Japanese Names That Start with H: Boys, Girls & Last Names

Japanese writes its H sounds with five kana: は, ひ, ふ, へ and ほ. I have selected a list of Japanese names that start with H, each with its meaning.

Japanese Boy Names That Start With H And Their Meanings:

Haruto

From 陽, sun, and 翔, to fly.

Hokuto

Hokuto (“Big Dipper”) appears in Hokuto no Ken, the Japanese title of Fist of the North Star.

Hisashi

久, long-lasting.

Hideki

Hideki (“excellent tree”) Yukawa won Japan’s first Nobel Prize.

Hiromu

“Big dream,” or “spread wide.”

Hakuto

“White rabbit.” In a Kojiki myth, Hakuto is a god who heals a hare from Inaba.

Hibiki

Hibiki means “resonance.” It is also a Suntory whisky blend.

Hisato

久人, “long-lasting person.”

Hajime

Written 一, a single stroke, and meaning “beginning.”

Hanzo

Hanzomon, a gate of Edo Castle, is called after samurai Hattori Hanzo. Meaning: “half” and “storehouse.”

Hiroto

Great flight.

Hayato

“Falcon person.” Hayato were a people of southern Kyushu in early Japan.

Hiroyuki

Wide happiness.

Hitoshi

“Benevolence,” or “equal.”

Haruki

Haruki (“spring tree”) Murakami wrote Norwegian Wood.

Hidenori

秀典, excellent law.

Hisao

“Long-lived man”.

Hayate

“Sudden gale.” A Shinkansen service between Morioka and Shin-Aomori is known as Hayate.

Hachiro

“Eighth son.”

Hotaka

“High ear of grain.” The Hotaka is a group of peaks in the Northern Alps.

Hiroshi

“Generous,” “wide,” “abundant,” or “tolerant.”

Hirokazu

From 博, wide, and 和, harmony. Hirokazu Kore-eda won at Cannes with Shoplifters.

Harumasa

“Clear, correct.”

Hisanori

“Lasting rule.”

Harunobu

Suzuki Harunobu was a pioneer of full-color woodblock prints. Meaning: “spring, trust.”

Hiromasa

Wide, correct.

Heihachi

“Peace” and “eight.”

Hyuga

Hyuga is pronounced HYOO-gah and uses the same kanji as Hinata, 日向, “facing the sun.” It was a province in Kyushu.

Haku

“White.” He’s a river spirit in Spirited Away.

Hironori

From 博, wide, and 紀, rule.

Hiryu

“Flying dragon,” and an aircraft carrier that was lost at Midway.

Heisuke

Peace, help.

Haruo

“Spring man.”

Hirobumi

“Wide literature”. Ito Hirobumi, Japan’s first prime minister.

Hidenaga

Excellent and long.

Hidetsugu

“Excellent, next.”

Hidetoshi

Hidetoshi (“excellent, talented”) Nakata played for Perugia and AS Roma.

Hideto

“Excellent person.”

Hidehiko

Excellent prince.

Hideaki

From 秀, excellent, and 明, bright. Hideaki Anno created Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Haruya

“Clear sky.”

Hisayuki

Hisayuki is meaning ”lasting happiness.”

Hironobu

Hironobu Sakaguchi created Final Fantasy, and his kanji mean “wide trust.”

Haruhiko

Clear weather, prince.

Heiji

“Peace, next.” Zenigata Heiji is a policeman in Nomura Kodo’s Edo who catches criminals by throwing coins.

Hiroyasu

博康, wide and peaceful.

Heizo

“Peace” and “storehouse”.

Hyoma

From 彪, tiger stripes, and 馬, horse.

Hidemasa

“Excellent, just.”

Hiroya

Tolerant. Save

Hidetaka

Hidetaka Miyazaki directed Dark Souls. Meaning: “excellent, filial.”

Hisayoshi

“Lasting righteousness.”

Hiroo

“Generous son.” Hiroo Onoda stayed in a Philippine jungle for twenty-nine years after the war ended.

Haruhito

Spring person.

Hidetada

“Excellent, loyal”. Tokugawa Hidetada was the second shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty.

Haruma

“Spring horse.” Save

Hidekazu

Excellent one.

Hiroshige

“Wide, heavy.” Utagawa Hiroshige made The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido prints.

