Ancient Japanese Name Generator
Old Japanese names from the Nara, Heian and Sengoku eras
Generate ancient Japanese names in their historical form: Nara and Heian court names like Fujiwara no Michinaga and Ono no Komachi, samurai names from the Kamakura and Sengoku periods, imperial princes and princesses, monks, poets, and old-fashioned Edo given names. Ideal for historical fiction, samurai games and anime-style period settings.
About ancient Japanese names
Old Japanese names do not look like modern ones, and the clearest marker is the particle "no". Before roughly 1200, aristocrats were named Clan no Given: Fujiwara no Michinaga, Taira no Kiyomori, Ono no Komachi. The first element is the uji, a great clan name such as Fujiwara, Minamoto, Taira, Tachibana, Sugawara, Otomo or Soga, and the second is the personal name. Men's names of the Nara period often end in -maro (Hitomaro, Nakamaro), while Heian courtiers favoured two-character names ending in -naga, -michi, -yori, -mori, -zane, -hira or -tsune.
Aristocratic women of the Heian court were rarely recorded by personal name. Writers like Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon are known by nicknames built from a father's office, and empresses by -ko names (Teishi, Shoshi) or by retirement titles ending in -mon-in. From the Kamakura period onward, warrior families dropped the particle and used house names as modern surnames do: Hojo Tokimasa, Kusunoki Masashige, Takeda Shingen. Sengoku women appear as Lady Oichi or Nohime, and Edo commoners carried short names like Gonbei, Tokubei, Okiku and Ofuku.
The list below covers all of these layers, romanized without macrons and with the surname first, as the sources write them.
How to choose ancient Japanese names
- Match the format to the century: "Clan no Given" for anything before the Kamakura shogunate, plain "Surname Given" for samurai from about 1200 onward. Mixing the two on one character dates the setting wrongly.
- A Sengoku warrior usually had several names over a lifetime: a childhood name, an adult name, a courtesy title and often a Buddhist name after retiring. If your character is older, give them two and let others use them inconsistently.
- Only the great clans used "no"; lesser families and commoners did not. Reserve Fujiwara, Minamoto and Taira for characters who are supposed to be powerful or related to the court.
- For Heian women who are not empresses, use an office-based nickname (Koshikibu no Naishi, Ise no Taifu) or describe them by their father, which is exactly how contemporary diaries did it.
- Keep name order consistent across your cast. These names are surname first, as in Japanese; if you flip to given-name-first for English readers, flip all of them.
Frequently asked questions
What does "no" mean in ancient Japanese names?
It is a possessive particle, so Fujiwara no Michinaga means roughly "Michinaga of the Fujiwara". It was used with great clan names through the Nara and Heian periods and faded once warrior families began using their house names like modern surnames.
Are these real historical people?
Many are: emperors, regents, poets, monks and famous samurai from the 7th to 17th centuries. Others are plausible period names assembled from real clans and period-correct given names so that original characters can stand beside the historical ones without looking out of place.
How were women named in old Japan?
Noblewomen's personal names were private and rarely written down. Court ladies went by nicknames such as Murasaki Shikibu or Sei Shonagon, empresses by formal -ko names or retirement titles ending in -mon-in, and samurai-era women by "Lady" plus a short name (Lady Oichi) or the O- prefix (Okiku, Ofuku).
Why are there no macrons on names like Kukai or Otomo?
Macrons mark long vowels (Kūkai, Ōtomo) in academic romanization, but most games, novels and search engines drop them. All names here use the plain spelling so they match what you will see elsewhere; add the macrons yourself if your project follows scholarly style.
