Sui and Minato: Japan’s Top 2025 Baby Names
Society Family- English
- 日本語
- 简体字
- 繁體字
- Français
- Español
- العربية
- Русский
An annual survey conducted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance of popular baby names in Japan saw new entries and a shake up of the top 10 for both girls and boys in 2025. Japanese names written in kanji may have several readings, so we have provided those that are most common.
Wishes for Girls
For girls, 翠 (Sui, Midori) topped the list for the first time, having risen steadily up the rankings since first appearing at eighteenth in 2022. The kanji means “kingfisher,” and is also part of the word for “jade” (翡翠; hisui), which is considered to bring good fortune and expresses wishes for a beautiful, happy life. In second place, 陽葵 (Himari) has cheerful associations with the sun and sunflowers (向日葵; himawari). The third-place name 紬 (Tsumugi) uses the kanji for a type of traditional, plain-woven fabric made of silk and other materials, associating the name with making connections and perseverance. A new entry in fourth position, 茉白 (Mashiro) combines the kanji for fragrant “jasmine” with “white.”
Sociable Boys
Among boys, 湊 (Minato, Sō) was also new at the top. Meaning a “harbor” or “place where water gathers,” it expresses the wish for a child who is sociable and engaging. The second-place 伊織 (Iori) and third-place 結翔 (Yuito, Yūto) both include kanji associated with building connections with others. Half of the names in the top 10 consisted of just one kanji, which may reflect influence from the examples of top sportsmen like soccer player Tanaka Ao (碧) and volleyball star Takahashi Ran (藍).
The most commonly used kanji overall in girls’ names was 愛 (ai; love) for the fourth consecutive year. For boys’ names, it was 翔 (to soar) for the fifth straight year. The kanji may be pronounced in various ways, but notably appears as the “Shō” in Ohtani Shōhei.
The most popular names by their readings for boys was Haruto for the seventeenth consecutive year, while Ema took top spot for girls.
Girls’ Names
| Ranking for 2025 (2024) | Kanji (Main Readings) |
|---|---|
| 1 (2) | 翠 (Sui, Midori) |
| 2 (4) | 陽葵 (Himari) |
| 3 (1) | 紬 (Tsumugi) |
| 4 (19) | 茉白 (Mashiro) |
| 5 (3) | 凛 (Rin) |
| 6 (7) | 陽菜 (Hina) |
| 7 (7) | 心陽 (Koharu) |
| 8 (58) | 彩葉 (Iroha, Ayaha) |
| 8 (19) | 詩 (Uta) |
| 10 (11) | 琴葉 (Kotoha) |
| 10 (29) | 結菜 (Yuna, Yuina) |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance.
Boys’ Names
| Ranking for 2025 (2024) | Kanji (Main Readings) |
|---|---|
| 1 (15) | 湊 (Minato) |
| 2 (36) | 伊織 (Iori) |
| 2 (26) | 結翔 (Yuito, Yūto) |
| 4 (14) | 琉生 (Rui, Ruki) |
| 5 (6) | 蓮 (Ren) |
| 6 (22) | 朔 (Saku) |
| 6 (6) | 碧 (Ao) |
| 8 (5) | 陽向 (Hinata) |
| 8 (1) | 陽翔 (Haruto, Hinato, Haruka) |
| 8 (40) | 藍 (Ran, Ai) |
Created by Nippon.com based on data from Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance.
Data Sources
- Data on 2025 baby names (Japanese) from Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance.
(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © PhotoAC.)