Hiroharu

“Wide, governing.”

Hirotsugu

Wide heir.

Hikoichi

“Prince, one.” Hikoichi outsmarts a tanuki in Kumamoto folk tales.

Harutaka

Clear, prosperous.

Hidenobu

“Excellent trust.”

Hisaharu

Lasting spring.

Hisashige

“Lasting, heavy.” Tanaka Hisashige founded a workshop that later became Toshiba.

Hirotoshi

“Wide and talented.”

Haruomi

Haruomi Hosono co-founded Yellow Magic Orchestra. His kanji mean “clear sky” and “retainer.”

Hirokuni

Wide country.

Hideharu

Excellent spring.

Hisamitsu

“Lasting light.” Shimazu Hisamitsu was a samurai of the late Edo period whose guards attacked British riders at Namamugi.

Heikichi

“Peace, luck.”

Hanbei

“Half, soldier, guard.” Takenaka Hanbei was a famed Sengoku strategist.

Harukazu

Spring harmony.

Hideyo

“Excellent world.” Noguchi Hideyo’s face was on the thousand-yen note for twenty years.

Heishiro

Peace, fourth son.

Harumoto

Clear origin.

Hisoka

“Secret/reserved.” Hisoka is a magician in Hunter x Hunter.

Harumichi

“Clear road.”

Hisaya

Long-lasting, ever more.

Hisatsugu

Lasting heir.

Hoichi

Hoichi (“fragrant one”) is a blind biwa player in Kwaidan who loses his ears to ghosts.

Hiraku

Open/pioneer.

Harunori

“Clear rule.”

Hitomaro

“Person” and maro, an affectionate suffix. Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a leading Man’yoshu poet.

Hiroyoshi

“Wide goodness.”

Hikotaro

“Prince, big, son.”

Hisaichi

Lasting first.

Hideyoshi

“Excellent luck.” Toyotomi Hideyoshi went north of his peasant roots to unify Japan.

Hinato

From 陽, sun, and 斗, dipper.

Harusuke

Clear, helper.

Harutoshi

Spring, talented.

Hirohito

“Abundant benevolence.” Emperor Hirohito reigned for sixty-two years.

Hisakazu

“Lasting peace.”

Haruyoshi

“Clear, good.”

Hayao

“Swift”. Hayao Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli. His Spirited Away won an Academy Award for Animated Feature.

Hiroki

Big tree, or “generous radiance.”

Hideo

Hideo (“excellent man”) Kojima created the game Metal Gear.

Hisahiro

“Lasting, wide.”

Hikaru

“Light/shine.” Star Trek’s Sulu is a Hikaru.

Harushige

“Clear, heavy.”

Girl Names:

Hoshiko

“Star child.” Save

Haru

Spring.

Hotaru

Hotaru gets my vote, for a meaning I love: “firefly.”

Hisako

Lasting child.

Hinata

“Sunny place.” She’s a ninja heir in Naruto.

Haruka

Haruka is symbolizing “distant” or “clear song.”

Hanako

“Flower child.” Hanako is a ghost girl from school bathroom legends.

Hiroka

“Generous fragrance.”

Hagumi

To nurture/raise.

Hikari

“Light.” Hikari is also a high-speed train service running on the San’yō Shinkansen and Tōkaidō.

Hideko

“Excellent child.” Save

Hazuki

“Leaf month.” That’s a classical word for the eighth lunar month.

Honoka

From 穂, ear of grain, and 花, flower.

Haruna

Spring greens.

Hanae

Hanae (“flower branch”) Mori was the first Asian member of Paris haute couture’s governing body.

Hiroe

“Wide blessing.”

Himeko

Princess child.

Hitomi

Pupil of the eye. Hitomi was also an X-ray satellite that broke about a month after launch.

Hina

“Chick,” “doll,” “sun and greens,” or “day and greens.”

Haruko

“Spring child.”

Hatsumi

“First beauty.”

Harumi

“Clear-sky beauty,” and a Tokyo waterfront district.

Hiromi

“Wide beauty,” “abundant beauty,” “generous beauty,” or “wide sea.”

Hisui

I’ve always liked Hisui for its sound: “jade.”

Hiroko

“Abundant child.”

Hana

“Flower” in Japanese, “one” in Korean, “bliss” in Arabic and “work” in Hawaiian.

Hime

“Princess” in Japanese.

