Japanese Nickname Generator
Real Japanese nicknames with -chan, -kun and more
Get 500 Japanese nicknames built the way they are in Japan, such as Takkun (Takuya), Mii-chan (Miho), Nabe-san (Watanabe) and Hakase. The source name is shown in parentheses wherever there is one.
About this generator
Japanese nicknames (adana or aishou) are rarely invented from nothing. Most are cut from the person's own name and finished with a suffix. The usual cut keeps the first two beats: Masahiro becomes Masa, Mariko becomes Mari-chan. A one-beat cut is either stretched, so Miho becomes Mii-chan, or doubled with a small tsu, which gives Acchan from Atsuko, Sacchan from Sachiko and Takkun from Takuya.
The suffix sets the tone. Chan is affectionate and used for children, girls, close friends and family; kun is for boys and younger men; san keeps a little distance. Tan, rin, pi, pyon and nyan are playful and mostly heard among girls and fans, while -yan has a Kansai sound. Classmates and co-workers often start from the surname instead: Yamamoto becomes Yama-chan and Watanabe becomes Nabe-san. A blend takes two beats of the surname and two of the given name, surname first, the way Kimura Takuya became Kimutaku.
The 500 entries here show the source name in parentheses wherever there is one. The rest are descriptive or role nicknames such as Chibi (little one), Hakase (professor) and Megane (glasses), plus old Edo-style forms like O-Yuki and Kuma-san. Nicknames are spelled with doubled consonants and written-out long vowels; source names use plain passport spelling.
Tips for choosing a name
- Match the suffix to the relationship. Chan suits a little sister, a girlfriend or a childhood friend, kun suits a boy in class or a junior at work, and san suits an older neighbor. Nobody uses chan to a boss.
- Keep the nickname tied to the name. If your character is Takahashi Kenta, friends might call him Ken-kun or Taka-chan. A nickname with no link to the name needs a story behind it.
- Let different people use different nicknames for one character. A mother who still says Mii-chan, classmates who say Mikarin and a coach who only says the surname tell the reader three relationships at once.
- Use descriptive nicknames for side characters the reader has to remember fast: Buchou for the club president, Hakase for the class expert, Nebosuke for the one who is always asleep.
- For historical fiction, stay with period forms. O-Haru and O-Kiku fit Edo townswomen and Gen-san or Tome-san fit craftsmen, while modern suffixes like tan and pi would sound out of place.
Frequently asked questions
What do -chan, -kun and -tan mean?
They are suffixes that show closeness, not words with a meaning of their own. Chan is the affectionate one, kun is used mostly for boys and younger men, and tan began as a baby-talk way of saying chan. In this list you will find all three, as in Non-chan (Nozomi), Ken-kun (Kenta) and Mii-tan (Miyu).
How are Japanese names shortened into nicknames?
Usually by keeping the first one or two beats of the name and adding a suffix or a doubled sound. Kazu (Kazuhiro) is a plain two-beat cut, Yukki (Yukie) doubles the consonant, and Shou-chan (Shota) stretches the vowel. Surnames work the same way, and a blend such as Yamaken (Yamaoka Kensuke) joins two beats of the surname to two of the given name.
Why are some nicknames spelled with cch or uu?
A small tsu in Japanese doubles the consonant that follows, so Macchan is written with cch here; you will also see it spelled Matchan. Long vowels are written out in the nicknames because the stretch is the whole point of Yuu-chan or Kou-kun. The source names in parentheses follow everyday passport spelling without long-vowel marks, which is why they read Yuko and Kota.
Is it rude to call someone by a nickname in Japan?
It can be. Nicknames belong to family, close friends, classmates and teammates, and the surname with san is the safe default for anyone you have just met or who is senior to you. Wait until the person offers a nickname or others in the group already use it with you.
