皇 means 'the emperor of Japan'. 千聖 千 means 'thousand'. 聖 means 'sacred'. 奈佑子 奈 means 'the name of the fruit trees'. 佑 means 'help someone'. 子 means 'a word that comes after a woman's name, child'. 優京 優 means 'superiority'. 京 means 'kyoto'. 剣俊 剣 means 'sword'. Japanese names are not random syllables strung together. Even today, where there is a habit to have girls’ names written in the kana syllabary rather than the ideogrammatic kanji, some will say “Oh, it doesn’t have a kanji,” when in point of fact, if it is a word, there is a kanji — they merely may not have thought of which of the. Akio Bright man. Akira Clear and intelligent. Daichi Impressive or grand first son. Daiki Impressive or grand tree. Daisuke Impressive or great help.
There are an estimated 300,000 Japanese last names. Around 300 B.C., people in Japan began using occupational or geographical names to define their clan (a group of people related by blood, marriage or a common ancestor). These clans grew into small kingdoms, which were then united under one ruler who gave each clan a designation according to their societal status. This was called the Uji-Kabane system and was the foundation for Japanese family names.
Use the list below to find your last name and learn about its meaning and origins.
Most Popular Japanese Last Names on FamilyEducation: Amari, Akiyama, Fujiwara
Image: Mount Fuji, Japan