Honami

From 穂, ear of rice, and 波, waves.

Hatsune

“First sound.” Hatsune Miku is a virtual singer made from voice samples.

Hinako

Sun, greens, child.

Himiko

Himiko (“sun child”) was a shaman queen of Yamatai, recorded in Chinese chronicles.

Hanayo

Flower generation.

Hatsue

First branch.

Hitoe

“Single layer,” and an unlined summer kimono.

Hasumi

Lotus beauty.

Himawari

“Sunflower.” Shin-chan’s baby sister in Crayon Shin-chan is Himawari.

Hiroyo

Wide generation.

Hisayo

“Lasting generation.”

Hijiri

Saint, or “sage.”

Hiori

日織, “sun” and “weave.”

Harue

“Spring inlet.”

Homare

“Glory.” Homare Sawa is considered one of Japan’s greatest female footballers ever.

Hanaka

“Flower fragrance.”

Hanon

From 花, flower, and 音, sound.

Himeno

Princess field.

Hisae

“Lasting blessing.”

Hatsuko

“First child.”

Hibari

“Skylark,” and enka singer Misora Hibari’s stage name.

Hinami

“Sun waves.”

Hatsu

First. Ohatsu was the middle of three Azai sisters in Sengoku Japan.

Honomi

Ear of rice, beauty.

Haruho

Spring ear of grain.

Hifumi

“One, two, three,” written 一二三.

Hanabi

Fireworks.

Last Names:

Hosoda

Narrow rice paddy.

Hatano

“Wave, many, field.”

Hatoyama

Hatoyama (“dove mountain”) gave Japan two prime ministers, a grandfather and his grandson.

Hiraoka

“Flat hill.” Novelist Mishima Yukio was born Hiraoka Kimitake.

Hashimoto

Base of the bridge.

Hayashi

“Forest.”

Hirano

Hirano is symbolizing ”flat field.”

Hanaoka

“Flower hill.” Surgeon Hanaoka Seishu operated under general anesthesia for over forty years before the use of ether.

Hosogai

“Narrow shell.”

Hasegawa

“Long valley river.” Hasegawa Tohaku painted Pine Trees.

Harada

From 原, field, and 田, rice paddy.

Hojo

Hojo is pronounced HOH-joh, and is sometimes spelled Houjou. “North line,” and a regent clan that faced Mongol invasions.

Hamada

“Beach rice paddy.”

Hoshino

Star field.

Hirata

Flat rice paddy.

Higuchi

“Water spout opening.” Higuchi Ichiyo wrote Takekurabe, a story of children growing up in Yoshiwara.

Hikawa

“Ice river.” Hikawa is also a network of shrines around Saitama.

Honda

Honda (“main rice field”) Soichiro founded Honda Motor in Hamamatsu.

Hosomi

“Narrow view.”

Hirashima

Flat island.

Hattori

“Clothing department.” Hattori Kintaro opened a watch shop in Ginza that is now known as Seiko.

Hara

Field, or “meadow.” Hara Takashi was Japan’s first commoner prime minister.

Hori

“Moat.”

Hayakawa

“Fast river”. Hayakawa Tokuji, whose mechanical pencil gave Sharp its title.

Hirose

Wide rapids.

Hagiwara

“Bush clover meadow.” Hagiwara Sakutaro wrote Howling at the Moon.

Hirai

Flat well.

Hosokawa

“Narrow river.” The Hosokawa clan is a Japanese samurai kin group that ruled Kumamoto.

Hino

“Sun field,” and Hino Motors trucks.

Hata

Japanese reading of 秦, Qin, which comes from the Chinese dynasty. Hata clan claimed descent from Qin rulers.

Hamasaki

“Beach cape.”

Hyakutake

Hundred, warrior. A bright comet of the nineties is called after amateur astronomer Yuji Hyakutake.

Hidaka

Hidaka (“high sun”) is also a mountain range in Hokkaido.

Horie

“Moat inlet.” Kenichi Horie sailed from Japan to San Francisco at twenty-three.

Hanada

Flower field.

Higa

Okinawan, from 比, compare, and 嘉, praise.

Hijikata

“Earth, direction.” Hijikata Toshizo, vice commander of the Shinsengumi, wasn’t born a samurai.

Hoshi

“Star” in Japanese.

