Japanese names that mean tiger
Japanese names written with 虎 (tiger) and 寅 (the tiger of the zodiac): Kotarō, Toranosuke, Torajirō and more.
虎 tora, ko: tiger寅 tora: zodiac tigerStrong, classic boys' names
虎 (tiger) is a bold kanji for boys' names, and it has come back into fashion. Kotarō, written 虎太郎 (tiger + big + son), has been a popular name in recent years, and Toranosuke (虎之介) has an old samurai ring to it.
Watch out for a look-alike: Kotarō written 琥太郎 uses 琥, a kanji for amber, not tiger. 寅, the tiger of the Chinese zodiac, appears in older names like Torajirō, made famous by Tora-san, the wandering hero of the long-running film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo.
虎之介
ToranosukeBoy · 虎 tiger + 之 of + 介 to help
寅次郎
TorajirōBoy · 寅 zodiac tiger + 次 next + 郎 son
虎徹
KotetsuUnisex · 虎 tiger + 徹 to go through
On this page
The kanji behind tiger names
| Kanji | Readings | Meaning | In names |
|---|---|---|---|
| 虎 | とら, こ | tiger | 1 ranked name |
| 琥 | こ | amber | 2 ranked names |
| 彪 | あや, ひょう, ひゅう | small tiger, stripes | 1 ranked name |
Names chosen for their tiger meaning
虎之介
Toranosuke虎 tiger + 之 of + 介 to help
BoyA classic, samurai-style name.寅次郎
Torajirō寅 zodiac tiger + 次 next + 郎 son
BoyThe name of Tora-san in Otoko wa Tsurai yo.虎徹
Kotetsu虎 tiger + 徹 to go through
UnisexAlso the name of a famous swordsmith.Popular names with a tiger kanji
Spellings that have made Japan's yearly baby name rankings, most popular first.
Tiger names of real people
Given names with a tiger kanji carried by notable Japanese people. The number shows how many notable people share each one.
More tiger names
Rarer spellings found in Japanese name records. In each one the tiger kanji keeps its own reading, so the meaning is really there, not just the sound.
虎子
Torako虎 tiger + 子 child
GirlRare虎美
Torami虎 tiger + 美 beautiful
GirlRare虎音
Torane虎 tiger + 音 sound
GirlRare虎奈
Torana虎 tiger + 奈 (used for its sound
GirlRare虎一郎
Toraichirō虎 tiger + 一 one + 郎 son
BoyRare虎之介
Toranosuke虎 tiger + 之 of (classical) + 介 to help
BoyRare虎葉
Toraha虎 tiger + 葉 leaf
GirlRare虎三郎
Torasaburō虎 tiger + 三 three + 郎 son
BoyRare彪衣
Ayai彪 small tiger + 衣 garment
GirlRare彪帆
Ayaho彪 small tiger + 帆 sail
GirlRare虎治郎
Torajirō虎 tiger + 治 to govern + 郎 son
BoyRare虎六郎
Torarokurō虎 tiger + 六 six + 郎 son
BoyRare雄虎
Taketora雄 hero + 虎 tiger
BoyRare虎五郎
Toragorō虎 tiger + 五 five + 郎 son
BoyRare虎四郎
Torashirō虎 tiger + 四 four + 郎 son
BoyRare虎次郎
Torajirō虎 tiger + 次 next + 郎 son
BoyRareQuestions
What Japanese name means tiger?
Kotarō (虎太郎), Toranosuke (虎之介) and Torajirō (寅次郎) all use a tiger kanji. Tora on its own is rare as a given name.
Does Kotarō always mean tiger?
No. Written 虎太郎 it does, but 琥太郎 uses 琥 (amber) and 小太郎 means small, big son.