Japanese names that mean music or sound
Japanese names of music and sound: 奏, 音, 響, 律, 琴 and 絃, from Kanade and Kanon to Hibiki and Ritsu.
奏 kanade, sō: to play music音 ne, on: sound響 hibiki: echo
Music names are one of the big trends of recent decades. 奏 means to play music and gives Kanade, Kanata and Sōta (奏太). 音 (sound) is everywhere in girls' names: Kanon (花音), Akane (朱音), Kotone (琴音) and Rio (莉音).
響 (Hibiki) means to echo and resound; it is also the name of a well-known Japanese whisky. 律 (Ritsu) is rhythm, 琴 (Koto) is the Japanese harp and 絃 (Ito) is an instrument's string.
On this page
The kanji behind music names
| Kanji | Readings | Meaning | In names |
|---|---|---|---|
| 奏 | かな, そう | to play music | 14 ranked names |
| 音 | おと, ね, おん, いん | sound | 28 ranked names |
| 響 | ひび, きょう | to echo, resound | 1 ranked name |
| 律 | りつ, りち, れつ | rhythm, law | 4 ranked names |
| 琴 | こと, きん, ごん | koto (harp) | 6 ranked names |
| 歌 | うた, か | song | Rare in ranked names |
| 絃 | いと, げん | string (of an instrument) | 4 ranked names |
Popular names with a music kanji
Spellings that have made Japan's yearly baby name rankings, most popular first.
Music names of real people
Given names with a music kanji carried by notable Japanese people. The number shows how many notable people share each one.
律男
Ritsuo律 rhythm + 男 man
Boy1 person奏乃
Kanano奏 to play music + 乃 (used for its sound
Girl1 person蘭音
Rano蘭 orchid + 音 sound
Girl1 person和音
Kazune和 harmony + 音 sound
Girl1 person百音
Mone百 hundred + 音 sound
Girl1 personMore music names
Rarer spellings found in Japanese name records. In each one the music kanji keeps its own reading, so the meaning is really there, not just the sound.
Last names with a music meaning
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 歌川 | Utagawa | 歌 song + 川 river |
Questions
What Japanese name means music?
Kanade (奏) means to play music. Kanon (花音), Hibiki (響) and Ritsu (律, rhythm) are other music names.
Is Kanade a boy or girl name?
Both. Kanade (奏) is used for girls and boys.