Japanese Origin Surnames

This is a list of surnames in which the origin is Japanese. Japanese is the language spoken in Japan.
usage
origin
Abe 1 Japanese
From Japanese (a) meaning "peace" and (be) meaning "multiple times".
Abe 2 Japanese
From Japanese (a) meaning "peace" and (be) meaning "part, section".
Akabane Japanese
From Japanese (aka) meaning "red" and (hane) meaning "feather".
Akai Japanese
From Japanese (aka) meaning "red" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Akamatsu Japanese
From Japanese (aka) meaning "red" and (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree".
Akiyama Japanese
From Japanese (aki) meaning "autumn" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Amano Japanese
From Japanese (ama) meaning "heaven" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Aoki Japanese
From Japanese (ao) meaning "green, blue" and (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Aoyama Japanese
From Japanese (ao) meaning "green, blue" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Arima Japanese
From Japanese (ari) meaning "have, possess" and (ma) meaning "horse".
Asano Japanese
From Japanese (asa) meaning "shallow" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Asanuma Japanese
From Japanese (asa) meaning "shallow" and (numa) meaning "swamp, marsh".
Chiba Japanese
From Japanese (chi) meaning "thousand" and (ha) meaning "leaf".
Egawa Japanese
From Japanese (e) meaning "bay, inlet" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Fujimori Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (mori) meaning "forest".
Fujimoto Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Fujimura Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Fujioka Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".
Fujisawa Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Fujita Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Fujiwara Japanese
From Japanese (fuji) meaning "wisteria" and (wara) meaning "field, plain".
Fukui Japanese
Denoted a person who was from Fukui prefecture in Japan.
Fukuzawa Japanese
From Japanese (fuku) meaning "happiness, good fortune, blessing" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Furukawa Japanese
From Japanese (furu) meaning "old" and (kawa) or (kawa) both meaning "river, stream".
Hagihara Japanese
From Japanese (hagi) meaning "bush clover" and (hara) meaning "field, plain".
Hamaguchi Japanese
From Japanese (hama) meaning "beach, seashore" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Hamasaki Japanese
From Japanese (hama) meaning "beach, seashore" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Haraguchi Japanese
From Japanese (hara) meaning "field, plain" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Hasegawa Japanese
From the Japanese place name 長谷 (Hase, not a standard reading) combined with (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Hashiguchi Japanese
From Japanese (hashi) meaning "bridge" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Hashimoto Japanese
From Japanese (hashi) meaning "bridge" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Hayasaka Japanese
From Japanese (haya) meaning "already, now" and 坂 or 阪 (saka) meaning "slope".
Hayashi Japanese
From Japanese (hayashi) meaning "forest".
Hidaka Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "sun, day" and (taka) meaning "tall, high".
Higashi Japanese
From Japanese (higashi) meaning "east".
Himura Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "scarlet, dark red" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Hino Japanese
From Japanese (hi) meaning "sun, day" or (hi) meaning "fire" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Hiramatsu Japanese
From Japanese (hira) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree".
Hirano Japanese
From Japanese (hira) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Hirata Japanese
From Japanese (hira) meaning "level, even, peaceful" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Hisakawa Japanese
From Japanese (hisa) meaning "long time ago" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Honda Japanese
From Japanese (hon) meaning "root, origin, source" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Hoshino Japanese
From Japanese (hoshi) meaning "star" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Igarashi Japanese
From Japanese 五十 (i) meaning "fifty", an unwritten subject marker (ga), and (arashi) meaning "storm".
Ikeda Japanese
From Japanese (ike) meaning "pool, pond" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Imai Japanese
From Japanese (ima) meaning "now, present" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Inaba Japanese
From Japanese (ina) meaning "rice plant" and (ha) meaning "leaf".
Inada Japanese
From Japanese (ina) meaning "rice plant" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Inoue Japanese
Means "above the well", from Japanese (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit", an unwritten possessive marker (no), and (ue) meaning "above, top, upper".
