Akita Name Generator
Japanese names and words for Akita dogs
Name an Akita with 500 ideas from the breed's home: Japanese given names like Kenshin, Haruka and Hinata, words with their meanings such as Kuma (bear) and Fubuki (blizzard), places in Akita and northern Japan like Odate and Towada, and dignified picks for American Akitas.
About Akita names
The Akita takes its name from Akita Prefecture in the snowy, mountainous north of Japan's main island, where its ancestors guarded homes and hunted bear, boar and deer with the matagi, the region's traditional hunters. The most famous Akita, Hachiko, was born in the city of Odate in 1923 and kept waiting at Tokyo's Shibuya Station for nearly ten years after his owner died. That history is why this list is built on Japanese names.
About two fifths of the list is real Japanese given names: male names such as Kenshin, Daichi and Takeru, female names such as Haruka, Sumire and Koharu, and names given to both, such as Hinata and Tsubasa. Everyday Japanese words carry their meaning in parentheses, so you can tell Kuma (bear) from Kumo (cloud). They cover dogs and bears, snow and mountains, coat colors, loyalty and the warrior virtues, and the food, festivals and crafts of the north. Food words such as Mochi (rice cake) are words, not given names.
Nearly a fifth is place names from Akita and the rest of northern Japan, including Tazawa, Towada and Chokai, and a short set of dignified English names, such as Sentinel, Regent and Empress, suits the larger American Akita. Keller is there because Helen Keller brought the first Akita to the United States in 1937.
How to choose Akita names
- Keep the call name to two or three syllables. Hachi, Kuma, Riku and Yuki carry across a yard better than Ryunosuke or Shinnosuke, which work well as a formal name with a short form for every day.
- Say a Japanese name the Japanese way before you settle on it. Every vowel is sounded and kept short, so Hime is hee-meh, Take is tah-keh and Sake is sah-keh.
- Match a word to the dog in front of you. The Japanese coat colors of the breed are aka (red), shiro (white), tora (brindle, literally tiger) and goma (sesame), and all four words are in the list, along with Urajiro, the term for the pale markings on the cheeks, chest and belly.
- Japanese given names are gendered by custom. Names ending in ko, mi or ka, such as Aiko, Megumi and Haruka, are usually female, while endings such as ro, ta, suke and shi, as in Ichiro, Yuta, Keisuke and Takeshi, are usually male.
- For two dogs, pick a pair that belongs together: Taro and Jiro, the traditional names for a first and a second son, Haru and Aki for spring and autumn, or Kin and Gin for gold and silver.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hachi mean, and who was Hachiko?
Hachi is the Japanese word for eight, and the ending ko was added as a mark of respect and affection. Hachiko was an Akita born in Odate, in Akita Prefecture, in 1923. He went on waiting at Shibuya Station in Tokyo for his owner, a university professor, for nearly ten years after the man's death in 1925, and a bronze statue of him stands outside the station. Hachi, Hachiko, Odate and Chuken (loyal dog) are all in the list.
What are good male and female Japanese names for an Akita?
For a male, short traditional names such as Kenji, Taro, Daichi, Riku and Takeru work well, along with warrior names like Musashi and Kenshin. For a female, try Aiko, Haruka, Sumire, Koharu or Mizuki. Names such as Akira, Hinata, Rin and Tsubasa are given to both boys and girls in Japan, so they suit either.
Are the food names real Japanese given names?
No. Mochi, Dango, Kinako, Azuki and Matcha are everyday food words that people use as pet names, not given names for people. The list shows most everyday words with their meaning in parentheses, for example Mochi (rice cake) and Azuki (red bean), so words and given names are easy to tell apart. A few of those words, such as Sakura (cherry blossom), Hana (flower) and Yuki (snow), are also used as given names.
Which names come from Akita Prefecture itself?
Odate is the city known as the home of the Akita dog, and Kakunodate, Noshiro, Yokote and Yuzawa are other towns and cities in the prefecture. Tazawa is a lake there, Towada is a lake on the northern border with Aomori, Chokai is a mountain on the southern border and Oga is a peninsula on the Sea of Japan coast. Kiritanpo, Namahage, Magewappa and Matagi come from the local food, folklore, woodcraft and hunting tradition.
