100+ Japanese Last Names Or Surnames With Meanings

Some of the popular Japanese Last names are listed here.

1. Miura

The surname Miura means "Three Bays". This surname is said to have originated after a descendant of the Taira clan settled in a place called Miura in Sagami and adopted the place name as their surname.

2. Nakamura

Nakamura is a popular surname from the Far East of Japan. The name is made up of two elements; "Naka," meaning "middle," and "mura," meaning "small district", thus means "Village in the middle".

3. Sasaki

Sasaki is a Japanese last name that is mostly found in Northeastern Japan, and translates to "help" or "aid", hence signifying someone who helps others.

4. Watanabe

This distinguished surname translates as "crossing" and "boundary". This is an occupational surname that refers to Wataribe "ferrymen's guild".

5. Tanaka

Tanaka translates as "Center of the rice paddy", and is a popular Japanese last name around the city of Ōsaka and can also be found in the Ryūkyū Islands.

6. Yamamoto

Yamamoto is a surname found mostly in central and west-central Japan and means "At the foot of the mountain".

7. Daigo

The surname Daigo is said to have derived from a Buddhist term and means ''Great enlightenment" or "Great realization".

8. Kubo

Kubo is a surname found popularly in Western Japan and means "Sunken ground".

9. Makino

Makino is a surname found mostly in central Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands and translates as ''Pasture field".

10. Nakayama

Nakamaya is a surname based on a place name and means "Central mountain". This surname is popularly found in Western Japan and on the island of Okinawa.

11. Ogawa

Ogawa is a surname that is based on a village name and translates as "Small river".

12. Hayashi

Popularly found in Western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, Hayashi means "Forest".

13. Honda

The surname Honda translates as "Original rice paddy", and is popular all over Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.

14. Yamauchi

 Yamauchi is a Japanese surname made of two elements; Yama meaning "mountain" and Yuchi meaning "inside". This surname translates as "Within the mountains".

15. Ishibashi

Ishibashi is a popular Japanese last name that means "rock bridge" or "stone bridge". This surname is based on a town's name and mostly belongs to descendants of the Minamoto clan.

16. Kitamura

Kitamura is a Japanese surname made by blending two words; Kita means "north" and Mura means "village", hence meaning "Northern Village".

17. Matsuoka

Matsuoka means "Pine tree hill", and is derived from Matsu, meaning "pine tree" and Oka meaning "ridge". 

18. Otsuka

Otsuka surname is found mostly in eastern Japan and translates as "Large tomb mound".

19. Yamazaki

Yama in Japanese means "mountain", and the surname Yamazaki means "Mountain Promontory". It also has an alternate pronunciation; "Yamasaki" which is used in Western Japan.

20. Adachi

Adachi is the name of a clan belonging to the Samurai family. This surname translates as "Foot" or "Stand".

21. Abe

In Japan, A means "peace" and Be means "many times". And in the Aihu language, Abe means "Sun festival". 

22. Bando

One of the most found surnames in Western Japan, Bando means "East of the slope" and refers to the eastern provinces of Osaka.

23. Kubota

Kubota is a Japanese surname that translates to "Sunken rice paddy.

24. Chinen

Chinen is an Okinawan surname and is commonly found in the Ryūkyū Islands meaning, "One thousand years". Chinen also means "Know feelings".

25. Eguchi

Eguchi is a Japanese last name that is prominently found on the island of Kyūshū, and translates as "Mouth of the River".

26. Shibuya

Shibuya is a surname found mostly in Eastern Japan and means "Quiet valley".

27. Sugiyama

Sugiyama means "Cedar mountain" and is said to be a mixture of two words, Sugi meaning "Japan cedar" and Yama meaning "mountain".

28. Fukumoto

Found mostly in Western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, the surname Fukumoto means "Blessed origin".

29. Nakano

This surname is mostly found in Western Japan and is taken from a place name, meaning "Central field".

30. Otake

Otake means "Large bamboo", and is said to have originated in Southeast Japan.

If you are wondering what the most common last names in Japan are, then worry not. We have listed out the common Japanese surnames for you.

31. Sato

Sato is a common Japanese surname made up of two words; Sa, meaning "help," and To meaning "wisteria".

32. Fujimoto

The surname Fujimoto means "One who lives under the wisteria". This surname is found mostly in western Japan and in the Ryūkyū Islands. People having this surname are said to be descendants of the Fujiwara clan.