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All 500 ancient Japanese names
A: 27 names
- Abe no Hirafu
- Abe no Muneto
- Abe no Nakamaro
- Abe no Sadato
- Abe no Seimei
- Abe no Yoritoki
- Acha no Tsubone
- Adachi Kagemori
- Akamatsu Mitsusuke
- Akazome Emon
- Akechi Hidemitsu
- Akechi Mitsuhide
- Amago Haruhisa
- Araki Murashige
- Ariwara no Muneyana
- Ariwara no Narihira
- Ariwara no Yukihira
- Asakura Soteki
- Asakura Yoshikage
- Asano Nagamasa
- Ashikaga Tadayoshi
- Ashikaga Takauji
- Ashikaga Yoshiakira
- Ashikaga Yoshimasa
- Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
- Ashikaga Yoshiteru
- Azai Nagamasa
B: 1 name
- Baba Nobuharu
C: 2 names
- Chiba Tsunetane
- Chosokabe Motochika
D: 6 names
- Daini no Sanmi
- Date Masamune
- Date Shigezane
- Denbei
- Dogen
- Dosho
E: 14 names
- Egyo Hoshi
- Eisai
- Empress Genmei
- Empress Gensho
- Empress Iwanohime
- Empress Jingu
- Empress Jito
- Empress Koken
- Empress Komyo
- Empress Saimei
- Empress Suiko
- Enchin
- Enni Ben'en
- Ennin
F: 66 names
- Fujiwara no Akimitsu
- Fujiwara no Atsutada
- Fujiwara no Fuhito
- Fujiwara no Fusasaki
- Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu
- Fujiwara no Hidehira
- Fujiwara no Hidesato
- Fujiwara no Hirotsugu
- Fujiwara no Ishi
- Fujiwara no Kamatari
- Fujiwara no Kaneie
- Fujiwara no Kenshi
- Fujiwara no Kinto
- Fujiwara no Kinzane
- Fujiwara no Kishi
- Fujiwara no Kiyohira
- Fujiwara no Korechika
- Fujiwara no Koremasa
- Fujiwara no Kusuko
- Fujiwara no Maro
- Fujiwara no Michimasa
- Fujiwara no Michinaga
- Fujiwara no Michitaka
- Fujiwara no Michitsuna
- Fujiwara no Momokawa
- Fujiwara no Morosuke
- Fujiwara no Motofusa
- Fujiwara no Mototsune
- Fujiwara no Muchimaro
- Fujiwara no Nagate
- Fujiwara no Nakamaro
- Fujiwara no Nariko
- Fujiwara no Nobuko
F, continued
- Fujiwara no Nobuyori
- Fujiwara no Onshi
- Fujiwara no Otsugu
- Fujiwara no Sadakata
- Fujiwara no Sanekata
- Fujiwara no Sanesuke
- Fujiwara no Saneyori
- Fujiwara no Shoshi
- Fujiwara no Sumitomo
- Fujiwara no Tadahira
- Fujiwara no Tadamichi
- Fujiwara no Tadanobu
- Fujiwara no Tadazane
- Fujiwara no Takaie
- Fujiwara no Takako
- Fujiwara no Tanetsugu
- Fujiwara no Teika
- Fujiwara no Teishi
- Fujiwara no Tokihira
- Fujiwara no Tokiko
- Fujiwara no Toshinari
- Fujiwara no Umakai
- Fujiwara no Yasuhira
- Fujiwara no Yasuko
- Fujiwara no Yorimichi
- Fujiwara no Yorinaga
- Fujiwara no Yoshifusa
- Fujiwara no Yoshiko
- Fujiwara no Yoshimi
- Fujiwara no Yoshitsune
- Fukushima Masanori
- Funya no Watamaro
- Funya no Yasuhide
G: 6 names
- Ganjin
- Gengobei
- Genshin
- Gishumon-in no Tango
- Gonbei
- Gyoki
H: 29 names
- Hachijo-in
- Hanbei
- Hangaku Gozen
- Harumichi no Tsuraki
- Hasekura Tsunenaga
- Hata no Kawakatsu
- Hatakeyama Shigetada
- Hatano Hideharu
- Hattori Hanzo
- Hayashi Razan
- Heguri no Matori
- Henjo
- Hojo Masako
- Hojo Soun
- Hojo Takatoki
- Hojo Tokimasa
- Hojo Tokimune
- Hojo Tokiyori
- Hojo Ujimasa
- Hojo Ujiyasu
- Hojo Yasutoki
- Hojo Yoshitoki
- Honda Tadakatsu
- Honen
- Hosokawa Fujitaka
- Hosokawa Gracia
- Hosokawa Katsumoto
- Hosokawa Tadaoki
- Hosokawa Yoriyuki
I: 15 names
- Ii Naomasa
- Ii Naotora
- Ikkyu Sojun
- Imagawa Sadayo
