Baby Girl Names That Translate Well in English and Japanese


Congratulations on expecting a baby!

If you have been following along, you will know that I recently welcomed my second baby boy, and choosing the right bilingual name for him was oh so difficult. There was a small part of me that was secretly hoping for a girl purely because I knew that choosing a name would be a much easier task. I LOVE Japanese girl names and had so many picked out. They sound beautiful, feminine, and for the most part, work surprisingly well in English-speaking countries. Have you seen the trend of people listing “names I love but won’t be using“? Well, I was going to name my hypothetical baby girl Reina Rose. There, I said it. Released into the far corners of the internet (or just this humble blog) for all to see. You can borrow it if you like.

It looks like my full girl’s name list is redundant now that I have my two sweet boys, so I decided to share it here with you. Whether you are having a mixed-race Japanese baby, or you are after inspiration for a name that’s a little bit more unique, I hope you find something in this list that you adore.

Disclaimer: This list does 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.

If you want to also check out my bilingual baby boy name list, you can find it here.


  1. Names that Work in English and Japanese
  2. Japanese Names that are Easy to Pronounce in English
  3. All Names A-Z
  4. A
  5. C
  6. E
  7. H
  8. I
  9. J
  10. K
  11. L
  12. M
  13. N
  14. R
  15. S
  16. T
  17. U
  18. W
  19. Y

Names that Work in English and Japanese

Enjoy this list of girl 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 little blessing.

  • Aisha (Aisha あいしゃ)
  • Alice – (Arisu ありす)
  • Alina – (Arina ありな)
  • Alyssa – (Arisa ありさ)
  • Amelie – (Ameri あめり/ Amiri あみり)
  • Amy – (Eimi えいみ)
  • Anne – (An あん)
  • Annie – (Anii あにい)
  • Aria (Aria ありあ)
  • Aroha (Aroha あろは)
  • Cherie – (Shieri しえり)
  • Claire – (Kurea くれあ)
  • Coco – (Koko ここ)
  • Elena – (Erena えれな)
  • Elle – (Eru える)
  • Ellen – (Eren えれん)
  • Ellie – (Eri えり)
  • Emily – (Emiri えみり)
  • Emma – (Ema えま)
  • Emmy – (Emi えみ)
  • Erika (Erika えりか)
  • Erin (Erin えりん)
  • Erina (Erina えりな)
  • Hannah – (Hana はな)
  • Iona (Iona いおな)
  • Isla – (Aira あいら)
  • Julia – (Juria じゅりあ/ Yuria ゆりあ)
  • Julie – (Juri じゅり)
  • June – (Jun じゅん)
  • Kaila – (Kaira かいら)
  • Karen (Karen かれん)
  • Karin (Karin かりん)
  • Karina (Karina かりな)
  • Kaya (Kaya かや)
  • Kayla – (Kaera かえら)
  • Kiara (Kiara きあら)
  • Kiki (Kiki きき)
  • Kimi (Kimi きみ)
  • Kirra – (Kira きら)
  • Kyla – (Kaira かいら)
  • Kyra – (Kaira かいら)
  • Layla – (Reira れいら)
  • Leah – (Ria りあ)
  • Leanne – (Rian りあん)
  • Leona – (Reona れおな/ Riona りおな)
  • Lena – (Rena れな/ Riina りいな)
  • Lia (Ria りあ)
  • Lillia – (Riria りりあ)
  • Lily – (Riri りり)
  • Lisa – (Risa りさ)
  • Lou – (Ruu るう)
  • Luan – (Ruan るあん)
  • Luka – (Ruka るか)
  • Luna – (Runa るな)
  • Lulu – (Ruru るる)
  • Lyla – (Raira らいら)
  • Lyn – (Rin りん)
  • Mae (Mei めい)
  • Maia (Maia まいあ)
  • Maiya (Maiya まいや)
  • Mana (Mana まな)
  • Maria (Maria まりあ)
  • Marie – (Mari まり)
  • Marika (Marika まりか)
  • Marina (Marina まりな)
  • Marisa (Marisa まりさ)
  • May – (Mei めい)
  • Maya (Maya まや/ Meia めいあ)
  • Mia (Mia みあ)
  • Mika (Mika みか)
  • Milan – (Miran みらん)
  • Miley – (Mairi まいり)
  • Miller – (Mira みら)
  • Millie – (Miri みり)
  • Mimi (Mimi みみ)
  • Mina (Mina みな)
  • Mona (Mona もな)
  • Naomi (Naomi なおみ)
  • Nikki – (Niki にき)
  • Nina – (Niina にいな)
  • Noa (Noa のあ)
  • Reina (Reina れいな)
  • Remi (Remi れみ)
  • Renee – (Rene れね)
  • Rhea – (Ria りあ)
  • Rhianna – (Riana りあな)
  • Riley – (Rairi らいり)
  • Rio (Rio りお)
  • Rumi (Rumi るみ)
  • Sailor – (Seira せいら)
  • Selina – (Serina せりな)
  • Serena (Serena せれな)
  • Shelly – (Shieri しえり)
  • Tammy – (Tami たみ)
  • Yumi (Yumi ゆみ)
  • Yuri (Yuri ゆり)
  • Ysa – (Isa いさ)

