100+ Cool Japanese Boy Names and Meanings

Updated March 14, 2022
Baby boy at home

Looking for a cool Japanese name for your new son? With so many interesting names to choose among, you might have trouble narrowing down the options to just one selection. Get a list of unique, cool, and cute Japanese boy names and their meanings to help you find the best name for your little guy.

Japanese Boy Names Meaning Fire

Want to give your son a name that reflects the powerful spirit of fire? Opt for one of the many Japanese names meaning fire.

  • Faia - fire
  • Hi - flame or blaze
  • Hinote - flame or blaze
  • Hoka - gunfire
  • Homura - blaze
  • Kaen - flame or blaze
  • Kaji - conflagration (a fire that causes significant property or land damage)
  • Kaki - flame
  • Kasai - conflagration (a fire that causes significant property or land damage)
  • Katon - disappearing via fire (as a Ninja might do)
  • Kazan - fiery volcano
  • Mosu - flare, ignite, or blaze
  • Takibi - fire
  • Yaketsuku - burn, blaze, flare, or ignite
  • Yakeru - char, burn, blaze, or ignite

Japanese Boy Names Meaning Water

newborn baby boy

Looking for a more tranquil name for your son? Choose a Japanese word that means water for his name. There are a lot of great options that make a really cute first name for your calm little guy.

  • Enkai - deep sea
  • Enyo - blue water, open sea, or high sea
  • Kaimen - sea level
  • Kaito - sea or ocean
  • Kaiyō - ocean
  • Minakami - aquatic or on water
  • Mizu - water
  • Mizuwokakeru - water
  • Oki - blue water or high sea
  • Oshan - ocean
  • Shimizu - pure water
  • Suiiki - water area
  • Shimesu - dampen, moisten, or wet
  • Shimizu - pure water (also a common last name in Japan)
  • Umi - sea

Japanese Boy Names Meaning Dark

Words that mean dark can also be used as unique Japanese names for boys. You can find an enchanting and mysterious moniker on this list of names with meanings ranging from shadow to gloom.

  • Ankoku - gloom, shadow, opaque, or blackness
  • Antantaru - gloomy
  • Anzhong - in the dark
  • Daku - dark
  • Inei - shadow or gloom
  • Kurai - gloomy
  • Kuragari - darkness
  • Kurayami - darkness
  • Mei - dark
  • Yami - darkness, dark, or opaque

Celestial Japanese Boy Names

Celestial words can make really cool names for boys. Consider Japanese boy names meaning moon, sun, stars, planet names, or astronomy.

  • Asahi - rising sun, morning sun, or sunrise
  • Chikyu - earth
  • Hoshi - star
  • Mokusei - Jupiter
  • Mūn - moon
  • Myojo - Venus or morning star
  • Kikotei - sun
  • Nichirin - sun
  • San - sun
  • Dosei - Saturn
  • Riku - wise sky
  • Sora - universe or big sky
  • Taiyō - sun
  • Tenmon - astronomy
  • Tenmongaku - astronomy
  • Tenpi - sunlight
  • Tsuki - moon or lunar
  • Tsukikage - moonbeams or moonlight
  • Wakusei - planet

Boy Names Based on Japanese Mythology

baby boy inside a home

What could be cooler than being named for a divinity based on Japanese mythology? If you are drawn to mythology and names with powerful meanings, this list is for you.

  • Fujin - god of wind
  • Izanagi - first male; god of creation
  • Kangiten - god of bliss
  • Kuebiko - god of knowledge and agriculture
  • Okuninushi - god of nation-building
  • Omoikane - god of intelligence and wisdom
  • Raiden - alternate spelling of Raijin, the god of thunder and lightning
  • Raijin - god of thunder and lightning
  • Ryūjin - god of the sea
  • Kōjin - god of hearth, kitchen, and fire
  • Kuraokami - deity of rain and snow (Shinto)
  • Suijin - god of water
  • Tajimamori - god of confections/sweets
  • Takemikazuchi - god of swords
  • Tenjin - god of scholarship
  • Tsukiyomi - god of the moon

Japanese Last Names for Male Children

Some last names can also make interesting first names. Using a last name as a first name can be a creative solution for finding a Japanese name for your boy. Examples of Japanese last names that could work as first names for boys include:

  • Aoki - green tree
  • Endo - roadside
  • Hayashi - forest
  • Inoue - above the well
  • Ishii - stone well
  • Ito - string, thread, or yard
  • Iwai - celebration
  • Kaneko - golden child
  • Kato - all-knowing
  • Kobayashi - small forest
  • Kondo - now
  • Matsumoto - base of a pine or fir tree
  • Mori - forest
  • Nishimura - western village
  • Ono - field
  • Saito - divine worship, purity
  • Sato - to assist
  • Suzuki - bell tree
  • Takahashi - bridge
  • Takeuchi - within bamboo

Popular Japanese Boy Names

Mother taking care of her newborn baby at home

Considering popular boy names is a great way to be sure you're choosing a name that will be considered cool for the modern generation into which your child is born. When it comes to popular Japanese boy names, there are plenty of options.

  • Fuji - unsurpassed or unique
  • Haru - to stretch
  • Haruto - soar or fly
  • Hiroto - soar or big flight
  • Itsuki - independence
  • Kai - paddle
  • Kane - bell
  • Kenji - prosecutor
  • Minato - harbor
  • Ren - lotus
  • Reo- flourishing or vigorous
  • Touma - top of the mountain
  • Yuuto - helpful person
  • Yuuma - leisurely

Choosing a Japanese Name for Your Son

Whether you opt for a traditional name or one that is more modern, your son is sure to be proud to bear a cool Japanese name. Whether you find the ideal name on this list or simply use it as a starting point to do your own research, you're sure to find the perfect name for your new baby. For other options, consider names based on cities in Japan or unique Japanese cultural traditions.

100+ Cool Japanese Boy Names and Meanings