Well, it’s been a hot minute since I posted anything on here! Last year, between constant waves of illness, raising our toddler and returning to work full-time, I fell pregnant with our second baby. Obviously, we were happy regardless of the baby’s sex, however there was one thing that made us go “oh crap” when we discovered we were having another boy: the thought of choosing a name. The first time around, we struggled to find names we liked and basically only had one on our list (why are boy’s names so difficult?). So, we had to start from scratch for our second baby boy.
Our mission was seemingly simple: Being that our baby would be half Japanese and half Australian, we wanted a boy’s name that worked in both Japanese and English. While there are so many Japanese girl’s names that can work in English speaking countries, the same can’t really be said for boy’s names. They seem to be either too old fashioned (vintage names are making a come-back…) or “Kirakira” names, but nothing much in between. Over many, many, pregnancy hormone-induced sleepless nights, I scoured the far corners of the internet… only to find dribs and drabs. Which is why I decided to make this list for you!
Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation expecting a “haafu” or “daburu” baby (congratulations!), or maybe you are after a more unique and exotic sounding name for your little one. Or maybe you are simply a baby name enthusiast and love a good name list. Whatever the reason, I hope you find this useful for your baby name inspo.
Disclaimer: These lists do not include kanji or name meanings, as changing the kanji changes the meaning of the name and there could be many different combinations. These lists focus on how names sound.
Navigate below to see the different categories, or check out the ‘All Names A-Z’ list to scroll through them all.
- Names that Work in Both Japanese and English
- Japanese Names that are Easy to Pronounce in English
- Japanese Names that are Easy to Turn into Nicknames
- English Names that are Easy to Pronounce in Japanese
- All Names A-Z
Names that Work in Both Japanese and English
Enjoy this list of boy names that translate as a typical name in both Japan and English-speaking countries. Some are a bit more traditional, some are more unique. Hopefully you find the right one for your boy.
- Aki, Arki – (Aki あき)
- Alan, Allan Allen – (Aran あらん/ Aren あれん)
- August – (Ooga おおが/ Ouga おうが) *I’ll admit, this one is a bit of a stretch.
- Awesome – (Osamu おさむ) *not technically a name in English but I had to include it somewhere. Imagine.. ‘Hi, I’m Awesome’. Nickname could be Sam.
- Caio – (Kaiou かいおう)
- Cayne – (Kein けいん)
- Claude – (Kuroudo くろうど)
- Conan – (Konan こなん)
- Connor – (Kona こな)
- Cotter – (Kota こた)
- Cosmo – (Kosumo こすも)
- Dan – (Dan だん)
- Deon/ Dion – (Jion じおん)
- Eugene – (Yuujin ゆうじん)
- Ewan – (Yuan ゆあん)
- Gene – (Jin じん)
- George – (Jouji じょうじ)
- Guy – (Gai がい)
- Hal – (Haru はる)
- Huey – (Hyuui ひゅうい)
- Hugh – (Hyuu ひゅう)
- Hugo – (Hyuugo ひゅうご)
- Ian – (Ian いあん)
- Ike – (Aiki あいき/ Aiku あいく)
- Isa – (Isa いさ/ Issa いっさ)
- Joe – (Jou じょう)
- Joey – (Joui じょうい)
- John, Jon – (Jion じおん)
- Kai – (Kai かい)
- Kaio – (Kaiou かいおう)
- Kane – (Kein けいん)
- Kaz – (Kazu かず)
- Ken – (Ken けん)
- Kenji – (Kenji けんじ)
- Kent – (Kenta けんた/ Kento けんと)
- Koa – (Koa こあ)
- Kyle – (Kairu かいる)
- Kyte – (Kaito かいと)
- Leo – (Reo れお/ Rio りお)
- Leon – (Reon れおん/ Rion りおん)
- Lennon – (Renon れのん)
- Linc – (Rinku りんく)
- Lou – (Ruu るう)
- Louie, Louis, Luis – (Rui るい)
- Luca, Luka – (Ruka るか)
- Luke (Ruuku るうく)
- Lyle – (Rairu らいる)
- Mark – (Maaku まあく)
- Matthew – (Mashuu ましゅう)
- Mickey – (Miki みき)
- Mike – (Maiku まいく)
- Mikey – (Maiki まいき)
- Mitchy – (Michi みち)
- Omar – (Ouma おうま)
- Ray – (Rei れい)
- Ren – (Ren れん)
- Rick – (Riku りく) *one of the Top 10 baby boy names in Japan for 2023.
