125+ Most Common Japanese Surnames & What They Mean

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Japanese last names are often connected to family ancestry, nature, geography, past occupations, and historical events. Finding out the meanings behind popular surnames can help you learn more about your background or choose the perfect name for a character. That’s why we’re providing the ultimate list of the most common Japanese last names below. We’ll also break down the meaning of each kanji character, plus explain the history of Japanese surnames and naming traditions.

What are the most common Japanese surnames?

Most Common Japanese Last Names

Satō, Suzuki, and Takahashi are the most common Japanese surnames. In fact, roughly 1 in 10 Japanese people carry one of the surnames below! The following list contains the top 10 Japanese surnames, based on the August 2008 study by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company, along with their Kanji characters and meanings: Satō (佐藤) - Means “help/assistant” and “wisteria.” About 2 million people, or 1.57% of the Japanese population, have this surname. Suzuki (鈴木) - Means “bell” and “tree.” Approximately 1.5% of the Japanese population has this surname. Takahashi (高橋) - Means “high/tall” and “bridge.” About 1.15% of the population has this surname. Tanaka (田中) - Means “rice field” and “middle/inside.” About 1.06% of the population has this surname. Watanabe (渡辺) - Means “cross over” and “border/area.” About 0.95% of the population has this surname. Itō (伊藤) - Means “this” and “wisteria.” About 0.91% of the population has this surname. Nakamura (中村) - Means “middle/inside” and “village.” About 0.85% of the population has this surname. Kobayashi (小林) - Means “small” and “forest.” About 0.84% of the population has this surname. Yamamoto (山本) - Means “mountain” and “base/origin.” About 0.81% of the population has this surname. Katō (加藤) - Means “add” and “wisteria.” About 0.73% of the population has this surname.

Popular Japanese Last Names

Yoshida, Yamada, and Sasaki are some other popular surnames. The following surnames still appear frequently in Japanese media and daily life, but they just aren’t as common as Satō, Suzuki, and Takahashi (and others from the “most common last names” section). Here are some popular Japanese surnames and their meanings: Fukuda (福田) - Means “fortunate” and “rice field.” Hara (原) - Means “field” or “plain.” Hayashi (林) - Means “forest.” Inoue (井上) - Means “well” and “above.” Ishi (石井) - Means “rock” and “well.” Kimura (木村) - Means “tree” and “village.” Matsumoto (松本) - Means “pine tree” and “base/origin.” Miura (三浦) - Means “three bays.” Murakami (村上) - Means “village” and “superior.” Saitō (斎藤) - Means “purification” and “wisteria.” Sakai (酒井) - Means “sake” (rice wine) and “well.” Sasaki (佐々木) - Means “help” and “tree.” Shibata (柴田) - Means “brushwood” and “rice paddy.” Shimizu (清水) - Means “pure” and “water.” Uchida (内田) - Means “inner” and “rice paddy.” Wada (和田) - Means “harmonious” and “rice paddy.” Yamada (山田) - Means “mountain” and “rice field.” Yamaguchi (山口) - Means “mountain” and “entrance/mouth.” Yamazaki (山崎) - Means “mountain” and “promontory.” Yoshida (吉田) - Means “good luck” and “rice field.”

Nature-Inspired Japanese Last Names

These Japanese surnames reflect the country’s reverence for nature. Over ⅔ of Japan is covered in beautiful mountains and hills, and the Japanese people have had a deep, long-standing cultural connection to nature for centuries. Here are some of the most common nature-inspired surnames that reflect the country’s stunning landscape: Aoki (青木) - Means “blue/green” and “tree.” Arai (新井) - Means “new well.” Fujii (藤井) - Means “wisteria” and “well.” Hashimoto (橋本) - Means “bridge” and “base/origin.” Ikeda (池田) - Means “pond” and “rice field.” Ishida (石田) - Means “stone” and “rice field.” Ishikawa (石川) - Means “stone” and “river.” Kaneko (金子) - Means “gold” and “child.” Kawaguchi (川口) - Means “river” and “entrance/mouth.” Kinoshita (木下) - Means “one who lives under a tree.” Koyama (小山) - Means “small” and “mountain.” Mori (森) - Means “forest.” Nakajima (中島) - Means “middle” and “island.” Nakayama (中山) - Means “central” and “mountain.” Ōtani (大谷) - Means “large” and “canyon.” Sugawara (菅原) - Means “sedge” and “plain/field.” Takagi (高木) - Means “tall tree.” Taniguchi (谷口) - Means “valley” and “mouth.” Yamashita (山下) - Means “mountain” and “below.”