33. Ikeda

Ikeda is a common surname in Japan and Ryūkyū Islands, and the surname means "A rice field by the pond".

34. Suzuki

Suzuki is most likely to have derived from the word "Susuki". This surname means "bell wood," "bell tree," or "bud tree" and is an extremely common Japanese surname.

35. Okamura

Okamura is a common Japanese surname found in Western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, meaning "Hill village".

36. Okanu

Okanu means "Hill life" or "Hill field", and is mostly found in Nagoya and Tokyo.

37. Kato

Kato is a common Japanese surname that translates as "Add or increase wisteria".

38. Kobayashi

Kobayashi is a surname found in the Ryūkyū Islands and Central Japan, which translates as "Small forest".

39. Fukuda

Fukuda is a surname based on the name of a place and means "Blessed rice paddy". This is a common surname all over Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.

40. Takahashi

Takahashi is a common surname that is derived from the name of an ancient family of Kyūshū island. This surname means "High bridge", and is commonly used in the Eastern part of Japan.

41. Nagamine

Nagamine is based on the topographic name and means ''Long peak". Nagamine is based on the name of the place in Japan.

42. Date

Date is a Japanese surname meaning "gallantry" or "showy". This surname is said to have derived from a place called Idate in Mutsu which is now known as Aomori.

43. Matsuura

Matasuura means "Pine tree bay" and is mostly found in the Kyūshū Island and the Ryūkyū Islands. Matsuura also is the name of an ancient warrior clan.

44. Yamamoto

Found mostly in Central and West-central Japan, this surname means "At the foot of the mountain".

45. Fujioka

Fujioka is a common surname found mainly in the Ryūkyū Islands, Western Japan, and the village of Shinano, and translates as "Wisteria hill".

46. Fukushima

Fukushima denotes "Fortune Island" and is found mostly in Ryūkyū Island and all over Japan.

47. Yamada

Yamada is a surname derived from the place name. This common surname means "Mountain rice paddy", and is heard mostly in Eastern seaboard.

48. Kimura

Kimura is a surname that is especially found in Western and Northeastern Japan. This surname is said to have originated from a place name and means "Tree Village"

49. Inoue

Topographic surname Inoue means "Above the well". This surname is commonly found in Western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.

50. Kawakami

51. Yoshida

Yoshida is a surname that translates as "Lucky rice paddy", and is said to have originated from a place name in Japan.

52. Hayashi

The surname Hayashi is found mostly in Western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. This surname means "Forest".

53. Matsumoto

Matsumoto means "Base of the pine tree" and is said to have originated from the name of a place in Japan.

54. Otani

Otani surname means "Large valley", and is mostly found in Western Japan.

55. Shimizu

The surname Shimizu is found all over Japan, specifically in East Japan. Shimizu means "Pure water".

56. Ishikawa

This surname means "Stone River, " primarily found in Eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. Ishikawa is composed of two elements: Ishi means "Stone" and Kawa means "River".

57. Okada

Okada means "Hill rice paddy" and is mostly found in Western Japan.

58. Kaneko

Kaneko is primarily found in the Tōkyō area and Okinawa Island. This surname refers to "Golden Child". Here, Kane means "gold", and indicates the gold dust or iron ore dust found in streams or sandbanks.

59. Saito

Saito is composed of Sai, meaning "purification" and To, meaning "Wisteria".

60. Okura

Found mostly in western Japan, the surname Okura means "Large warehouse."

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Few Japanese surnames are very rare and unique, and some are even difficult to pronounce. Here we have included some rare Japanese Surnames as follows:

61. Ikari

Japanese surname Ikari is interpreted as "Anchor".

62. Akasofu

Akasofu is a rare Japanese which means ''Red grandfather".

63. Hoshino

Hoshino is an unusual Japanese surname made of two words; Hoshi means "star" and No means ''field", and combines as "Star Field".

64. Hirawa

This rare Japanese surname means "Plain of Harmony".

65. Baba

Based on a place name, this Japanese surname denotes ''horse-riding ground race track". This unique surname is found in the West-central Japan region.

66. Haga

This name is mostly found in Northeastern Japan and is a combination of two words. Here, Ha means "fragrance" and Ga means "congratulations".

67. Hanabusa

This Japanese family name is made by combining Hana which means "flower" and Busa meaning "calyx or flower cluster".

68. Mizoroge

Mizoroge is used to denote an honored "Bodhisattva pond", and is a rare Japanese surname.

