News Most popular Japanese baby names in 2025

[thomas]

Meiji Yasuda Life reported that Minato topped the list for boys in 2025 and Sui did the same for girls, and said the results pointed to a steady fondness for particular kanji while also illustrating how parents' naming preferences have shifted since the survey was first taken in the opening year of the Taishō era.

​

The insurer's long-running survey dates back to 1912, the first year of the Taisho era, and historical data reveal striking shifts in naming preferences over more than a century. In 1912, the most popular names were Shoichi, Kiyoshi, and Masao for boys, and Chiyo, Haru, and Hana for girls, reflecting common use of the character 正 for boys in that era. Notably, Kiyoshi went on to remain within the top ten for 43 consecutive years. Among more recent generations, the 1984 rankings—Inoue's birth year—show Daisuke, Kenta, and Makoto as the top names for boys, influenced in part by the popularity of high school baseball star Araki Daisuke, while Ai, Mai, and Megumi were the top names for girls, with Ai remaining in first place for eight consecutive years. In 1994, the birth year of Demizu, Kenta moved into the top spot for boys ahead of Shota and Takuya, while Misaki, Ai, and Moe led the girls' rankings, with Misaki marking its sixth straight year at number one.

Popular Baby Names in Japan Reveal Cultural Shift

The most popular baby names of 2025 were led by Minato for boys and Sui for girls, according to rankings released by Meiji Yasuda Life, which highlighted continued enthusiasm for certain kanji characters and showed how naming trends have evolved since the survey began in the first year of the...

newsonjapan.com

Boys (2025)

1. Minato / Sou (湊)
2. Iori (伊織)
3. Yuito / Yuuto (結翔)

Girls (2025)

1. Sui (翠)
2. Himari / Hinata (陽葵)
3. Tsumugi (紬)