Modern Japanese has only three kana that start with a Y sound: ya, yu and yo. So, I have hand-picked these Japanese names that start with Y, each with its meaning.
Japanese Last Names That Start With Y And Their Meanings:
Yamada
Mountain rice field. Yamada Taro is Japan‘s John Doe on sample forms.
Yanagi
Willow.
Yuge
It combines bow and shave.
Yokomichi
“Side road.” Yokomichi also means wandering off topic.
Yonemitsu
From yone, rice, and mitsu, light.
Yabe
“Arrow group”.
Yoshizato
“Lucky hometown.”
Yamaguchi
Mountain entrance, as well as a prefecture at Honshu’s western tip.
Yasui
It combines yasu, peace, and i, well.
Yoshida
“Lucky rice field.” Shigeru Yoshida negotiated the Treaty of San Francisco.
Yamashita
Below the mountain.
Yasaka
Eight slopes. Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine hosts Gion Matsuri in July.
Yazawa
From ya, arrow, and sawa, marsh.
Yagi
Rooftop Yagi antennas are after Hidetsugu Yagi, and his surname means “eight trees.”
Yunoki
It combines yu, citron, and ki, tree.
Yuzuhara
Citron meadow.
Yamaha
Torakusu Yamaha (“mountain leaf”) started out repairing a reed organ.
Yokobayashi
Side forest.
Yokoya
“Side valley.”
Yamazaki
“Mountain cape,” and home to Japan’s first malt whisky distillery.
Yano
Arrow field.
Yokote
“Side hand.” Every February, kids in Yokote serve mochi inside snow huts.
Yabuki
It is made of ya, arrow, and fuki, to blow.
Yoshikawa
Eiji Yoshikawa (“lucky river”) wrote Musashi, a samurai novel.
Yonezu
From yone, rice, and tsu, harbor.
Yasumura
“Peaceful village.”
Yonezawa
Rice marsh. It’s a city known for Yonezawa beef.
Yamane
“Mountain root.”
Yokoyama
Side mountain, and painter Taikan Yokoyama made Mount Fuji his favorite subject.
Yamauchi
“Inside the mountain.” Hiroshi Yamauchi ran Nintendo for over fifty years.
Yoshimura
Lucky village.
Yasunaga
From yasu, peace, and naga, forever.
Yuasa
“Shallow hot water.” That’s also a Wakayama town called the birthplace of soy sauce.
Yokota
It is made of yoko, side, and ta, rice field.
Yada
From ya, arrow, and ta, rice paddy.
Yamanaka
“In the middle of the mountain”. Shinya Yamanaka won a Nobel for reprogramming cells.
Yoshioka
“Lucky hill.”
Yanagita
Kunio Yanagita (“willow rice field”) collected the folk tales of Tono.
Yanagisawa
Willow marsh. Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa set up Tokyo’s Rikugien garden.
Yoneda
Yoneda is yone, rice, and ta, field.
Yamagata
Mountain shape, and a prefecture that grows most of Japan’s cherries.
Yaguchi
“Arrow mouth.”
Yokoi
“Beside the well”. Gunpei Yokoi designed the Game Boy.
Yoshihara
Lucky meadow.
Yamagishi
It combines yama, mountain, and kishi, shore.
Yoshii
Lucky well.
Yahagi
“Arrow maker”: hagu was a verb for fitting feathers to a shaft.
Yoshikura
“Lucky storehouse.”
Yusa
It combines yu, play, and sa, help.
Yanase
From yanagi, willow, and se, rapids.
Yanai
”Willow well.” Tadashi Yanai started Uniqlo in his father’s clothing store.
Yokomizo
Side ditch. Seishi Yokomizo created detective Kosuke Kindaichi.
Yanagihara
“Willow meadow.”
Yasukawa
It is made of yasu, calm, and kawa, river.
Yasuhara
“Peaceful meadow.”
Yokoo
Tadanori Yokoo (“side ridge”) made psychedelic posters in sixties Tokyo.
Yoshiike
From yoshi, luck, and ike, pond.
Yasutomi
Calm wealth.
Yoshizawa
”Lucky marsh.” Akira Yoshizawa created the notation origami diagrams still use.
Yonekura
“Rice storehouse.”
Yoshinaga
Eternal luck.
Yoshimoto
“Lucky origin.” Banana Yoshimoto wrote the novel Kitchen.
Yoshitake
Yoshitake is yoshi, lucky, and take, warrior.
Yoshizaki
“Lucky cape.”
Yonemura
From yone, rice, and mura, village.