Ishida Japanese
From Japanese (ishi) meaning "stone" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Ishikawa Japanese
From Japanese (ishi) meaning "stone" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Ito Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 伊藤 (see Itō).
Itō Japanese
From Japanese (i) meaning "this" and () meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Itou Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 伊藤 (see Itō).
Iwai Japanese
From Japanese (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Iwamoto Japanese
From Japanese (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Iwasaki Japanese
From Japanese (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Iwata Japanese
From Japanese (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Izumi Japanese
From Japanese (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain".
Kamiya Japanese
From Japanese (kami) meaning "god" and (ya) meaning "valley".
Kanda Japanese
From Japanese (kan) meaning "god" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kaneko Japanese
From Japanese (kane) meaning "gold, metal, money" and (ko) meaning "child".
Kanemaru Japanese
From Japanese (kane) meaning "gold, metal, money" and (maru) meaning "circle, round, whole".
Kanzaki Japanese
From Japanese (kan) meaning "god" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Kato Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 加藤 (see Katō).
Katō Japanese
From Japanese (ka) meaning "add, increase" and () meaning "wisteria". The latter character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Katou Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 加藤 (see Katō).
Kawaguchi Japanese
Means "mouth of the river", from Japanese (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Kawakami Japanese
From Japanese (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and (kami) meaning "above, top, upper".
Kawasaki Japanese
From Japanese (kawa) meaning "river, stream" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Kazama Japanese
From Japanese (kaza) meaning "wind, style" and (ma) meaning "among, between".
Kimura Japanese
From Japanese (ki) meaning "tree, wood" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Kishimoto Japanese
From Japanese (kishi) meaning "beach, shore, bank" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Kita Japanese
From Japanese (kita) meaning "north".
Kitagawa Japanese
From Japanese (kita) meaning "north" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Kobayashi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and (hayashi) meaning "forest".
Koizumi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and (izumi) meaning "spring, fountain". A notable bearer of this name is Junichiro Koizumi (1942-), who was Prime Minister of Japan.
Konishi Japanese
From Japanese (ko) meaning "small" and 西 (nishi) meaning "west".
Kubo Japanese
From Japanese (ku) meaning "long time ago" and (ho) meaning "protect".
Kumagai Japanese
From Japanese (kuma) meaning "bear" and (gai) meaning "valley".
Kumamoto Japanese
From Japanese (kuma) meaning "bear" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Kurata Japanese
From Japanese (kura) or (kura) both meaning "granary, storehouse" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kuroda Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Kuroiwa Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and (iwa) meaning "cliff, rocks".
Kuroki Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Kurosawa Japanese
From Japanese (kuro) meaning "black" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh". A notable bearer was Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), a Japanese film director.
Kusumoto Japanese
From Japanese (kusu) meaning "camphor tree" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Maeda Japanese
From Japanese (mae) meaning "front, forward" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Maekawa Japanese
From Japanese (mae) meaning "front, forward" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Maki 1 Japanese
From Japanese (maki) meaning "shepherd, tend cattle".
Maki 2 Japanese
From Japanese (ma) meaning "real, genuine" and (ki) meaning "tree".
Matsubara Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (hara) meaning "field, plain".
Matsuda Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Matsumoto Japanese
From one of the many places with this name in Japan, derived from Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Matsumura Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Matsuoka Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".
Matsushita Japanese
From Japanese (matsu) meaning "pine tree, fir tree" and (shita) meaning "under, below".
Minami Japanese
From Japanese (minami) meaning "south".
Miura Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "three" and (ura) meaning "bay, inlet".
Miyagawa Japanese
From Japanese (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Miyajima Japanese
From Japanese (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and (shima) meaning "island".
Miyake Japanese
From Japanese (mi) meaning "three" and (yake) meaning "house, home".
Miyamoto Japanese
From Japanese (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". A notable bearer is video game pioneer Shigeru Miyamoto (1952-).
Miyashita Japanese
From Japanese (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and (shita) meaning "under, below".