Japanese Names that are Easy to Pronounce in English

If you want to give your baby a Japanese name to link to their heritage but still choose a name that is easy to pronounce in English-speaking countries, then here is the list for you. You will find that a lot of the following names have similar endings. Names ending in ~na, ~ka, ~ki, and ~mi might be favourable as they sound familiar to the native English speaker as feminine name endings. Obviously, there are many more beautiful Japanese girl names to choose from, however I have chosen the ones I thought would be the most difficult to butcher.

  • Akari (あかり)
  • Akemi (あけみ)
  • Akiyo (あきよ)
  • Ami (あみ)
  • Amika (あみか)
  • Arika (ありか)
  • Asami (あさみ)
  • Asana (あさな)
  • Aya (あや)
  • Ayaka (あやか)
  • Ayana (あやな)
  • Azusa (あずさ)
  • Chiaki (ちあき)
  • Chika (ちか)
  • Chino (ちの)
  • Chisaki (ちさき)
  • Emika (えみか)
  • Hanaka (はなか)
  • Haruka (はるか)
  • Haruna (はるな)
  • Hikari (ひかり)
  • Himari (ひまり)
  • Hina (ひな)
  • Hinano (ひなの)
  • Hinata (ひなた)
  • Honoka (ほのか)
  • Juna (じゅな)
  • Kaina (かいな)
  • Kana (かな)
  • Kazumi (かずみ)
  • Kisaki (きさき)
  • Kumi (くみ)
  • Kurumi (くるみ)
  • Maki (まき)
  • Masami (まさみ)
  • Mayu (まゆ)
  • Mayumi (まゆみ)
  • Midori (みどり)
  • Miki (みき)
  • Minami (みなみ)
  • Mio (みお)
  • Misa (みさ)
  • Misaki (みさき)
  • Misato (みさと)
  • Miyako (みやこ)
  • Miyu (みゆ)
  • Morina (もりな)
  • Motoka (もとか)
  • Motomi (もとみ)
  • Nami (なみ)
  • Nanami (ななみ)
  • Natsuki (なつき)
  • Nayu (なゆ)
  • Nonoka (ののか)
  • Nozomi (のぞみ)
  • Rika (りか)
  • Rinka (りんか) 
  • Sachi (さち)
  • Saki (さき)
  • Sakina (さきな)
  • Sakura (さくら)
  • Satomi (さとみ)
  • Saya (さや)
  • Sayaka (さやか)
  • Shizuka (しずか)
  • Sonata (そなた)
  • Sora (そら)
  • Suzuka (すずか)
  • Suzuna (すずな)
  • Tomo (とも)
  • Tomoka (ともか)
  • Tomomi (ともみ)
  • Uta (うた)
  • Wakana (わかな)
  • Yoshina (よしな)
  • Yui (ゆい)
  • Yuka (ゆか)
  • Yuki (ゆき)
  • Yumi (ゆみ)
  • Yuna (ゆうな)
  • Yuzu (ゆず)
  • Yuzuka (ゆずか)
  • Yuzuki (ゆずき)

All Names A-Z

Below you will find all of the names mentioned in the lists above- both English and Japanese names that translate well for a baby girl.