- Imagawa Yoshimoto
- Imai Kanehira
- Inbe no Hironari
- Inpumon-in no Taifu
- Ippen
- Ise no Saburo Yoshimori
- Ise no Taifu
- Ishida Mitsunari
- Ishikawa no Toshitari
- Isonokami no Maro
- Izumi Shikibu
J: 3 names
- Jakuren
- Jien
- Jirokichi
K: 52 names
- Kajiwara Kagetoki
- Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
- Kamo no Chomei
- Kamo no Tadayuki
- Kamo no Yasunori
- Kan'ami Kiyotsugu
- Kanbei
- Karasumaru Mitsuhiro
- Kasa no Iratsume
- Kasa no Kanamura
- Kasuga no Tsubone
- Katakura Kojuro
- Kato Kiyomasa
- Kato Yoshiaki
- Katsuragi no Sotsuhiko
- Kennyo
- Ki no Haseo
- Ki no Tomonori
- Ki no Tsurayuki
- Kibi no Makibi
- Kibitsuhiko
- Kichiemon
- Kikkawa Motoharu
- Kisen Hoshi
- Kitabatake Akiie
- Kitabatake Chikafusa
- Kitabatake Tomonori
- Kiyohara no Fukayabu
- Kiyohara no Iehira
- Kiyohara no Motosuke
- Kiyohara no Natsuno
- Kiyohara no Takehira
- Kobayakawa Hideaki
- Kobayakawa Takakage
- Kokamon-in
- Komatsuhime
- Konishi Yukinaga
- Kono Michinao
- Konoe Sakihisa
- Kosaka Masanobu
- Kose no Notari
- Koshikibu no Naishi
- Kudara no Kawanari
- Kukai
- Kumagai Naozane
- Kumakichi
- Kunaikyo
- Kuroda Kanbei
- Kuroda Nagamasa
- Kusunoki Masashige
- Kusunoki Masatsura
- Kuya
L: 12 names
- Lady Horikawa
- Lady Ise
- Lady Kaihime
- Lady Kii
- Lady Matsu
- Lady Nene
- Lady Oichi
- Lady Sagami
- Lady Saigo
- Lady Senhime
- Lady Tsukiyama
- Lady Ukon
M: 47 names
- Maeda Keiji
- Maeda Toshiie
- Matabei
- Matsunaga Hisahide
- Matsuo Basho
- Mibu no Tadami
- Mibu no Tadamine
- Michitsuna no Haha
- Minamoto no Masako
- Minamoto no Meishi
- Minamoto no Mitsunaka
- Minamoto no Noriyori
- Minamoto no Reishi
- Minamoto no Rinshi
- Minamoto no Sanetomo
- Minamoto no Shitago
- Minamoto no Takaakira
- Minamoto no Tametomo
- Minamoto no Tameyoshi
- Minamoto no Toru
- Minamoto no Toshiyori
- Minamoto no Tsunemoto
- Minamoto no Yoriie
- Minamoto no Yorimasa
- Minamoto no Yorimitsu
- Minamoto no Yoritomo
- Minamoto no Yoriyoshi
- Minamoto no Yoshiie
- Minamoto no Yoshinaka
- Minamoto no Yoshitomo
- Minamoto no Yoshitsune
- Miura Yoshizumi
- Miyoshi Nagayoshi
- Mogami Yoshiaki
- Mononobe no Arakabi
- Mononobe no Moriya
- Mononobe no Okoshi
- Mori Motonari
- Mori Nagayoshi
- Mori Ranmaru
- Mori Terumoto
- Mori Yoshinari
- Murakami Takeyoshi
- Murasaki Shikibu
- Musashibo Benkei
- Muso Soseki
- Myoe
N: 15 names
- Nabeshima Naoshige
- Naito Masatoyo
- Nakahara no Chikayoshi
- Nakatomi no Omimaro
- Naoe Kanetsugu
- Nasu no Yoichi
- Nawa Nagatoshi
- Nichiren
- Nijo Yoshimoto
- Nijoin no Sanuki
- Nitta Yoshisada
- Niwa Nagahide
- Nohime
- Noin Hoshi
- Nukata no Okimi
O: 46 names
- Ochacha
- Oda Nobuhide
- Oda Nobunaga
- Oda Nobutada
- Oe no Chisato
- Oe no Hiromoto
- Oe no Masafusa
- Oeyo
- Ofuku
- Ohana
- Oharu
- Ohatsu
- Ohisa
- Okiku
- Okinu
- Okoma
- Oman no Kata
- Omatsu
- Omiwa no Takechimaro
- Onakatomi no Sukechika
- Onakatomi no Yoshinobu
- Ono no Imoko
- Ono no Komachi
- Ono no Michikaze
- Ono no Takamura
- Ono no Yoshifuru
- Ono no Yoshiki
- Osen
- Oshikochi no Mitsune
- Oshin
- Ota Dokan
- Otake
- Otama
- Otani Yoshitsugu
- Otomo no Ikenushi
- Otomo no Kanamura
- Otomo no Kuronushi
- Otomo no Sakanoue no Iratsume