Locational & Directional Japanese Last Names

Some surnames reflect where families lived or worked in the past. These surnames describe relative positions to local landmarks, which helped identify people before modern addresses existed. Here are some clever surnames based on location and direction: Fujioka (藤岡) - Means “wisteria” and “hill.” Fujita (藤田) - Means “wisteria” and “rice field.” Gotō (後藤) - Means “behind” and “wisteria.” Ichikawa (市川) - Means “marketplace” and “river.” Matsuda (松田) - Means “pine” and “rice field.” Miyazaki (宮崎) - Means “shrine” and “cape/peninsula.” Nakano (中野) - Means “middle” and “field.” Ōno (大野) - Means “big” and “field.” Ōta (太田) - Means “big/fat” and “rice field.” Shimada (島田) - Means “island” and “rice field.” Ueda (上田) - Means “upper” and “rice field.” Ueno (上野) - Means “upper” and “field.”

Geographical Japanese Last Names

These surnames distinguished families living in the same region. Before maps, the Japanese people often used surnames to indicate where they were from or what natural features they were close to, such as the side of a mountain or inside bamboo. Here are some common geographical surnames and their meanings: Andō (安藤) - Means “peace” and “wisteria.” Iwasaki (岩崎) - Means “stone” and “cape.” Matsui (松井) - Means “pine” and “well.” Miyamoto (宮本) - Means “shrine” and “base/origin.” Morita (森田) - Means “forest” and “rice field.” Noguchi (野口) - Means “field” and “entrance/mouth.” Ogawa (小川) - Means “small” and “river.” Ōtsuka (大塚) - Means “big” and “mound.” Sawada (沢田) - Means “marsh” and “rice field.” Takeuchi (竹内) - Means “bamboo” and “inside.” Yokoyama (横山) - Means “side/horizontal” and “mountain.”

Occupational Japanese Last Names

Many surnames are based on an ancestor’s occupation or social role. While these might not be immediately obvious to non-Japanese people, names like Nishikiori (錦織) and Watabe (渡部) signify weavers and ferrymen, respectively. Here are other common occupational surnames used in Japan: Abe (安倍) - Means “peace” and “multiply.” Harada (原田) - Means “field/plain” and “rice field.” Hasegawa (長谷川) - Means “long valley” and “river.” Kato (加藤) - Means “add” and “wisteria.” Kojima (小島) - Means “small” and “island.” Kudō (工藤) - Means “artisan” and “wisteria.” Maeda (前田) - Means “front and “rice field.” Murata (村田) - Means “village” and “rice field.” Nishikiori (錦織) - Means “brocade” and “weave.” Nishimura (西村) - Means “west” and “village.” Okada (岡田) - Means “hill” and “rice field.” Takeda (武田) - Means “military/warrior” and “rice field.” Watabe (渡部) - Means “crossing” and “clan.”

Culturally Significant Japanese Last Names

These surnames reflect important events, families, and cultural practices. Culturally significant surnames usually have ties to important clans and aristocratic families, or nature, occupations, and geography. Here are some important Japanese surnames you should know: Fujimoto (藤本) - Means “wisteria” and “base/origin.” Hirano (平野) - Means “flat” and “field.” Kondō (近藤) - Means “near” and “wisteria.” Nakagawa (中川) - Means “middle” and “river.” Nomura (野村) - Means “field” and “village.” Okamoto (岡本) - Means “hill” and “base/origin.” Sakamoto (坂本) - Means “slope” and “base/origin.” Sakurai (桜井) - Means “sakura” (cherry blossom) and “well.” Sugiyama (杉山) - Means “cedar” and “mountain.” Taguchi (田口) - Means “rice field” and “entrance.” Tamura (田村) - Means “rice field” and “village.”

Historically Significant Japanese Last Names

Names, like Chiba and Ōkubo, are connected to powerful clans and events. The following surnames rose to importance due to their association with notable figures or events in Japanese history. Here are some significant surnames with interesting backstories and historical roots: Chiba (千葉) - Means “thousand” and “leaves.” Doi (土井) - Means “earth/soil” and “well.” Eguchi (江口) - Means “inlet/bay” and “entrance.” Endō (遠藤) - Means “far” and “wisteria.” Imai (今井) - Means “now” and “well.” Kawamura (川村) - Means “river” and “village.” Kikuchi (菊地) - Means “chrysanthemum” and “land.” Kōno (河野) - Means “river” and “field.” Matsushita (松下) - Means “pine” and “below.” Mizuno (水野) - Means “water” and “field.” Ōkubo (大久保) - Means “big,” “long time,” and “protect.” Ōnishi (大西) - Means “big” and “west.” Sano (佐野) - Means “small” and “field.”