Yokokawa
Side river.
Yumoto
“Source of hot water”: Hakone-Yumoto is an onsen town in Hakone.
Yonekawa
From yone, rice, and kawa, river.
Yoshimasu
Growing luck.
Yukawa
Hot water river. Hideki Yukawa was Japan’s first Nobel laureate.
Yoda
It combines yoru, to rely on, and ta, rice field.
Yuzawa
Hot water marsh, and a ski town in Niigata.
Yokouchi
“Inner side.”
Yoshimatsu
From yoshi, luck, and matsu, pine.
Yamakoshi
“Over the mountain.” Colored koi carp were first bred around Yamakoshi, a Niigata village.
Yasumoto
“Peaceful base.”
Yanagimoto
Foot of the willow.
Yamaki
“Mountain tree.”
Yamashiro
Mountain castle, as well as a province around Kyoto.
Yamagiwa
It is made of yama, mountain, and kiwa, edge.
Yanagawa
“Willow river”.
Yamano
Yamano is yama, mountain, and no, field.
Yasuoka
Peaceful hill.
Yashiro
“Shrine,” or “eight generations.”
Yagyu
“Willow growth.” Munenori Yagyu taught swordsmanship to Tokugawa shoguns.
Yoneyama
Rice mountain.
Yosano
Akiko Yosano (“give, thank, field”) wrote Tangled Hair, a poetry book that shocked readers.
Yatabe
From ya, valley, ta, field, and be, group.
Yoshitomi
“Lucky wealth.”
Yoshimizu
It combines yoshi, luck, and mizu, water.
Yoshinari
“Luck comes true.”
Yamamori
From yama, mountain, and mori, forest.
Yamabe
Mountain group. Yamabe no Akahito wrote poems for the Man’yoshu.
Yagisawa
Eight-tree marsh.
Yonetani
Rice valley.
Yorozu
“Ten thousand,” though it isn’t a real count: it means countless.
Yamanishi
West of the mountain.
Yanaka
“Middle of the valley.” In Tokyo’s Yanaka district, you’ll find streets that the bombs missed.
Yasutake
It is made of yasu, peace, and take, warrior.
Yokosawa
Side marsh.
Yokose
Yokose is yoko, side, and se, rapids.
Yamaga
”Mountain deer.” Soko Yamaga made the rules of bushido.
Yuhara
“Hot spring field.”
Yaginuma
From yagi, willow, and numa, swamp.
Yamadera
Mountain temple. Basho wrote his cicada haiku at Yamagata’s Yamadera.
Yokobori
“Side moat.”
Yuda
Hot water field. In Yuda Onsen’s legend, a white fox that is found the spring.
Yamazoe
From yama, mountain, and sou, to go along.
Yokokura
“Side storehouse.”
Yazaki
Arrow cape.
Yonemoto
It combines yone, rice, and moto, base.
Yanagimachi
Yanagimachi is yanagi, willow, and machi, town.
Yamashina
“Mountain section,” and a ward east of central Kyoto.
Yoshitani
“Lucky valley.”
Yoshimine
It is made of yoshi, luck, and mine, peak.
Yaegashi
“Eightfold oak.”
Yamanoi
Yamanoi is yama, mountain, no, field, and i, well.
Yokoe
“Side inlet.”
Yoshihama
Yoshihama is yoshi, luck, and hama, beach.
Yamamiya
It is made of yama, mountain, and miya, shrine.
Yokomura
Yokomura is yoko, side, and mura, village.
Yashima
“Eight islands.”
Yahiro
“Eight fathoms,” a way to say very long.
Boy Names:
Yoshio
Good man.
Yukinobu
“Happy and trusting.”
Yasutoshi
“Peaceful and quick-witted.”
Yasuhito
Peaceful kindness.
Yamato
“Great harmony,” as well as a term for Japan itself.
Yoshiki
Good tree, and X Japan’s drummer goes by it alone.
Yusuke
From yu, help, and suke, to assist.
Yoshitsune
“Righteous classic.” In legend, monk Benkei died on his feet guarding him.
Yuya
“Abundant,” “calm,” “gentle” or “helpful.”
Yoritomo
Trusted dawn, and Minamoto no Yoritomo became first shogun of Kamakura.
Yoshiro
“Righteous son.”
Yataro
Yataro Iwasaki started Mitsubishi as a shipping firm, and it means “growing eldest son.”
Yoshihiro
Righteous and wide.
Yoichi
“Eleventh son”. Nasu no Yoichi shot a fan from an enemy boat in Heike tales.
