Japanese names starting with Y
114 Japanese girl and boy names that start with Y, grouped by their first sound, with kanji, meanings and popularity.
Y covers ya, yu and yo, and Yu- names are among the most popular in Japan: Yūto, Yūki, Yui and Yuna have all been near the top of the rankings.
Yu- is usually written 優 (gentle), 悠 (calm, far-reaching), 結 (to tie) or 由.
Across all 114 names, the kanji that most often begin a Y name are 優 (gentle), 悠 (distant), 結 (to tie).
On this page
Names starting with Yu-
61 names. Yu- is most often written 優 (gentle), 悠 (distant), 結 (to tie).
Names starting with Yo-
36 names. Yo- is most often written 義 (righteousness), 洋 (ocean), 良 (good).
Names starting with Ya-
17 names. Ya- is most often written 康 (health), 泰 (peaceful), 靖 (peaceful).
How Y names are written
Japanese names are chosen for their kanji as much as their sound. These are the kanji that most often begin a Y name, counting every spelling on this page. 34 of these names are popular today, and 11 are classics from before 1990.
| Kanji | Meaning | Spellings |
|---|---|---|
| 優 | gentle, kind, excellent | 41 |
| 悠 | distant, calm | 33 |
| 結 | to tie, to bind | 27 |
| 義 | righteousness | 25 |
| 雄 | hero, masculine | 22 |
| 裕 | abundant | 20 |
| 康 | health, ease | 20 |
| 由 | reason, origin | 19 |
Questions
What is a popular Japanese girl name starting with Y?
Yūka (優花) is one of the best-known: 優 gentle + 花 flower. Popular now · best No. 1.
What is a popular Japanese boy name starting with Y?
Yūto (優斗) is one of the best-known: 優 gentle + 斗 the Big Dipper. Popular now · best No. 1.
Which Y names sound old-fashioned in Japan?
Names that were popular before 1990 and have since dropped out of the rankings, such as Yōko, Yūko, Yumiko, Yutaka, now sound like names of parents and grandparents.