110 Japanese Dog Names Male & Female With Meanings

Dogs have been familiar to the Japanese since ancient times. Hachikō is possibly Japan’s most well-known dog while the Shiba-Inu accounts for 80 percent of all the Japanese dog breeds kept in Japan.

I have already written about Japanese cat names and Japanese girl names, so I have also hand-picked 110 Japanese dog names (male and female) with meanings included.

List Of 110 Japanese Male Dog Names:

Genki

Genki has a meaning that I like: ”source energy.”

Akio

Akio can be used for a male dog and means ”bright man.”

Makoto

Truth and sincerity.

Banko

”One who cultivates rice fields.”

Noboru

I like Noboru for a male dog. It is translated as ”to climb” or ”to ascend.”

Chibi

In slang, Chibi means short or small. I recommend Chibi for a Pomeranian, Chihuahua, Toy Poodle, Bichon Frisé, Maltese, Yorkshire Terrier, and Shih Tzu.

Sho

”To soar” or ”fly” (翔).

Rin

”Dignified” or ”cold-clear” and is unisex.

Sasuke

”Help”. Sarutobi Sasuke is a ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art.

Kiba

”Fang”.

Ryoma

Samurai Sakamoto Ryoma was assassinated in Kyoto in 1867. It is made of ryo (”dragon”) and ma (”horse”).

Osamu

”Ruler.”

Daisuke

Daisuke is derived from dai (big) and suke (help).

Reon

”Leon (”lion”) and is a loanword good for confident dogs.

Riku

Continent or land.

Eiji

”Prosperity and peace.” Actor Eiji Akaso is known for playing Ryuga Banjou in Kamen Rider Build.

Daichi

”Great earth” or ”wide land.”

Kuma

”Bear” and is pronounced as KOO-mah. I recommend it for a heavy-coated dog that is built more like a small bear.

Sora

”Sky.”

Musashi

Musashi was a former province around modern Tokyo, and its kanji (武蔵) means ”martial” and ”storehouse”.

Kai

”Sea” (海) or ”shell” (貝).

Raiden

It is connected with Raiden who is the god of thunder and lightning in Japanese mythology. Save

Fumio

Wealth, abundance, history, or writing. Sculptor Fumio Asakura was appointed to the Imperial Fine Arts Academy in 1919.

Facts

Many Japanese dog breeds originate from the island nation.

These six breeds, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Shiba, Kishu, Kai, and Akita, are unique to Japan. Most of these Nihon-ken are descended from hounds for hunting.

Shiba Inu is the most popular dog breed. Shibas have been used for hunting both small and large game.

Shikoku is the cousin of the Shiba Inu.

Haru

”unny, sunlight, sun, or springtime.

Satoshi

Satoshi is symbolizing ”quick-witted” or ”wise.” Satoshi Nakamoto is the anonymous creator of Bitcoin. He never revealed anything personal. Even today Nakamoto’s true identity is unknown. In 2008 Nakamoto released the Bitcoin whitepaper and now has in his wallet at least 1.1 million Bitcoin.

Shiro

”Gentleman.”

Isamu

”Brave, merit, courage, or courageous.” Isamu Chō was a general who graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1913.

Kaze

Kaze is the word for wind (風).

READ MORE: 44 Good Dog Names For A Golden Retriever

Zen

Zen comes from the Middle Chinese word ”chan” which is from Sanskrit dhyāna, ”meditation.” Zen Buddhism is the 4th largest Buddhist sect. Zazen is a form of meditation that practically anyone can learn.

Jiro

“Second son” or ”reign.”

Dango

”Sweet rice dumpling.” I think it fits a Labrador that lives for treats.

Yoshi

”Good luck” or ”righteousness.”

Pochi

Pochi is a small dot, so it fits a puppy with one spot.

Kaito

Ocean or sea.

Taiki

Tai means ”large” and ki is radiance.

Hayate

Hayate (pronounced as hah-YAH-teh) is the word for a sudden gale (疾風). Nakajima gave it to its Ki-84 fighter plane in World War 2.

Natsu

Natsu is translated as summer.

Ryuu

Imperial or dragon.

Taro

Taro symbolises (depending on the used kanji) watchtower, melodious, abundance, or heroic. Variations include Tarou and Taro.

Yuji

Yu means abundance and ji is symbolizing ”peace.”

Maru

It is the word for round or circle. Marutaro was a Shiba Inu from Tokyo who died at age 16.

Kohaku

”Amber.”

Gin

”Silver” (銀). Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin is the 1980s manga by Yoshihiro Takahashi about a silver-brindle Akita pup.

Mugi

Mugi comes from the word for ”barley” or ”wheat.”

Kinako

Kinako is roasted soybean flour. The 2010 film Kinako is about a real Labrador which is training to become a police dog.

Mochi

”Japanese rice cake made of mochigome.”

Benkei

”Eloquence and joy.” Musashibō Benkei was a warrior monk who guarded Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

Yamato

Yamato means ”great harmony” (大和).