Related generators
Japanese Name Generator
Authentic Japanese first and last names in romaji
Japanese Female Name Generator
Authentic Japanese girl names with real surnames
Japanese Male Name Generator
Authentic Japanese boy and man names with surnames
Japanese Last Name Generator
Real Japanese surnames with kanji and meanings
Kawaii Name Generator
Cute Japanese-style names, nicknames and mascot names
Nickname Generator
Nicknames based on your name or personality
Cute Nickname Generator
Sweet, silly nicknames based on your name or not
Anime Name Generator
Character names that sound straight out of an anime
More like this
Sister Nickname Generator
Funny and sweet names to call your sister
1920s Nickname Generator
Flapper, wiseguy and jazz age nicknames that stand alone
Best Friend Nickname Generator
Names for the friend who knows everything
Food Nickname Generator
Funny food names to call your friends
Haitian Nickname Generator
Haitian non jwèt, from Ti Jan to Fanfan
Russian Nickname Generator
Russian diminutives and pet names with their sources
All 500 names
A: 31 names
- Abarenbou
- Acchan (Atsuko)
- Ai-ai (Ai)
- Ai-chan (Aiko)
- Akarin (Akari)
- Aki (Akihiko)
- Aki-chan (Akiko)
- Aki-chin (Akina)
- Aki-kun (Akito)
- Aki-pi (Akina)
- Akki (Akihiro)
- Akko (Akemi)
- Akkun (Akira)
- Amaenbou
- Anego
- Aneki
- Aniki
- Ao-chan (Aoki)
- Aokana (Aoki Kanako)
- Arakei (Arai Keita)
- Asamin (Asami)
- Asayan (Asano)
- Attsun (Atsuhiro)
- Awatenbou
- Aya-chan (Ayaka)
- Aya-pi (Ayami)
- Aya-pyon (Ayako)
- Aya-tan (Ayane)
- Ayarin (Aya)
- Ayu (Ayumu)
- Ayu-chan (Ayumi)
B: 6 names
- Baa-ba
- Baa-chan
- Banchou
- Bocchan
- Buchou
- Bun-chan (Bunta)
C: 9 names
- Chibi
- Chibi-chan
- Chibikko
- Chibisuke
- Chie (Chieko)
- Chii-chan (Chihiro)
- Chika (Chikako)
- Chiyo-chan (Chiyoko)
- Chou-san (Choji)
D: 6 names
- Dai (Daigo)
- Dai-chan (Daiki)
- Dai-kun (Daisuke)
- Danchou
- Danna
- Densha Hakase
E: 8 names
- Ei-chan (Eiji)
- Emi-chan (Emiko)
- Emi-tan (Emi)
- Emirin (Emiri)
- Eri (Erika)
- Eri-chan (Eriko)
- Eri-pyon (Erina)
- Eririn (Eri)
F: 7 names
- Fuji-chan (Fujita)
- Fujitaku (Fujita Takumi)
- Fukkun (Fumiya)
- Fuku-chan (Fukuda)
- Fukuryou (Fukuda Ryota)
- Fumi-chan (Fumiko)
- Fuu-chan (Fuka)
G: 8 names
- Ganbari-ya
- Gen (Gentaro)
- Gen-chan (Genta)
- Gen-san (Genzo)
- Genki-kko
- Gocchan (Goto)
- Gucchi (Higuchi)
- Gussan (Taniguchi)
H: 35 names
- Haa-chan (Haruka)
- Hakase
- Hama-chan (Hamamoto)
- Hamacchi (Hamada)
- Hana-chan (Hanako)
- Hara-chan (Harada)
- Haru (Haruki)
- Haru-chan (Harumi)
- Haru-kun (Haruto)
- Haru-tan (Haruna)
- Harucchi (Haruka)
- Harumin (Harumi)
- Hase-chan (Hasegawa)
- Hasetomo (Hasegawa Tomoko)
- Hashiken (Hashimoto Kenta)
- Hasshi (Hashimoto)
- Hattsan (Hachigoro)
- Hide (Hideaki)
- Hidebou (Hideki)
- Hideyan (Hideo)
- Hii-chan (Hitomi)
- Hikarin (Hikari)
- Hikkun (Hikaru)
- Hime
- Hina (Hinako)
- Hina-chan (Hinata)
- Hina-tan (Hina)
- Hiro (Hiroyuki)
- Hiro-chan (Hiroko)
- Hiro-kun (Hiroki)
- Hirocchi (Hiroshi)
- Hirorin (Hiromi)
- Hitomin (Hitomi)
- Hiyoko
- Hocchan (Hotta)
I: 11 names
- Icchan (Ichiro)
- Iinchou
- Ike-chan (Ikeda)
- Ikemari (Ikeda Mariko)
- Ikkun (Ikuto)
- Imacchi (Imai)
- Imadai (Imai Daisuke)
- Inocchi (Inoue)
- Ishi-chan (Ishida)