Hiroi

Hiroi is meaning “wide well.”

Hokama

“Outer room,” an Okinawan surname.

Hirayama

“Flat mountain.”

Hamaguchi

Beach mouth. Hamaguchi Osachi, the Lion Prime Minister, was shot at Tokyo Station.

Hosono

Narrow field.

Honma

Honma (“main space”) Munehisa is the one renowned for candlestick charts.

Hatanaka

Middle of the farm field.

Hayasaka

“Early slope.”

Hanzawa

“Half marsh”. TV show Hanzawa Naoki is about the toxic workplace culture in Japan in terms of scapegoating.

Haga

“Fragrant celebration.”

Hisamatsu

Hisamatsu is symbolizing ”lasting pine.”

Hayama

“Leaf mountain.” Ever heard of Hayama’s imperial seaside villa?

Hironaka

Wide middle.

Hamamoto

“Base of the beach.

Hirota

“Wide rice field.” Hirota Koki was a civilian executed after the Tokyo war crimes trials.

Hirakawa

Flat river.

Higashi

East.

Higashiyama

“East mountain,” as well as a temple-filled district of Kyoto.

Hamaoka

“Beach hill.”

Hanamura

“Flower village.”

Hanyu

Feathers, life. Yuzuru Hanyu won two Olympic golds in figure skating.

Horiuchi

Inside the moat.

Horikawa

“Canal river.”

Hayashida

“Forest rice paddy.”

Hosaka

Protecting slope.

Hongo

“Main village.” There’s a University of Tokyo campus in Tokyo’s Hongo district.

Horikoshi

“Beyond the moat.” Jiro Horikoshi designed the Zero fighter plane.

Hanai

“Flower well.”

Hagino

Bush clover field. Kosuke Hagino won Olympic gold in the four hundred meter individual medley.

Hatake

Farm field.

Hiraga

“Flat celebration.” Hiraga Gennai repaired a Dutch electrostatic machine, the elekiter.

Hashiguchi

Bridge mouth.

Hamabe

“Beachside.”

Hachisuka

“Bee” and “celebration.” Hachisuka is a clan that ruled Awa in Shikoku.

Hayase

Swift current.

Hasebe

Hasebe is pronounced hah-SEH-beh and combines 長谷, long valley, with 部, group.

Hiraide

Flat exit.

Honjo

“Main manor.”

Hyodo

Hyodo is pronounced HYOH-doh, and is sometimes spelled Hyoudou. Meaning: “soldier, wisteria.”

Hanawa

Raised ground. Hanawa Hokiichi went blind at seven and also compiled a collection of Japanese classics.

Hisada

“Lasting rice paddy.”

Hamanaka

Middle of the beach.

Harima

“Sowing, polishing.” Harima is a former province around today’s Himeji.

Hiratsuka

“Flat mound.” Hiratsuka Raicho founded Seito, a magazine by and for women.

Hakamada

“Hakama trousers” and “rice paddy.”

Hashida

“Bridge field,” and Sugako Hashida, who wrote the TV drama Oshin.

Hosoe

“Narrow inlet.”

Higashino

East field. Keigo Higashino wrote The Devotion of Suspect X.

Hirooka

“Wide hill.”

Harimoto

Stretch, origin. Isao Harimoto has Japan’s career hits record in pro baseball.

Haneda

“Feather field.” Tokyo’s Haneda Airport is called after its district.

Hamamura

Beach village.

Hakozaki

Box cape.

Horio

“Moat tail.” Horio Yoshiharu began Matsue Castle.

Hagimoto

Base of bush clover.

Hatta

“Eight fields.” Hatta Yoichi designed Taiwan’s Wushantou Dam and is still remembered there.

Higaki

Cypress fence.

Hiyoshi

Lucky day.

Hanabusa

Flower cluster. Hanabusa Itcho was an Edo painter exiled to Miyakejima.

Hachimura

“Eight villages.” Rui Hachimura was the first Japanese player selected in an NBA first round.

Hatakeyama

Dry field mountain.

Hiraiwa

Flat crag.

Hibino

Sun, compare, field.

Hagio

“Bush clover tail.” Moto Hagio created The Heart of Thomas, an early shojo classic.

Hazama

Gap between valleys.

Hisaishi

“Lasting stone.” Joe Hisaishi made his stage name from Quincy Jones.