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All 500 Akita names
A: 29 names
- Abashiri
- Admiral
- Aibo (partner)
- Aiken (beloved dog)
- Aiko
- Aizu
- Aka (red)
- Akabeko (red cow toy)
- Akage (red coat)
- Akan
- Akatsuki (dawn)
- Akemi
- Aki (autumn)
- Akiko
- Akira
- Akita
- Ami
- Ani
- Aoba
- Aomori
- Arashi (storm)
- Asami
- Asuka
- Atsushi
- Aurelius
- Aya
- Ayumi
- Azuki (red bean)
- Azusa
B: 9 names
- Babahera (Akita ice cream)
- Bandai
- Banken (guard dog)
- Bastion
- Benkei
- Biei
- Botanyuki (big snowflakes)
- Bruin
- Bushido
C: 14 names
- Cassius
- Chiaki
- Chie
- Chikara (strength)
- Chinatsu
- Chitose
- Chizuko
- Chizuru
- Chokai
- Chugi (loyalty)
- Chujitsu (faithful)
- Chuken (loyal dog)
- Colonel
- Countess
D: 9 names
- Dai (big)
- Daichi
- Daiki
- Daimyo
- Daisen
- Daisetsu
- Damako (rice dumpling)
- Dango (sweet dumpling)
- Dewa
E: 9 names
- Eien (eternity)
- Eiji
- Eita
- Emiko
- Empress
- Eri
- Erimo
- Etsuko
- Ezo
F: 6 names
- Faithful
- Fubuki (blizzard)
- Furano
- Fuyu (winter)
- Fuyuko
- Fuyumi
G: 13 names
- Gaku
- Gaman (perseverance)
- Gassan
- Genki (lively)
- Gin (silver)
- Ginjiro
- Ginzan
- Giri (duty)
- Goma (sesame)
- Gon
- Guardian
- Gyoza (dumpling)
- Gyutan (beef tongue)
H: 49 names
- Hachi (eight)
- Hachiko
- Hachimantai
- Hachinohe
- Hachirogata
- Hagane (steel)
- Haguro
- Hakkoda
- Hakodate
- Hana (flower)
- Hanagasa (flower hat)
- Haru (spring)
- Haruka
- Harukaze (spring breeze)
- Haruko
- Haruma
- Harumi
- Hatahata (sandfish)
- Hatsuyuki (first snow)
- Hayabusa (falcon)
- Hayachine
- Heiwa (peace)
- Hibana (spark)
- Hideki
- Hideo
- Higuma (brown bear)
- Hime (princess)
- Hina
- Hinai
- Hinata
- Hinode (sunrise)
- Hinoki (cypress)
- Hiraizumi
- Hiroki
- Hiroko
- Hiromi
- Hirosaki
- Hiroshi
- Hiroto
- Hisako
- Hitomi
- Hokkaido
- Hokori (pride)
- Hokuto (Big Dipper)
- Homare (glory)
- Honjo
- Honoo (flame)
- Hoshi (star)
- Hyoga (glacier)
I: 12 names
- Iburigakko (smoked pickle)
- Ichi (one)
- Ichiban (number one)
- Ichiro
- Igen (dignity)
- Imoni (taro stew)
- Inaniwa (Akita udon)
- Inazuma (lightning)
- Inu (dog)
- Iwa (rock)
- Iwaki
- Iwate
J: 10 names
- Jiro
- Joji
- Jotaro
- Jubei
- Judge
- Juhyo (ice-covered trees)
- Juniko
- Junko
- Junpei
- Justice
K: 68 names
- Kabuto (helmet)
- Kakunodate
- Kamakura (snow hut)
- Kaminari (thunder)
- Kana
- Kanako
- Kanpu (cold wind)
- Kanto (lantern pole)
- Kaoru
- Kari (hunt)
- Katana
- Katsumi
- Kayoko
- Kaze (wind)
- Kazuko
- Kazumi
- Kazuno
- Kazuya
- Kei
- Keigo
- Keiji
- Keisuke
- Keita
- Keitaro
- Keller
- Ken
- Kenichi
- Kenji
- Kenjiro
- Kensei (sword saint)
- Kenshin
- Kentaro
- Kenzo
- Kiba (fang)
K, continued
- Kibo (hope)
- Kihin (grace)
- Kiko
- Kikuko
- Kin (gold)
- Kinako (roasted soy flour)
- Kinjiro
- Kintaro
- Kiritanpo (Akita rice stick)
- Kisakata
- Kita (north)
- Kitakami
- Kitakaze (north wind)
- Kizuna (bond)
- Kogane (golden)
- Kogarashi (cold winter wind)
- Koguma (bear cub)
- Koharu
- Koichi
- Koinu (puppy)
- Koki
- Kokoro (heart)
- Komachi
- Komagatake
- Konayuki (powder snow)
- Kori (ice)
- Koro
- Kosaka
- Kota
- Kuma (bear)
- Kumo (cloud)
- Kurikoma
- Kuro (black)
- Kyohei
L: 2 names
- Leonidas
- Liberty
M: 53 names
- Machiko
- Magewappa (bentwood box)
- Maiko
- Majesty
- Maki
- Makio (curled tail)
