What's in a name? Though Shakespeare may argue differently, in anime, a name tends to be one of the most important elements in defining a character.
Some characters have obvious connections between their names and appearances, like the "Generation of Miracles" from Gohan Son, who eats a lot of rice.
However, as Ansatsu Kyoushitsu once said, "Names don't make a person. They're merely left behind in our footsteps as we walk through life." Let us now retrace those footsteps on the path to the 20 most common anime girl and boy names in the MAL database!
20. Saki ♀ 6kb2x
126 Characters Named Saki 6i6b2y
Saki is indeed a beautiful Japanese name for our anime and young hopefuls! Why? It may sound like a very simple name, but it has a fancy meaning. It came from the Japanese words 咲 (sa) and 希 (ki) which mean "blossom" and "hope".
19. Yuri ♀ 5v652v
126 Characters Named Yuri s1jl
Yuri is one of the most common names for females which originated from Japan. In Japanese, Yuri means "lily" or "abundant ideals", while in Hebrew, it is defined as the "light of God".
- Angel Beats!, who will stop at nothing to defend her friends from the evil that awaits them in the afterlife
18. Maria ♀ g5n6l
129 Characters Named Maria 2x6a4u
In the Christian world, Maria (also known as Mary) is a very popular name as it is the name of Jesus Christ's mother. It's a feminine name, but it's also occasionally used as a middle name for males in some European countries like Poland, , and Italy.
17. Hiroshi ♂ 4d5d3v
130 Characters Named Hiroshi wh2m
Hiroshi (寛, 浩) is a Japanese name which means "tolerant, generous" or "prosperous". A perfect fit for a nobleman, don't you think?
- Sunako considers to be her best buddy in the shadows of darkness
16. Megumi ♀ 1q4o4a
131 Characters Named Megumi l6249
Megumi is probably one of the cutest Japanese names for girls with a very beautiful meaning. It means (恵) "blessing", or (恵) "love" and "affection".
- Special A always seen communicating to people through her sketchpad
- Shokugeki no Souma
15. Aya ♀ 6u2ov
131 Characters Named Aya 2k1b6k
Aya is a common name which is only used for females. It's a name with multiple meanings depending on which dialect it was derived from. In Japanese あや, アヤ (aya) means "beautiful", "colorful", or "design". However, in Arabic, آية (aya) can mean "algebra 1", "500", "verse", or "miracle".
14. Takashi ♂ 584a54
133 Characters Named Takashi 4j1k4m
Takashi is a common given name for Japanese males and was used historically for nobles and royals for its majestic meanings such as (隆) "noble" or "prosperous" and (崇) "esteem" or "honour".
- Highschool of the Dead, who later matures into a strong and reliable character
- Natsume Yuujinchou who has the ability to see spirits which he inherited from his grandmother
13. Kei ♂/♀ 6z6o4a
137 Characters Named Kei 5a5457
Kei is a Japanese name which is commonly used as a male's given name, although recently it is used as a female's nickname, taken from the first syllable of their name - Keiko, for example. When written in kanji Kei (圭, 恵) means "square jewel" or "blessing". In Hawaiian, it means "one's pride and joy", and in African, it means "sandy" or "white".
12. Rin ♂/♀ 4j5111
141 Characters Named Rin 1g1o6z
In the Japanese culture, 凛 (rin) is a unisex given name which means "severe", "cold", or "dignified". It is oftentimes written out as Lynn or Lin.
- fire wielder and the next in line to the throne in Hell
- Love Live! School Idol Project who has a boyish personality and a knack for sports
11. Akane ♀/♂ 4t715h
154 Characters Named Akane 37406b
Akane (あかね, アカネ), normally written in hiragana or katakana, is a Japanese term meaning either "deep red" or "brilliant red". It is a common name used for females, but it can be used for males too!
- Smile Precure who has a warm and cheerful personality
- Ranma ½ who happens to be one of the worst cooks in anime
10. Ai ♀ 2v2r5z
158 Characters Named Ai 2w393b
Affection and love are the most popular meanings for the Japanese name Ai (愛), however 藍 (ai) could also mean "indigo" when written in a different kanji.
9. Jun ♂ 3v5w16
159 Characters Named Jun 2c264b
As famous as it is in the world of anime, Jun is also a popular and very common name for both Chinese and Korean males. In Chinese, Jun (君, 俊, 军) can mean "king" or "ruler", "talented" or "handsome", and "army" or "masculine", respectively. Apparently, it also means "talented" or "handsome" in Korean.
- Shaman King who has the ability to revive corpses
- Working!! who just can't seem to get the girl, no matter how hard he tries
8. Kaoru ♂ 4m3wm
164 Characters Named Kaoru 14q4s
Kaoru (薫) may be one of the common anime names bestowed for its literal meaning. Anyone who bears this name is apparently "fragrant".
7. Yuu ♂ j5v1w
173 Characters Named Yuu 1u2x4a
Yuu (優, 悠) is a Japanese name which means "gentleness, lithe, superior" or "distant, leisurely". It is also one of the most common Japanese nicknames for males. It can be combined with others to create a wonderful meaning, such as Yuuichirou which means "independent, brave, and wise".
- Owari no Seraph is one of the bravest young lads in the Japanese Imperial Demon Army
- D.Gray-man
6. Aoi ♀ / ♂ f101r
173 Characters Named Aoi 4c4j6m
As a noun, Aoi (葵) is a Japanese name which means "hollyhock", a Eurasian plant, or "althea" a Greek name which means "wholesome". However, when it's used as an adjective, 碧 (ao) means "blue".
- Rail Wars!... and a misandrist
- Working!! with a mysterious background
5. Yuki ♀ 2c31a
173 Characters Named Yuki u225r
Yuki is a Japanese name which is mostly bestowed upon girls. It has a lot of possible meanings depending on how it is written in Kanji, but the most popular meanings for yuki (幸, 雪) are "happiness" and "snow".
- kuudere queen may seem cold, but she is actually a pretty sweet girl at heart
- Fruits Basket
4. Sakura ♀ 29404r
179 Named Sakura 2g3f4c
Sakura is a very popular Japanese name for girls, not only in Japan, but also in many other countries. It refers to Japan's famous "cherry blossom". However, fewer children are being named Sakura recently, as it is said that naming your child so would be a bad omen, implying an early death since cherry blossoms fall too soon from the tree.
- magical anime girl
- Naruto who blossoms into one of the strongest kunoichi of all time
3. Makoto ♂ / ♀ 4c3r12
198 Characters Named Makoto 4gi6y
Although it's a more popular name for males, Makoto can also be used for females. It's a wonderful name for good people as it means "truth" (真) or "sincerity" (誠).
- School Days is quite the opposite of the meaning of his name
- Ore Monogatari!!'s macho man of few words is the epitome of both truth and sincerity
2. Haruka ♂ / ♀ 4rt24
199 Characters Named Haruka z2y5g
Haruka (遥) is a Japanese name that means "distant" or "remote". However when written as 春, 晴 (haru) and 花, 香 (ka), it forms a different meaning which could be "spring" or "clear weather" and "flower" or "fragrance", respectively.
1. Akira ♂/♀ 21636v
276 Characters Named Akira 1d532j
One of the most popular kanji for Akira is 明 - meaning "clear", "bright", or "intelligent". A nice anime name with an even nicer meaning, it is no wonder Akira is the most common anime name on this list.