- Otomo no Tabito
- Otomo no Yakamochi
- Otomo Sorin
- Otsuru
- Ouchi Yoshihiro
- Ouchi Yoshitaka
- Oume
- Oyuki
P: 20 names
- Prince Arima
- Prince Atsumi
- Prince Kaneakira
- Prince Kanemi
- Prince Koretaka
- Prince Kusakabe
- Prince Morinaga
- Prince Munetaka
- Prince Nagaya
- Prince Naka no Oe
- Prince Oama
- Prince Otsu
- Prince Sawara
- Prince Shotoku
- Prince Takechi
- Prince Tomohira
- Prince Toneri
- Princess Senshi
- Princess Sonshi
- Princess Uchiko
Q: 2 names
- Queen Himiko
- Queen Iyo
R: 5 names
- Rennyo
- Rokkaku Yoshikata
- Rokubei
- Ryogen
- Ryuzoji Takanobu
S: 50 names
- Saeki no Imaemishi
- Saicho
- Saigyo Hoshi
- Saito Dosan
- Saito Yoshitatsu
- Sakai Tadatsugu
- Sakakibara Yasumasa
- Sakanoue no Iwatatsu
- Sakanoue no Karitamaro
- Sakanoue no Korenori
- Sakanoue no Tamuramaro
- Sakichi
- Sanada Masayuki
- Sanada Nobuyuki
- Sanada Yukimura
- Sanemon
- Sanjonishi Sanetaka
- Sanjuro
- Sasaki Doyo
- Sasaki Takatsuna
- Satake Yoshishige
- Sato Tadanobu
- Satomi Yoshitaka
- Sei Shonagon
- Sen no Rikyu
- Sesshu Toyo
- Shibata Katsuie
- Shikishi Naishinno
- Shimazu Toyohisa
- Shimazu Yoshihiro
- Shimazu Yoshihisa
- Shinpachi
- Shinran
- Shinzaemon
- Shizuka Gozen
- Soga no Emishi
- Soga no Iname
- Soga no Iruka
- Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawamaro
- Soga no Umako
- Sogi
- Sone no Yoshitada
- Sosei Hoshi
- Sugawara no Kiyotomo
- Sugawara no Koreyoshi
- Sugawara no Michizane
- Sugawara no Takasue
- Sugawara no Takasue no Musume
- Suo no Naishi
- Suzuki Magoichi
T: 55 names
- Tachibana Dosetsu
- Tachibana Ginchiyo
- Tachibana Muneshige
- Tachibana no Hayanari
- Tachibana no Kachiko
- Tachibana no Michiyo
- Tachibana no Moroe
- Tachibana no Naramaro
- Tachibana no Norimitsu
- Tachibana no Tokuko
- Tachibana no Yoshiko
- Taigen Sessai
- Taikenmon-in
- Taira no Atsumori
- Taira no Kiyomori
- Taira no Korehira
- Taira no Koremori
- Taira no Kunika
- Taira no Masakado
- Taira no Masuko
- Taira no Munemori
- Taira no Noritsune
- Taira no Sadamori
- Taira no Shigehira
- Taira no Shigeko
- Taira no Shigemori
- Taira no Tadamori
- Taira no Tadatsune
- Taira no Tokiko
- Taira no Tokitada
- Taira no Tokuko
- Taira no Tomomori
- Taira no Yorimori
- Tajihi no Agatamori
- Tajimamori
- Takahashi no Mushimaro
- Takashina no Takako
- Takeda Katsuyori
- Takeda Nobushige
- Takeda Shingen
- Takenaka Hanbei
- Takenouchi no Sukune
- Takuan Soho
- Tarobei
- Tokubei
- Tokugawa Hidetada
- Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Tokugawa Nobuyasu
- Tomoe Gozen
- Torakichi
- Torii Mototada
- Torii Suneemon
- Toyotomi Hidetsugu
- Toyotomi Hideyori
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi
U: 8 names
- Uesugi Kagekatsu
- Uesugi Kagetora
- Uesugi Kenshin
- Ukita Hideie
- Ukita Naoie
- Urabe no Kanekata
- Urabe no Kanetomo
- Usami Sadamitsu
W: 3 names
- Wada Yoshimori
- Wake no Hiroyo
- Wake no Kiyomaro
Y: 15 names
- Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi
- Yagyu Munenori
- Yagyu Muneyoshi
- Yamagata Masakage
- Yamamoto Kansuke
- Yamana Sozen
- Yamanaka Shikanosuke
- Yamanoue no Okura
- Yamashina Tokitsugu
- Yamato Takeru
- Yasubei
- Yazaemon
- Yoshida Kenko
- Yui Shosetsu
- Yuki Harutomo