- Makkuro (pitch black)
- Mako
- Mamori (protection)
- Mana
- Mangetsu (full moon)
- Mao
- Mari
- Mariko
- Marshal
- Masako
- Masami
- Masamune
- Masashi
- Masato
- Mashu
- Masshiro (pure white)
- Masumi
- Matagi
- Matcha (green tea)
- Matsu (pine)
- Matsuko
- Matsushima
- Mayumi
- Megumi
- Meiken (fine dog)
- Meiyo (honor)
- Michiko
- Mieko
- Miki
- Mina
- Mine (peak)
- Minoru
- Misato
- Mitsuko
- Miwa
- Miyuki
- Mizuki
- Mochi (rice cake)
- Moe
- Mogami
- Momotaro
- Mori (forest)
- Morioka
- Moriyoshi
- Musashi
- Musha (warrior)
- Mutsu
N: 22 names
- Nadare (avalanche)
- Nagomi (calm)
- Nakama (companion)
- Namahage
- Nanako
- Nanbu
- Naomi
- Naoto
- Naoya
- Naruko
- Natsu (summer)
- Natsumi
- Nebuta (festival float)
- Nikaho
- Niseko
- Noboru
- Nobu
- Nobuko
- Nodoka
- Noriko
- Noshiro
- Nyudo
O: 11 names
- Obihiro
- Odate
- Oga
- Oirase
- Okami (wolf)
- Oma
- Omagari
- Omoide (memories)
- Omono
- Orson
- Otaru
P: 2 names
- Paladin
- Pochi
R: 21 names
- Rainier
- Rausu
- Regent
- Reigi (courtesy)
- Reiko
- Rie
- Riki (power)
- Rikiya
- Riku
- Rikuto
- Rin
- Rintaro
- Rishiri
- Rumi
- Ryohei
- Ryoken (hunting dog)
- Ryoko
- Ryuichi
- Ryunosuke
- Ryusei
- Ryutaro
S: 59 names
- Sachi
- Sachiko
- Saikai (reunion)
- Sakata
- Sake (rice wine)
- Sakura (cherry blossom)
- Samurai
- Sanosuke
- Sanriku
- Saori
- Sapporo
- Sasameyuki (fine snow)
- Satomi
- Satori (awakening)
- Satoshi
- Sawako
- Seigi (justice)
- Seijitsu (sincere)
- Seiya
- Semboku
- Sena
- Senator
- Sendai
- Senshi (fighter)
- Sentinel
- Setsuko
- Shacho (company president)
- Shasta
- Shigeru
- Shikotsu
- Shimokita
- Shinichi
- Shinjiro
- Shinnosuke
- Shinobi
- Shinobu
- Shinrai (trust)
- Shinsetsu (fresh snow)
- Shion
- Shirakami
- Shiretoko
- Shiro (white)
- Shirokuma (polar bear)
- Shogun
- Shohei
- Shota
- Shotaro
- Shottsuru (fish sauce)
- Shugo (protector)
- Shuhei
- Sora (sky)
- Sosuke
- Sotaro
- Sovereign
- Soya
- Stalwart
- Sugi (cedar)
- Sukayu
- Sumire
T: 46 names
- Tachimimi (pricked ears)
- Tadashi
- Taeko
- Taichi
- Taihei
- Taisei
- Taka (hawk)
- Takako
- Takanosu
- Takashi
- Take (bamboo)
- Takeru
- Takeshi
- Takuma
- Takuya
- Tamiko
- Taro
- Tate (shield)
- Tatsu (dragon)
- Tatsuki
- Tatsuko
- Tatsumi
- Tazawa
- Tendo
- Tenshi (angel)
- Tetsu (iron)
- Tetsuya
- Tiberius
- Toge (mountain pass)
- Tohoku
- Tokachi
- Tomo
- Tomoki
- Tora (tiger)
- Torage (brindle)
- Torajiro
- Toru
- Toshiko
- Towa (forever)
- Towada
- Tsubasa
- Tsugaru
- Tsuki (moon)
- Tsurara (icicle)
- Tsurugi (sword)
- Tsuyoshi
U: 3 names
- Ugo
- Urajiro (white underside)
- Ursa
V: 2 names
- Valor
- Vanguard
W: 6 names
- Wakkanai
- Wan (woof)
- Wanko (doggy)
- Wanko Soba (small-bowl noodles)
- Warden
- Washi (eagle)
Y: 42 names
- Yae
- Yakitori (grilled chicken)
- Yakusoku (promise)
- Yama (mountain)
- Yamabiko (mountain echo)
- Yamadera
- Yamagata
- Yamase (cold northeast wind)
- Yanagi (willow)
- Yari (spear)
- Yasuko
- Yojimbo (bodyguard)
- Yokote
- Yoneshiro
- Yoroi (armor)
- Yoshi
- Yoshie
- Yoshiko
- Yosuke
- Yotei
- Yubari
- Yuji
- Yujo (friendship)
- Yukan (brave)
- Yuki (snow)
- Yukidaruma (snowman)
- Yukidoke (snowmelt)
- Yukie
- Yukiguni (snow country)
- Yukiho
- Yukina
- Yukio
- Yukiyama (snowy mountain)
- Yuko
- Yumiko
- Yuriko
- Yusuke
- Yuta
- Yutaka
- Yutaro
- Yuya
- Yuzawa