Yasushi
“calm/peaceful.”
Yoshinori
“Righteous rule.”
Yuzuru
It is pronounced yoo-ZOO-roo and means “bowstring.” Yuzuru Hanyu won Olympic gold twice.
Yuji
“Brave second son.”
Yohei
It is made of yo, ocean, and hei, calm.
Yasutaka
Peaceful and noble. Yasutaka Tsutsui wrote The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Yu
“Gentle,” “calm,” “brave,” or “excellent.”
Yoshikazu
Righteous peace.
Yoshiaki
Righteous light. Ashikaga Yoshiaki was the last Ashikaga shogun.
Yukitaka
Happy and noble.
Yoshimune
Lucky ancestor. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune set up a box for public complaints.
Yoshitaka
“Righteous prosperity.”
Yoji
Yoji (“ocean, rule”) Yamamoto designs clothes almost only in black.
Yuta
“Big kindness.”
Yukio
Yukio (“happy man”) Mishima was a pen moniker, chosen at sixteen.
Yoshito
Good person.
Yosuke
From yo, sun, and suke, help.
Yasunari
“Peaceful achievement”. Yasunari Kawabata won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Yoshiyuki
Good deed.
Yasunori
Peaceful law.
Yukimura
”Happy village.” Sanada Yukimura charged Tokugawa Ieyasu’s camp at Osaka.
Yuga
From yu, calm, and ga, grace.
Yasuhide
Yasuhide is meaning “peaceful excellence.”
Yasuhiro
It combines yasu, health, and hiro, wide.
Yasutada
Peaceful loyalty.
Yoshitane
From yoshi, righteous, and tane, seed.
Yoshimitsu
“Full righteousness,” and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s villa became Kinkaku-ji.
Yukimasa
Yukimasa is yuki, happiness, and masa, justice.
Yukihide
From yuki, happiness, and hide, excellence.
Yozo
“Leaf storehouse.” He’s the narrator of Dazai’s No Longer Human.
Yukiyoshi
“Happy and good,” or “snowy luck.”
Yorikazu
“Trusted peace.”
Yasuyuki
Yasuyuki is yasu, peace, and yuki, happiness.
Yasuaki
“Peaceful brightness.”
Yoshinobu
Joy and delight. Tokugawa Yoshinobu is buried in Yanaka Cemetery, Tokyo.
Yukinori
“Happy rule.”
Yorimasa
Trusted government.
Yuichiro
“Heroic first son.” Yūichirō Miura is the first person to ski on Mount Everest.
Yuhei
From yu, gentle, and hei, peace.
Yoshihide
Righteous excellence.
Yumeji
“Second dream”. Takehisa Yumeji painted Taisho-era beauties.
Yasukazu
Calm harmony.
Yasuharu
Yasuharu is yasu, peace, and haru, spring.
Yasuke
“Ever helpful.” Yasuke was a samurai of African origin who served Oda Nobunaga.
Yushin
It is made of yu, courage, and shin, heart.
Yuito
Yuito is yui, bond, and to, to soar.
Yahiko
Growing prince. Niigata’s Yahiko Shrine stands at the foot of Mount Yahiko.
Yutaka
“abundant/plentiful.”
Yoshinaka
Righteous middle child. Minamoto no Yoshinaka was a samurai lord mentioned in the poem The Tale of the Heike.
Yuzo
“Brave third son.”
Yoshitoshi
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (“fragrant year”) made a woodblock series of one hundred moons.
Yoshiharu
From yoshi, righteous, and haru, spring.
Yaichi
Growing first son.
Yasujiro
“Peaceful second son.” Yasujiro Ozu shot Tokyo Story with his camera low to the floor.
Yoshimichi
Righteous road.
Yasuhiko
“Peaceful prince,” or “healthy boy.”
Yukihiko
Happy prince.
Yorimichi
It means ”trusted path.” Fujiwara no Yorimichi gave Uji’s Byodo-in its Phoenix Hall.
Yoriyuki
It combines yori, trust, and yuki, journey.
Yoshikatsu
“Good victory.”
Yasutomo
“Peaceful friend.”
Yukichi
Lucky instruction. Fukuzawa Yukichi’s face was on the ten-thousand-yen note.
Yusaku
Excellent work.
Yasumasa
“Peaceful and correct.”
Yoshisada
“Righteous and true”. Nitta Yoshisada threw his sword into the sea to pull back the tide.
Yasuhisa
Lasting peace.
Yasumichi
Yasumichi is symbolizing “peaceful road,” or “healthy path.”