- Ricky – (Riki りき)
- Riley – (Rairi らいり)
- Rio – (Rio りお)
- Rin – (Rin りん)
- Romeo – (Romio ろみお)
- Roy – (Roi ろい)
- Rui – (Rui るい)
- Ryan – (Raian らいあん)
- Ryker – (Raika らいか)
- Sage – (Seiji せいじ/ Seiju せいじゅ)
- Saul – (Souru そうる)
- Sean, Shaun, Shawn – (Shion しおん)
- Simon – (Shimon しもん)
- Soul – (Souru そうる)
- Tai-chi – (Taichi たいち)
- Thomas – (Touma とうま)
- Tom – (Tomu とむ)
- Tommy – (Tomi とみ)
- Tiger – (Taiga たいが)
- Tucker – (Taka たか)
- Ty – (Tai たい)
- Tyler – (Taira たいら)
- Tyson – (Taison たいそん)
- Wren – (Ren れん)
- Yuri – (Yuuri ゆうり)
- Zen – (Zen ぜん)
Japanese Names that are Easy to Pronounce in English
With lots of consonants, silent ‘u’s, ambiguous r/l sounds and sound combinations such as “ryo” and “aoi”, many Japanese boy names can be too long or too difficult to pronounce for the average English speaker. My husband’s is one such name where most people give up after the first syllable and give an apologetic smile. Here I have chosen the names that I thought would be difficult to butcher. Can you pronounce them all?
- Akira あきら
- Akito あきと
- Daichi だいち
- Gen げん
- Haruki はるき
- Haruto はると
- Hibiki ひびき
- Hinata ひなた
- Hiro ひろ
- Hitoshi ひとし
- Jin じん
- Kanata かなた
- Kazu かず
- Kei けい
- Kenji けんじ
- Kenzo けんぞ
- Koichi こういち
- Koji こうじ
- Makoto まこと
- Masa まさ
- Masaki まさき
- Minato みなと
- Minoru みのる
- Musashi むさし
- Satoshi さとし
- Shinji しんじ
- Susumu すすむ
- Taiyo たいよう
- Takashi たかし
- Takuma たくま
- Takumi たくみ
- Toshi とし
- Yamato やまと
- Yoshi よし
- Yuuma ゆうま
Japanese Names that are Easy to Turn into Nicknames
There are thousands more of these double-barreled names for boys in Japan, however, here I have only chosen the easiest ones for English speakers to pronounce and to turn into a nickname. Sorry Dai, Kou, Nao, Nobu, Ryo, Shu, Sho, and Yuu.
- Aki – Akiyoshi, Akinori, Akito e.t.c.
- Haru – Haruo, Haruto, Haruyuki e.t.c.
- Hiro – Hiroaki, Hiroki, Hirokazu e.t.c.
- Kai – Kaito, Kaiki, Kaisei e.t.c.
- Kei (K) – Keiju, Keita, Keisei e.t.c.
- Ken, Kenny – Kensuke, Kentaro, Kengo e.t.c.
- Masa – Masaharu, Masatake, Masaaki e.t.c.
- Miki – Mikitoshi, Mikiharu, Mikio e.t.c.
- Mitch, Mitchy – Michihiko, Michitaka, Michimasa e.t.c.
- Moto – Motoki, Motoyasu, Motomichi e.t.c.
- Ritz – Ritsu, Ritsuto, Ritsuki e.t.c.
- Sam – Isamu, Osamu, Masamu e.t.c.
- Taka – Takao, Takashi, Takayuki e.t.c.
- Tatsu – Tatsunori, Tatsuhito, Tatsuhisa e.t.c.
- Tomi – Tomiharu, Tomihiko, Tomiyasu e.t.c.
- Tomo – Tomoki, Tomohiro, Tomokazu e.t.c.
- Toshi – Toshiaki, Toshiyuki, Toshiya e.t.c.
- Ty, Tai – Taisei, Taiyo, Taiji e.t.c.
- Yoshi – Yoshifumi, Yoshitomo, Yoshinori e.t.c.
English Names that are Easy to Pronounce in Japanese
As a parent, it’s safe to say that you will be filling out lots of paperwork for your children until they are old enough to do it for themselves. In Japan, this can be a nightmare if your child has a long name, a hyphenated name, or a name with unusual spelling or sound combinations (looking at you, Huxley, Nathaniel, Lennox and Vladimir). I can just feel the collective panic from the office workers now. To make your life a bit easier, here are some foreign boy names that don’t look or sound too crazy when written in katakana.
- Aaron – (Aron アロン)
- Ace – (Eisu エイス)
- Adam – (Adamu アダム)
- Aiden – (Eiden エイデン)
- Archer – (Aachaa アーチャー)
- Archie – (Aachii アーチ―)
- Arlo – (Aaroo アーロ―)
- Asher – (Asha アシャ)
- Ayden – (Eiden エイデン)
- Ben – (Ben ベン)
- Billy – (Birii ビリー)
- Byron – (Bairon バイロン)
- Carter – (Kaataa カーター)
- Charlie – (Chaarii チャーリー)
- Chase – (Cheisu チェイス)
- Cooper – (Kuupaa クーパー)
- Corbin – (Koobin コービン)
- Dante – (Dante ダンテ)
- Eden – (Iiden イーデン)
- Enzo – (Enzo エンゾ)
- Finn – (Fin フィン)
- Harry – (Harii ハリー)
- Hart – (Haato ハート)
- Hayden – (Heiden ヘイデン)
- Henley – (Henrii ヘンリー)
- Henry – (Henrii ヘンリー)
- Hunter – (Hantaa ハンター)
- Iggy – (Igii イギー)
- Joaquin – (Wakiin ワキーン)
- Johnny – (Jonii ジョニー)
- Kayden – (Keiden ケイデン)
- Kyler – (Kaira カイラ)
- Kyson – (Kaison カイソン)
- Lawson – (Rooson ローソン) *this is the name of a major convenience store in Japan.
