Anime names are real Japanese names, and the good ones are chosen for their meaning: a quiet girl called Shizuka, a hot-headed hero called Raiden. This anime character name generator pairs real given names and surnames, shows what the given name can mean, and adds an honorific if you want one.
How Japanese names work
In Japan the surname comes first: in Sasaki Taiga, Sasaki is the family name and Taiga the given name.
- In English many translations swap the order, but more now keep the Japanese one. Since 2020 the Japanese government has asked for surname-first order in official English documents.
- Meanings depend on the kanji. Most names can be written with different characters, so the same name can mean different things. The meanings here are for one common way of writing each name.
- Popular names change like anywhere else: Haruto, "sun, soar", has topped recent surveys of boys' names.
Honorifics
Honorifics go after the name, and they show how two characters feel about each other.
- -san: polite, for almost anyone.
- -kun: for boys and juniors, friendly but a little formal.
- -chan: affectionate, for children, close friends and anything cute.
- -senpai: someone senior at school or work.
- -sensei: a teacher, doctor or master, and manga artists too.
- -sama: great respect, for customers, nobles and gods.
- -dono and -hime: old-fashioned "lord" and "princess", for period stories.
Famous surname-and-name pairs are left out. For more from Japan, try the Kitsune and Japanese Sword name generators.