichi (吉) means good luck, and Kei (慶) means celebration.
Is Sachiko still popular?
It was one of the most popular girls' names in the mid-twentieth century and is now considered old-fashioned.