A

  • Aira
  • Aisha
  • Akari
  • Akemi 
  • Akiyo 
  • Alice
  • Alina
  • Alyssa
  • Amelie
  • Ameri
  • Ami 
  • Amika 
  • Amiri
  • Amy
  • An
  • Anii
  • Anne
  • Annie
  • Aria
  • Arika
  • Arina
  • Arisa
  • Arisu
  • Aroha 
  • Asami 
  • Asana 
  • Aya 
  • Ayaka 
  • Ayana 
  • Azusa 

C

  • Cherie
  • Chiaki 
  • Chika 
  • Chino 
  • Chisaki 
  • Claire
  • Coco

E

  • Eimi
  • Elena
  • Elle
  • Ellen
  • Ellie
  • Ema
  • Emi
  • Emika 
  • Emily
  • Emiri 
  • Emma
  • Emmy
  • Eren
  • Erena
  • Eri
  • Erika
  • Erin
  • Erina
  • Eru

H

  • Hana
  • Hanaka 
  • Hannah
  • Haruka 
  • Haruna 
  • Hikari 
  • Himari 
  • Hina 
  • Hinano 
  • Hinata
  • Honoka 

I

  • Iona
  • Isa
  • Isla

J

  • Julia
  • Julie
  • Jun
  • Juna 
  • June
  • Juri
  • Juria

K

  • Kaera
  • Kaila
  • Kaina 
  • Kaira
  • Kana 
  • Karen
  • Karin
  • Karina
  • Kaya
  • Kayla
  • Kazumi 
  • Kiara
  • Kiki
  • Kimi
  • Kira
  • Kirra
  • Kisaki 
  • Koko
  • Kumi 
  • Kurea
  • Kurumi 
  • Kyla
  • Kyra

L

  • Layla
  • Leah
  • Leanne
  • Lena
  • Leona
  • Lia
  • Lillia
  • Lily
  • Lisa
  • Lou
  • Luan
  • Luka
  • Lulu
  • Luna
  • Lyla
  • Lyn

M

  • Mae
  • Maia
  • Mairi
  • Maiya
  • Maki
  • Mana
  • Mari
  • Maria
  • Marie
  • Marika
  • Marina
  • Marisa
  • Masami 
  • May
  • Maya
  • Mayu 
  • Mayumi
  • Mei
  • Meia
  • Mia
  • Midori 
  • Mika
  • Miki 
  • Milan
  • Miley
  • Miller
  • Millie
  • Mimi
  • Minami 
  • Mina
  • Mio 
  • Mira
  • Miran
  • Miri
  • Misa 
  • Misaki 
  • Misato 
  • Miyako 
  • Miyu 
  • Mona
  • Morina 
  • Motoka 
  • Motomi 

N

  • Nami 
  • Nanami
  • Naomi 
  • Natsuki 
  • Nayu
  • Niina
  • Niki 
  • Nikki
  • Nina
  • Noa
  • Nonoka 
  • Nozomi 

R

  • Raira
  • Rairi
  • Reina
  • Reira
  • Rena
  • Remi
  • Rene
  • Renee
  • Reona
  • Rhea
  • Rhianna
  • Ria
  • Rian
  • Riana
  • Riina
  • Rika 
  • Riley
  • Rin
  • Rinka 
  • Rio
  • Riona
  • Riri
  • Riria
  • Risa
  • Ruan
  • Ruka
  • Rumi
  • Runa
  • Ruru
  • Ruu

S

  • Sachi 
  • Sailor
  • Saki 
  • Sakina 
  • Sakura 
  • Satomi 
  • Saya 
  • Sayaka 
  • Seira
  • Selina
  • Serena
  • Serina
  • Shelly
  • Shieri
  • Shizuka 
  • Sonata 
  • Sora 
  • Suzuka 
  • Suzuna 

T

  • Tami
  • Tammy
  • Tomo 
  • Tomoka 
  • Tomomi 

U

  • Uta 

W

  • Wakana 

Y

  • Yoshina 
  • Yui
  • Yuka 
  • Yuki 
  • Yumi 
  • Yuna
  • Yuri
  • Yuria 
  • Yuzu 
  • Yuzuka 
  • Yuzuki 
  • Ysa

 


Do you know a haafu or daburu Japanese person with one of these names? What names do you love and want to use for your child? Comment below!

Leave a comment

Leave a comment