Yuhi
“Evening sun.” Any better choice for a baby born at dusk?
Yorinobu
Trusted belief.
Yukito
It is made of yuki, happiness, and to, person.
Yoshizumi
From yoshi, righteous, and sumi, clear.
Yorinaga
“Lasting trust”. Fujiwara no Yorinaga had the nickname: Evil Minister of the Left.
Yoshifumi
Righteous writing.
Yoshiya
“Truly righteous,” and the ya suffix doesn’t change it.
Yasunobu
Peaceful trust.
Yoshizo
“Lucky third son.”
Yoshihiko
It is made of yoshi, good, and hiko, prince.
Yoshihito
Good and kind,. Emperor Taisho was Prince Yoshihito before his reign.
Yoshitada
“Righteous loyalty.”
Yoshinao
Righteous and honest.
Yasuyoshi
Yasuyoshi is yasu, peace, and yoshi, goodness.
Yukimitsu
“Happy light,” or “snowy shine.”
Yasuomi
Peaceful retainer.
Yoshiomi
From yoshi, righteous, and omi, minister.
Yukiaki
It is made of yuki, happiness, and aki, brightness.
Yasuki
“Healthy tree.”
Yoshimasa
Yoshimasa is yoshi, righteous, and masa, government.
Girl Names:
Yui
It combines yui, to tie, and i, garment.
Yume
Dream.
Yuna
“Gentle,” or “apple tree.”
Yuki
“Snow,” “happiness,” “hope” or “chronicle.”
Yoko
Yoko Ono (“ocean child”) met John Lennon at her art show.
Yukika
“Snow flower.”
Yumeri
“Dream jasmine.”
Yachiyo
Eight thousand generations, a phrase from Japan’s national anthem.
Yuino
“Of the bond.”
Yuiha
It is made of yui, bond, and ha, leaf.
Yurino
Of the lily.
Yuzuna
From yuzu, citron, and na, greens.
Yayoi
Yayoi is pronounced YAH-yoy and means “new growth.” It was a word for the third lunar month.
Yuzuki
“Citron moon.”
Yua
From yu, bond, and a, love.
Yuka
“Gentle flower,” “fragrance,” “good reason” or “friendly beauty.”
Yoshimi
“good/beautiful.”
Yuzuha
Citron leaf.
Yumi
Bow, and a kyudo yumi is taller than the archer.
Yuina
Yuina is yui, to tie, and na, greens.
Yasuko
Peaceful child.
Yukari
“Affinity.” Yukari is also a purple shiso seasoning shaken over rice.
Yuri
“Lily” in Japanese, and in Russian a form of George.
Yuko
“Gentle child.”
Yuika
Bound flower.
Yamabuki
“Golden kerria”. Yamabuki Gozen went to war beside Yoshinaka. If you didn’t notice,this is from the boy list.
Yukiho
“Snowy ear of rice.”
Yoka
Sunny flower.
Yae
“Eightfold,” and Niijima Yae fought with a rifle when Aizu fell.
Yoshiyo
“Good generation,” or “fragrant era.”
Yuzu
Citron, and bathers float yuzu in the tub on the winter solstice.
Yoshiko
“Good,” “fragrant,” “lucky” or “beautiful child.”
Yukine
I like Yukine for its meaning: “snow sound.”
Yasue
Peaceful blessing.
Yuria
“Gentle jasmine.”
Yukina
“Snow greens,” as well as a leafy winter vegetable goes by this word in Japan.
Yurina
“lily/greens.”
Yoshie
“Good branch,” or “fragrant blessing.”
Yoneko
Yoneko is meaning ”rice child.”
Yasumi
It is made of yasu, peace, and mi, beauty.
Yukino
“Of snow.”
Yukiyo
Snowy night, or happy generation. Yukiyo Fujii is an actress and singer who is affiliated with Aoni Production.
Yumina
Abundant beauty.
Yumika
“beauty/fragrance.”
Yumeka
Yumeka is yume, dream, and ka, flower.
Yuno
One that I keep coming back to: “of the citron.”
Yuzuka
From yuzu, citron, and ka, fragrance.
Yurika
Lily fragrance.
Yuzuriha
Yuzuriha is symbolizing “yielding leaf.”
Yuiri
It combines yui, bond, and ri, jasmine.
Yumeno
Dream field.
Yukiha
Snow leaf.
Yoshino
Fragrant field. Mount Yoshino has about thirty thousand cherry trees.
Yoshika
Yoshika is yoshi, good, and ka, fragrance.
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