Miyata Japanese
From Japanese (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Miyazaki Japanese
From Japanese (miya) meaning "temple, shrine, palace" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Mizuno Japanese
From Japanese (mizu) meaning "water" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Mizushima Japanese
From Japanese (mizu) meaning "water" and (shima) meaning "island".
Mizutani Japanese
From Japanese (mizu) meaning "water" and (tani) meaning "valley".
Mochizuki Japanese
Means "full moon" in Japanese, a compound of (mochi) meaning "wish, desire" and (tsuki) meaning "moon".
Mori Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest".
Morikawa Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Morimoto Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Morishita Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (shita) meaning "under, below".
Morita Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Moriyama Japanese
From Japanese (mori) meaning "forest" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Moto Japanese
From Japanese (moto) meaning "base, root, origin". More commonly it is the final character in Japanese surnames.
Mutō Japanese
From Japanese (mu) meaning "military, martial" and () meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Nagasawa Japanese
From Japanese (naga) meaning "long" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Nakabayashi Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (hayashi) meaning "forest".
Nakagawa Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Nakahara Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (hara) meaning "field, plain".
Nakai Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Nakajima Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (shima) meaning "island".
Nakamura Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Nakano Japanese
From Japanese (naka) meaning "middle" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Nishikawa Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Nishimura Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Nishitani Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (tani) meaning "valley".
Nishiyama Japanese
From Japanese 西 (nishi) meaning "west" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Noguchi Japanese
From Japanese (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Nozawa Japanese
From Japanese (no) meaning "field, wilderness" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Ogawa Japanese
From Japanese (o) meaning "small" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Okabe Japanese
From Japanese (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and (be) meaning "part, section".
Okamoto Japanese
From Japanese (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Okamura Japanese
From Japanese (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Okazaki Japanese
From Japanese (oka) meaning "hill, ridge" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Okumura Japanese
From Japanese (oku) meaning "inside" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Ono Japanese
From Japanese (o) meaning "small" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Ōshiro Japanese
From Japanese (ō) meaning "big, great" and (shiro) meaning "castle".
Saito Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 斎藤 (see Saitō).
Saitō Japanese
From Japanese (sai) meaning "purification, worship" and () meaning "wisteria". The latter character could indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.
Saitou Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 斎藤 (see Saitō).
Sakamoto Japanese
From Japanese 坂 or 阪 (saka) meaning "slope" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Sakurada Japanese
From Japanese (sakura) meaning "cherry blossom" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Sanada Japanese
From Japanese (sana) meaning "real, genuine" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Sano Japanese
From Japanese (sa) meaning "help, aid" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Sasaki Japanese
From Japanese (sa) meaning "help, aid" (repeated, indicated by the iteration mark ) and (ki) meaning "tree, wood".
Sato Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 佐藤 (see Satō).
Satō Japanese
From Japanese (sa) meaning "help, aid" and () meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan.
Satou Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 佐藤 (see Satō).
Seki Japanese
From Japanese (seki) meaning "frontier pass".
Serizawa Japanese
From Japanese (seri) meaning "celery" and 沢 or 澤 (sawa) meaning "marsh".
Shibuya Japanese
From Japanese (shibu) meaning "astringent, rough" and (ya) meaning "valley".
Shimada Japanese
From Japanese (shima) meaning "island" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Shimamura Japanese
From Japanese (shima) meaning "island" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Shimizu Japanese
From Japanese (shi) meaning "clear, pure, clean" and (mizu) meaning "water".
Shinkawa Japanese
From Japanese (shin) meaning "fresh, new" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Shinoda Japanese
From Japanese (shino) meaning "dwarf bamboo" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Shinohara Japanese
From Japanese (shino) meaning "dwarf bamboo" and (hara) meaning "field, plain".
Shinozaki Japanese
From Japanese (shino) meaning "dwarf bamboo" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Shirai Japanese
From Japanese (shira) meaning "white" and (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit".
Shiraishi Japanese
From Japanese (shira) meaning "white" and (ishi) meaning "stone".
