Short, bright given names and place-word surnames for an original cast: the lead, the rival, the quiet transfer student. Surnames are built from real Japanese words, so you can see what each one means.
Say it: a-ky-o-chy-o tsu-ki-ba-ra
Meaning: tsuki moon · bara field
Say it: ry-ky-u-ki ki-ta-ga-wa
Meaning: kita north · gawa river
Say it: sa-rei ka-ze-za-ki
Meaning: kaze wind · zaki cape
Say it: yu-me ya-ma-mo-to
Meaning: yama mountain · moto origin
Say it: mi-tsy-u ya-ma-ha-ra
Meaning: yama mountain · hara field
Say it: hi-sa i-shi-da-ba-shi
Meaning: ishi stone · da rice field · bashi bridge
Say it: kig-mi ka-ze-ba-ra
Meaning: kaze wind · bara field
Say it: tsu-hi-me i-shi-ha-ra
Meaning: ishi stone · hara field
Say it: kar-me ka-wa-mu-ra
Meaning: kawa river · mura village
Say it: ma-rin ya-ma-da
Meaning: yama mountain · da rice field
Say it: mi-chi shi-ro-ka-wa
Meaning: shiro white · kawa river
Say it: ki-hi-me ka-ze-za-ki
Meaning: kaze wind · zaki cape
Surnames are built from real Japanese words, so their meanings are real. A given name's meaning comes from the kanji chosen to write it, so it's yours to pick.
Many Japanese family names describe a spot in the landscape, and this pack builds them the same way. Yama (mountain) and moto (origin) give Yamamoto; Hoshi (star) and mura (village) give Hoshimura. Other first halves include Aka for red, Ao for blue, Tsuki for moon and Kaze for wind.
The second half is usually ground or water: shima is an island, zaki a cape, tani a valley, numa a marsh, bashi a bridge. Notice Kurogawa, black river, where kawa softens to gawa after another word. Japanese does this often, and the generator follows it.
First names stay short and open. Endings such as -ko, -mi and -rin lean feminine, -to, -suke and -hiro lean masculine, and names like Rei, Ren, Aki and Sora are used for anyone.
A Japanese given name takes its meaning from the characters chosen to write it, so the generator leaves that part to you. Haru can be written with the character for spring or with the one for clear weather. If your story is set in Japan, choose the kanji as the character's parents would have.
Romaji vowels are pure and short (a as in father, e as in pet, i as in machine) and no syllable is stressed much harder than another. Read Takamura as four even beats, not with a heavy middle.
In Japan the family name comes first; the generator shows the given name first, the order most English-language stories use. The dark tone pulls in kuro and yami, the powerful one ryu and taka. Before settling, search the full name to make sure a well-known character doesn't already wear it.
Hand-picked names first, then more from the generator, each with how to say it and what its parts mean.
Akiko Hoshimura, Yumi Kawada, Rei Aozaki, Hana Shirakawa, Miyu Tsukino, Kazuto Yamamoto, Ryo Kurogawa, Sora Takamura, Renji Ishida, Haruto Morimoto, Rei Kazehara, Aki Tsukishima, Sei Aomori, Ren Hoshizaki, Kai Shirobara
Kagyuki Kawama
Say it: ka-gy-u-ki ka-wa-ma
kawa “river” · yama “mountain”
Tsugme Shirokawa
Say it: tsug-me shi-ro-ka-wa
shiro “white” · kawa “river”
Renyuchsa Hoshikawa
Say it: re-ny-uch-sa ho-shi-ka-wa
hoshi “star” · kawa “river”
Yurka Kazemura
Say it: yur-ka ka-ze-mu-ra
kaze “wind” · mura “village”
Yuri Morihara
Say it: yu-ri mo-ri-ha-ra
mori “forest” · hara “field”
Shourin Kitabara
Say it: shou-rin ki-ta-ba-ra
kita “north” · bara “field”
Kenyuki Morishima
Say it: ke-ny-u-ki mo-ri-shi-ma
mori “forest” · shima “island”
Maka Hoshida
Say it: ma-ka ho-shi-da
hoshi “star” · da “rice field”
Ayshshi Ishima
Say it: aysh-shi i-shi-ma
ishi “stone” · yama “mountain”
Kokren Hanazaki
Say it: ko-kren ha-na-za-ki
hana “flower” · zaki “cape”
Rykyuki Kuroshima
Say it: ry-ky-u-ki ku-ro-shi-ma
kuro “black” · shima “island”
Himyuki Takagawa
Say it: hi-my-u-ki ta-ka-ga-wa
taka “high” · gawa “river”
Tsurei Kawahara
Say it: tsu-rei ka-wa-ha-ra
kawa “river” · hara “field”
Mihime Hanazaki
Say it: mi-hi-me ha-na-za-ki
hana “flower” · zaki “cape”
Rika Kitamoto
Say it: ri-ka ki-ta-mo-to
kita “north” · moto “origin”
Masrei Kuromura
Say it: mas-rei ku-ro-mu-ra
kuro “black” · mura “village”
Kazyumzu Moridahata
Say it: ka-zy-um-zu mo-ri-da-ha-ta
mori “forest” · da “rice field” · hata “farm field”
Tsutrei Hoshihara
Say it: tsu-trei ho-shi-ha-ra
hoshi “star” · hara “field”
Katna Takamoto
Say it: kat-na ta-ka-mo-to
taka “high” · moto “origin”
Kazazu Hanamagishi
Say it: ka-za-zu ha-na-ma-gi-shi
hana “flower” · yama “mountain” · gishi “shore”
Kanaya Aodabashi
Say it: ka-nay-a a-o-da-ba-shi
ao “blue” · da “rice field” · bashi “bridge”
Kazeishime Hoshishima
Say it: ka-zei-shi-me ho-shi-shi-ma
hoshi “star” · shima “island”
Tsunito Aozakigishi
Say it: tsu-ni-to a-o-za-ki-gi-shi
ao “blue” · zaki “cape” · gishi “shore”
Seren Kazemoto
Say it: se-ren ka-ze-mo-to
kaze “wind” · moto “origin”
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