- Liam – (Riamu リアム)
- Lincoln – (Rinkon リンコン)
- Mario – (Mario マリオ)
- Marlon – (Maaron マーロン)
- Mason – (Meison メイソン)
- Micah – (Maika マイカ)
- Milan – (Miran ミラン)
- Miller – (Miraa ミラー)
- Milo – (Mairo マイロ)
- Nicky – (Nikki ニッキ)
- Nico – (Niko ニコ)
- Noah – (Noa ノア)
- Oscar – (Osukaa オスカー)
- Owen – (Ouen オウエン)
- Paul – (Pooru ポール)
- Remy – (Remii レミー)
- Roman – (Rooman ローマン)
- Ruben – (Ruuben ルーベン)
- Ryder – (Raidaa ライダー)
- Sailor – (Seira セイラ)
- Sonny – (Sanii サニー)
All Names A-Z
Here you can find all of the names listed above, including some pronunciations in romaji.
A
- Aaron
- Ace
- Adam
- Aiden
- Aiki
- Aiku
- Aki
- Akira
- Akito
- Alan
- Alen
- Allan
- Aran
- Archer
- Archie
- Aren
- Arki
- Arlo
- Asher
- August
- Ayden
B
- Ben
- Billy
- Byron
C
- Caio
- Carter
- Cayne
- Charlie
- Chase
- Claude
- Conan
- Connor
- Cooper
- Corbin
- Cosmo
- Cotter
D
- Daichi
- Dan
- Dante
- Deon
- Dion
E
- Eden
- Enzo
- Eugene
- Ewan
F
- Finn
G
- Gai
- Gen
- Gene
- George
- Guy
H
- Hal
- Harry
- Hart
- Haru
- Haruki
- Haruto
- Hayden
- Henley
- Henry
- Hibiki
- Hinata
- Hiro
- Hiroshi
- Hitoshi
- Huey
- Hugh
- Hugo
- Hunter
- Hyuu
- Hyuui
- Hyuugo
I
- Ian
- Iggy
- Ike
- Isa
- Issa
J
- Jin
- Jion
- Joaquin
- John
- Johnny
- Jon
- Jou
- Joui
- Jouji
K
- Kai
- Kaiou
- Kaira
- Kairu
- Kaito
- Kanata
- Kane
- Kayden
- Kaz
- Kazu
- Kei
- Kein
- Ken
- Kenji
- Kenta
- Kento
- Kenzo
- Koichi
- Koji
- Kona
- Konan
- Koa
- Kosumo
- Kota
- Kudoudo
- Kyle
- Kyler
- Kyson
- Kyte
L
- Lawson
- Leo
- Leon
- Lennon
- Liam
- Linc
- Lincoln
- Lou
- Louie
- Louis
- Luis
- Luca
- Luka
- Luke
- Lyle
M
- Maaku
- Maika
- Maiki
- Maiku
- Makoto
- Mark
- Mario
- Marlon
- Masa
- Masaki
- Mashuu
- Mason
- Matthew
- Micah
- Michi
- Mickey
- Mike
- Mikey
- Miki
- Milan
- Miller
- Milo
- Minato
- Minoru
- Mitch
- Mitchy
- Moto
- Musashi
N
- Nicky
- Nico
- Niko
- Noah
O
- Omar
- Ooga
- Osamu
- Oscar
- Ouga
- Ouma
- Owen
P
- Paul
R
- Raian
- Raika
- Rairi
- Rairu
- Ray
- Rei
- Remy
- Ren
- Renon
- Reo
- Reon
- Rick
- Ricky
- Riki
- Riku
- Riley
- Rin
- Rinku
- Rio
- Rion
- Ritsu
- Ritz
- Roman
- Romeo
- Romio
- Roi
- Roy
- Ruben
- Rui
- Ruka
- Ruu
- Ruuku
- Ryan
- Ryder
- Ryker
S
- Sage
- Sailor
- Sam
- Satoshi
- Saul
- Sean
- Seiji
- Seiju
- Shaun
- Shawn
- Shimon
- Shinji
- Shion
- Simon
- Sonny
- Soul
- Souru
- Sunny
- Susumu
T
- Taka
- Tai
- Taichi
- Taiga
- Taira
- Taison
- Taiyo
- Takashi
- Takuma
- Takumi
- Tatsu
- Thomas
- Tiger
- Tom
- Tomi
- Tommy
- Tomu
- Toshi
- Touma
- Tucker
- Ty
- Tyler
- Tyson
W
- Wren
Y
- Yamato
- Yoshi
- Yuan
- Yuri
- Yuujin
- Yuuma
- Yuuri
Z
- Zen
What are your favourite Japanese – English names? What names have I missed? Comment below!
Crane & Maple 
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