Names with a source

500 given names. 200 surnames. Traceable spellings, readings, and meanings.

How names enter the collection

We match candidates from the Japanese Personal Name Dataset to exact kanji and kana pairs in JMnedict, respecting reading restrictions and checking that entries are classified as given names or surnames. The collection keeps one written form per given-name reading; alternate spellings do not inflate the count. Gender groups follow the candidate dataset. The result is 200 feminine and 300 masculine name records.

Source CSV filenames and dictionary entry identifiers remain in the downloadable data. This collection has not received a separate native-speaker review.

Choosing character meanings

Each displayed meaning is an editorial selection from KANJIDIC2, rather than the first two dictionary entries. For example, 誠 is shown as sincerity and 英 as outstanding. The original dictionary senses are retained in the data file.

For 太, the English word big is an editorial rendering of the sense おおきい in Kanjipedia. This additional reference is marked separately from KANJIDIC2 meanings. Character meanings describe the writing, not a person's personality.

Latin spellings

Reviewed variants such as Ito, Taro, and Ryo follow the long-vowel conventions illustrated by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs romanization guide. Original dataset spellings remain visible when different. We use explicit spelling mappings, not a blanket replacement that would incorrectly change Inoue or Matsuura.

Versions and reuse

Cross-check date: 2026-10-02. JMnedict: 2026-09-28. KANJIDIC2: 2026-09-28. Dictionary files use the jmdict-simplified conversion, release 3.6.2+20260928191014. The preparation script pins this version for reproducibility; changing the release and rerunning it updates the checks.

Download the name dataset (JSON). Our derived dataset is shared under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Credit the sources and this compilation, link the license, and indicate changes. This license applies to the data, not the application code.

JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 are copyright James William Breen and the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, used under the EDRDG license. We use English meanings, not the separately licensed SKIP codes.

Original name dataset license

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2022 shuheilocale

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Photography

Kyoto photograph: original image, under the Unsplash License.