Akira

”Bright” or ”clear.” You may know it from the 1988 anime film Akira.

Tora

Tora is the word for tiger and fits a dog with an attitude.

Ken

”Healthy and strong” or ”sword.”

Sakura

Sakura is the cherry blossom which is Japan’s unofficial national flower.

Hachi

Hachi is the word for ”eight” (八), a lucky number in the Land of the Rising Sun. Diminutives that I love are Hachikō and Hachi-chan.

Kuro

”Black” (黒). I recommend ot fpr Shiba with a dark coat and tan points.

Tanuki

”Raccoon dog” (狸), a canid (Nyctereutes procyonoides) with no connection to the raccoon.

Wasabi

”Mountain hollyhock” in its kanji (山葵).

Takumi

Takumi (匠) is meaning ”master craftsman.” Nicknames include Taku and Tak.

Kotetsu

It combines 虎, tiger, with 徹, pierce.

Ronin

Ronin means ”wave man”, an old term for a samurai with no master.

Fuji

Mount Fuji (”wealth and samurai”) last erupted over 300 years ago.

Kenshin

Warlord Uesugi Kenshin (”trust” or ”humility”) sent salt to his rival Takeda Shingen.

Taiyo

”Sun.” Yokohama’s pro baseball team was known as Taiyō Whales.

Daikichi

Daikichi is the best result on an omikuji, the paper fortune drawn at shrines and temples.

Female Names

Fumi

”Beauty” or ”lotus.”

Kabosu

Kabosu is a green citrus from Oita. It is also the real name of the Shiba Inu behind the Doge meme and the Dogecoin logo. She lived with her owner Atsuko Sato until 2024.

Kumo

”Cloud” or ”spider.”

Koto

Koto is a traditional stringed instrument. Koto is roughly 180 centimetres in length.

Aiko

”Child of love.”

Emiko

Beautiful blessed child.

How to choose a good Japanese name for your dog

Add a different element to your pooch’s pedigree.

Give your dog an authentic Japanese name with some of the above popular names. Use your imagination, and when you land on the right name.

Consider the feelings that the moniker can evoke.

Note: I recommend to avoid changing it weeks or months later.

Ami

The common kanji reading is 亜 (Asia) plus 美 (beauty), as such Ami is “Asia, beauty”.

Sumi

”Calligraphy ink.”

Koharu

Koharu literally means “Indian summer” or “small spring.” Singer Koharu Kusumi became a host of “Boat Race Live” in 2015.

Asahi

”Rising sun” or ”morning sun.”

Shinju

”Pearl” (真珠) or ”true gem”. Kōkichi Mikimoto produced the first cultured pearl.

Nori

Doctrine or belief.

Anko

”Sweet red bean paste (餡子).” It is in the same family as Mochi and Kinako.

Chiyo

”Thousand generations.”

Kiko

Kiko (depending on the used kanji) means noble child, precious child, child of happiness, or joyful child.

Ringo

Ringo comes from 林檎, apple.

Aoi

”Hollyhock.”

Hana

Hana is translated as flower from Japanese. It also means bliss in Arabic, hope in Kurdish, and grace in Hebrew. Actress Hana Sugisaki re-debuted with Ken-On in April 2011.

Himari

Himari is another one with a meaning that I love, ”sunshine flower.”

Nana

Nana means “seven” in Japanese while in the UK it means grandmother.

Hoshi

Hoshi symbolises a ”star.”

Yume

”Dream” or ”vision.”

Kimi

Kimi can be used for a female dog, and it means joy or beautiful.

Saki

”Sand.”

Machi

”City” or ”town.”

Momo

Momo means peach, while in Turkish is ”mom.”

Yuki

Happiness or snow.

Nami

Nami is the word for ”wave.”

Ume

”Plum blossom.”

Hikari

”Light.”

Suzu

”Bell (鈴)”. It is pronounced as SOO-zoo.

Botan

”Peony flower.”

Tsuki

”Moon” and may be good for a black or silver-grey coat.

Kokoro

”Heart” or ”mind.”

Sumire

Sumire is symbolizing the violet flower and is pronounced as soo-MEE-reh.

Tsubaki

”Camellia (Camellia japonica)”.

Momiji

“Autumn leaves.”

Nozomi

”Hope”. Nozomi service is the quickest train on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.

Kitsune

Kitsune (KEET-soo-neh) is fox (狐).

Yuzu

Tart citrus with a bumpy rind.

Hotaru

”Firefly” (蛍). Each June, families go hotaru-gari, firefly watching.

Kiku

”Chrysanthemum.”

Kinu

”Silk.” Tomioka Silk Mill is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Tama

A calico cat named Tama (”ball” or ”jewel” was the stationmaster at Kishi Station in Wakayama.

Mame

”Bean.” Sellers use mameshiba for extra-small Shibas.

Kaguya

Kaguya comes from Princess Kaguya of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

Nashi

”Round pear” and it sounds like ”nothing”.