Upper-Class Japanese Last Names

These upper-class surnames reflect historical status and lineage. Historically, upper-class surnames refer to family names reserved for the nobility and samurai class. These families held significant power and influence over Japan, with their surnames often based on the areas they governed. Here are the most common upper-class last names and their meanings: Fujiwara (藤原) - Means “wisteria” and “field.” Hōjō (北条) - Means “north” and “bank.” Minamoto (源) - Means “source” or “origin.” Nakahara (中原) - Means “center” and “plain.” Ōe (大江) - Means “large” and “inlet.” Ono (小野) - Means “small” and “field.” Sakanoue (坂上) - Means “slope” and “above.” Tachibana (橘) - Means “wild orange.” Taira (平) - Means “peace” or “level.”

Rare & Unique Japanese Last Names

Akiyama, Inagaki, and Uno are some of the rarest Japanese surnames. While these surnames are relatively uncommon, they carry cultural significance and meaning that make them worth knowing. Here are some rare but popular names featured in Japanese film, TV, and literature: Akiyama (秋山) - Means “autumn” and “mountain.” Hamaguchi (浜口) - Means “beach” and “entrance.” Inagaki (稲垣) - Means “rice plant” and “fence.” Kishi (岸) - Means “shore/coast.” Kitamura (北村) - Means “north” and “village.” Kubo (久保) - Means “long time” and “protect.” Minami (南) - Means “south.” Tachibana (橘) - Means “orange/mandarin.” Tajima (田島) - Means “rice field” and “island.” Uno (宇野) - Means “universe” and “field.”

The History Behind Japanese Surnames

Japanese clans started using surnames during the Yayoi Period. From around 300 BC to 300 AD, Japanese families were organized into clans based on their occupations or the geographical features of their region. They used their clan names as family names, or surnames, which were called uji (氏). Over time, powerful clans emerged and small kingdoms were established, with the Yamato as the strongest. Other clans united under the Yamato, and clans were given a kabane (姓), or a type of aristocratic title. The combination of the uji and the kabane became a way to designate different clans within the Yamato kingdom, and Japanese surnames developed from the uji-kabane system. Commoners didn’t have surnames until the Meiji Restoration in 1875. Before then, some had family names passed on from their ancestors, or they adopted the most influential family names of their region, meaning entire communities may have shared the same name even if they weren’t related.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the Japanese call each other by last names? Yes, it’s standard to call someone by their last name, followed by a suffix like “san” or “sama” to show respect in formal settings (business, school, etc.). First names are reserved for informal settings and close relationships, such as friends and family members, or people who are of a lower age or status. For example, if you’re talking to someone named Riku Tanaka, you can address them as “Tanaka-san.”

Are Japanese last names written before or after first names? In Japan, last names come before first names. Japanese culture places a strong emphasis on the family, so last names (also known as family names) are written first to acknowledge the social hierarchy and the importance of one’s family. For example, if your first name is Sana and your last name is Minatozaki, you’d introduce yourself as Minatozaki Sana.

Why do so many Japanese last names contain “田” (ta/da)? Rice has played an important role in the lives of the Japanese for centuries, so many families adopted “田,” the character for rice paddy. It identifies their occupation and connection to rice fields and farming. In fact, about 30% of Japanese surnames contain the character! Common “田” surnames include: Tanaka (田中 - meaning “in the paddy”), Yoshida (吉田 - meaning “lucky paddy”), Hirata (平田 - meaning “peaceful paddy”), Ikeda (池田 - meaning “paddy near the lake”), and Murata (村田 - meaning “village paddy”).

What’s the difference between Watanabe (渡辺) and Watanabe (渡邊)? The difference lies in the second kanji character, hotori/atari (辺), and watana/wataru (邊). The former is the simplified modern standard form, and it means “area” or “vicinity.” The latter is the traditional form, and it means “to cross over.” Both Watanabe (渡辺) and Watanabe (渡邊) have the same pronunciation and mean “across the border/area.”

Is Kim a Japanese last name? No, Kim is usually not a Japanese last name. However, it’s one of the most common Korean last names! It can be romanized as “Kin” (金 - meaning gold) in Japanese, but descendants of Korean immigrants mainly use it. More than 21.5% of the entire Korean population has the surname Kim (김)!