Shirakawa Japanese
From Japanese (shira) meaning "white" and (kawa) meaning "river, stream".
Shiratori Japanese
From Japanese (shira) meaning "white" and (tori) meaning "bird".
Sugimoto Japanese
From Japanese (sugi) meaning "cedar" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Sugimura Japanese
From Japanese (sugi) meaning "cedar" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Sugita Japanese
From Japanese (sugi) meaning "cedar" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Sugiura Japanese
From Japanese (sugi) meaning "cedar" and (ura) meaning "bay, inlet".
Sugiyama Japanese
From Japanese (sugi) meaning "cedar" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Suzuki Japanese
From Japanese (suzu) meaning "bell" and (ki) meaning "tree, wood". This is the second most common surname in Japan.
Tachibana Japanese
From Japanese (tachibana) meaning "orange, tangerine".
Takahashi Japanese
From Japanese (taka) meaning "tall, high" and (hashi) meaning "bridge".
Takeda Japanese
From Japanese (take) meaning "military, martial" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Takenaka Japanese
Means "dweller amongst bamboo", from Japanese (take) meaning "bamboo" and (naka) meaning "middle".
Takeuchi Japanese
From Japanese (take) meaning "bamboo" and (uchi) meaning "inside".
Tamura Japanese
From Japanese (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Tanaka Japanese
Means "dweller in the rice fields", from Japanese (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy" and (naka) meaning "middle".
Tani Japanese
From Japanese (tani) meaning "valley".
Taniguchi Japanese
From Japanese (tani) meaning "valley" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance".
Tomioka Japanese
From Japanese (tomi) meaning "wealth, abundance" and (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".
Toyoda Japanese
From Japanese (toyo) meaning "bountiful, luxuriant" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy". A famous bearer was Kiichiro Toyoda (1894-1952), founder of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Tsukuda Japanese
From Japanese (tsukuda) meaning "cultivated rice field".
Tsunoda Japanese
From Japanese (tsuno) meaning "point, corner" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Uchimura Japanese
From Japanese (uchi) meaning "inside" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Uchiyama Japanese
From Japanese (uchi) meaning "inside" and (yama) meaning "mountain, hill".
Ueda Japanese
From Japanese (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Uehara Japanese
From Japanese (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and (hara) meaning "field, plain".
Ueno Japanese
From Japanese (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Uesugi Japanese
From Japanese (ue) meaning "above, top, upper" and (sugi) meaning "cedar".
Urano Japanese
From Japanese (ura) meaning "bay, inlet" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Wada Japanese
From Japanese (wa) meaning "harmony, peace" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Watanabe Japanese
From Japanese (wata) meaning "cross, ferry" and (nabe) meaning "area, place".
Yamada Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Yamagishi Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (kishi) meaning "beach, shore, bank".
Yamaguchi Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (kuchi) meaning "mouth, entrance". Olympic figure-skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi (1971-) bears this name.
Yamamoto Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (moto) meaning "base, root, origin".
Yamashita Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (shita) meaning "under, below".
Yamauchi Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (uchi) meaning "inside".
Yamazaki Japanese
From Japanese (yama) meaning "mountain" and (saki) meaning "cape, peninsula".
Yasuda Japanese
From Japanese (yasu) meaning "peace, quiet" or (yasu) meaning "protect, maintain" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Yokota Japanese
From Japanese (yoko) meaning "beside, next to" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Yoshida Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and (ta) meaning "field, rice paddy".
Yoshinaga Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and (naga) meaning "perpetual, eternal".
Yoshino Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and (no) meaning "field, wilderness".
Yoshioka Japanese
From Japanese (yoshi) meaning "good luck" and (oka) meaning "hill, ridge".
Yūki Japanese
From Japanese () meaning "tie, bind" and (ki) meaning "castle".
Yukimura Japanese
From Japanese (yuki) meaning "snow" and (mura) meaning "town, village".
Yuuki Japanese
Alternate transcription of Japanese Kanji 結城 (see Yūki).