69. Ichibangase

A rare and unique surname, Ichibangase means 'Powerful".

70. Asagao

This Japanese surname translates as "Morning Glory".

71. Kurosawa

Kurosawa is made of two elements, where Kuro means "black" and Sawa means "marsh". Hence, this surname means "Black Swamp" in Japanese.

72. Ogami

Ogami is translated as "Adore", "Worship" or "Pray to" in Japanese.

73. Kai

This Japanese surname Kai has numerous meanings such as "Ocean", "shell", "restoration", "recovery" and "open".

74. Himura

Himura is a Japanese surname made by combining two elements; Hi means "Scarlet or dark red" and Mura means "Town or village".

75. Jinja

Jinja means "Shinto shrine", indicating a culture of a particular community.

76. Tanabata

This Japanese surname translates as "The seventh night".

77. Kido

Kido means "Wooden door" in Japanese, and is a unique surname.

78. Kaneshiro

Kaneshiro is a Japanese-origin surname meaning ''Golden castle"

79. Sakanoue

Sakanoue is a Japanese last name that means "Slope", "incline" or "hill".

80. Myoga

This Japanese surname relates to farming, and is translated as "Japanese ginger".

In Japan, you will be able to find many given names and surnames based on flowers like Wisteria or Sakura or inspired by rivers and mountains. A few Japanese surnames based on nature have been listed below.

81. Akiyama

Primarily found in Eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands, this surname means "Autumn Mountain".

82. Furukawa

Furukawa means "Old river", and the community belonging to this surname are descendants of the Minamoto Nitta and Northern Fujiwara families.

83. Hirano

Hirano is a  surname based on the landscape and means "Flat field".

84. Mori

Mori is a common Japanese family name meaning, "Forest".

85. Hasegawa

The topographic surname "Hasegawa" interprets as "Long valley river" in Japanese, and is commonly found in eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.

86. Nishikawa

Nishikawa is mostly found in Western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. This name simply translates to ''Western River".

87. Handa

The surname, Handa is primarily found in Tokyo and Ōsaka areas and the Island of Okinawa, and means "Half a rice paddy".

88. Chiba

Japanese last name Chiba means "A thousand leaves". This is a place-specific surname derived from Chiba-gun in Shimōsa which is now part of the Chiba prefecture

89. Hagiwara

Hagiwara is a Japanese surname, found mostly in the Tokyo area, and means "Bush clover plain". 

90. Fujiki

Fujiki is a surname that refers to the Japanese "Wisteria Tree".

91. Fujihara

Fujihara is a Japanese last name meaning "Wisteria Plain". Here, Fuji means "Wisteria" and Hara means "Plains".

92. Haruki

Haruki is both a given name and a surname, meaning "Spring child".

93. Komatsu

Mostly found in West-central Japan the Island of Shikoku and the Ryūkyū Islands, this Japanese surname means "Small pine tree".

94. Kamiyama

In Japanese, the Kamiyama family name means "God's mountain" or "Upper mountain".

95. Tachibana

Tachibana is a surname found mostly in eastern Japan. This surname translates to "Wild orange".

96. Takayama

Takayama is a Japanese surname that is popular in Western Japan as well as in Okinawa. This surname means "High mountain".

97. Nakagawa

Nakagawa means "Middle river". People with the surname Nakagawa belong to Fujiwara or Minamoto origin.

98. Kikuchi

Kikuchi is found mostly in Western Japan and translates to "Chrysanthemum pond".

99. Sakurai

Sakurai is a surname that is found mostly in eastern Japan, and the surname means "Well of the cherry blossom".

100. Moriyama

Moriyama means "Forest mountain". This Japanese last name is a combination of two words; Mori meaning "forest" and Yama meaning "mountain".

101. Hamada

Hamada is both a given name and a surname found mostly in the Island of Shikoku and the Ryūkyū Islands, which translates to "Seashore paddy field".

102. Akagi

Akagi is a surname that is mostly common in Western Japan. This surname means "Red tree", and is said to have derived from Akagiyama, meaning " mount red castle".

103. Kawabata

The surname Kawabata means "River bank" or "Side of the river".

104. Higanbana

Higanbana is a Japanese surname which means "Flower of the Autumn equinox", and represents the flowers that bloom in Autumn. 

105. Mochizuki

Mochizuki means "Full moon", and this surname is prominently found in Central Japan.

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