- Ishiaya (Ishii Ayaka)
- Iwa-chan (Iwasaki)
J: 6 names
- Jii-chan
- Jii-ji
- Jun (Junnosuke)
- Jun-chan (Junko)
- Jun-jun (Junya)
- Jun-kun (Junichi)
K: 58 names
- Kacchan (Katsuya)
- Kai-kun (Kaito)
- Kaichou
- Kame-chan (Kameda)
- Kame-san (Kamekichi)
- Kanarin (Kana)
- Kanetaku (Kaneko Takuma)
- Kantoku
- Kaorin (Kaori)
- Kasumin (Kasumi)
- Katsu (Katsuhiko)
- Kattsun (Katsumi)
- Kayo (Kayoko)
- Kazu (Kazuhiro)
- Kazu-chan (Kazuko)
- Kazu-kun (Kazuya)
- Kazu-pon (Kazuma)
- Kazubou (Kazuo)
- Kazuyan (Kazuo)
- Kei (Keiichi)
- Kei-chan (Keiko)
- Kei-kun (Keisuke)
- Ken (Kenjiro)
- Ken-chan (Kenichi)
- Ken-ken (Kensuke)
- Ken-kun (Kenta)
- Kenbou (Kenji)
- Kii-chan (Kinuyo)
- Kiku-chan (Kikuchi)
- Kimi-chan (Kimiko)
- Kin-chan (Kintaro)
- Kin-san (Kinji)
- Kitamiho (Kitamura Miho)
- Kiyo (Kiyoshi)
- Kiyo-chan (Kiyoko)
- Koba-chan (Kobayashi)
- Kobayan (Kobayashi)
- Koko (Kokona)
- Koko-chan (Kokoro)
- Kon-chan (Kondo)
- Koppe (Kohei)
- Koto-chan (Kotone)
- Kou (Kosuke)
- Kou-chan (Koji)
- Kou-kun (Kota)
- Kubotaku (Kubo Takuya)
- Kuishinbou
- Kuma
- Kuma-san (Kumagoro)
- Kumi-chan (Kumiko)
- Kumi-pyon (Kumi)
- Kuri-chan (Kurihara)
- Kuro-chan (Kuroda)
- Kurumin (Kurumi)
- Kuu-chan (Kumi)
- Kyoppe (Kyohei)
- Kyou (Kyosuke)
- Kyou-chan (Kyoko)
M: 71 names
- Maa-chan (Mami)
- Maa-kun (Masaru)
- Macchan (Masako)
- Macchi (Machiko)
- Mai-mai (Mai)
- Maki-chan (Makiko)
- Makki (Makino)
- Makkun (Masato)
- Mako (Makiko)
- Mako-chan (Makoto)
- Mame-chan
- Mana-chan (Manami)
- Manamin (Manami)
- Mari (Marika)
- Mari-chan (Mariko)
- Maririn (Marina)
- Maru-chan (Maruyama)
- Masa (Masahiro)
- Masa-kun (Masaki)
- Masa-pon (Masaya)
- Masacchi (Masaki)
- Masayan (Masayuki)
- Massan (Masaharu)
- Massu (Masui)
- Matsu-chan (Matsui)
- Matsu-kun (Matsushita)
- Matsuyan (Matsumoto)
- Mattsu (Matsuda)
- Mattsun (Matsuoka)
- Mayu (Mayuko)
- Mayu-chan (Mayumi)
- Mayu-tan (Mayu)
- Megane
- Megane-kun
- Megu-chan (Megumi)
M, continued
- Mei-chan (Meiko)
- Mei-mei (Mei)
- Meijin
- Micchan (Michiko)
- Micchi (Michiru)
- Michi (Michiko)
- Mii-chan (Miho)
- Mii-tan (Miyu)
- Mika-pyon (Mikako)
- Mikarin (Mika)
- Mikki (Mikiko)
- Mikkun (Mikio)
- Miku-nyan (Miku)
- Mina (Minami)
- Mina-chan (Minako)
- Mio-nyan (Mio)
- Misa (Misato)
- Misa-chan (Misaki)
- Mitsu (Mitsuhiro)
- Mitsuyan (Mitsuo)
- Mittsun (Mitsuki)
- Miya-chan (Miyamoto)
- Miyu-chan (Miyuki)
- Mizunao (Mizuno Naoko)
- Mocchan (Motoki)
- Mocchi (Mochizuki)
- Moe-tan (Moe)
- Mokkun (Motohiro)
- Momo (Momoka)
- Momo-chan (Momoko)
- Monoshiri Hakase
- Moricchi (Morita)
- Morimiki (Morimoto Miki)
- Mucchan (Mutsumi)
- Murashou (Murata Shohei)
- Mushi Hakase
N: 43 names
- Naa-chan (Nanako)
- Nabe-san (Watanabe)
- Nacchan (Natsumi)
- Nacchi (Natsuko)
- Naka-chan (Nakamura)
- Nakaji (Nakajima)
- Nakamasa (Nakagawa Masato)
- Nakayan (Nakayama)
- Nakki (Natsuki)
- Nakkun (Naoki)
- Nana (Nanako)
- Nana-chan (Nanami)
- Nana-tan (Nana)
- Nao (Naoto)
- Nao-chan (Naoko)
- Nao-chin (Naoya)
- Nao-kun (Naoya)
- Nao-tan (Nao)
- Narumin (Narumi)
- Natsu (Chinatsu)
- Nattsun (Natsuho)
- Nebosuke
- Nee-chan
- Nee-nee
- Nii-chan
- Nii-nii
- Nishiyan (Nishimura)
- Nishiyuki (Nishida Yukiko)
- Nobu (Nobuhiro)
- Nobu-chan (Nobuko)
- Nobu-kun (Nobuyuki)
- Nobuyan (Nobuo)
- Nocchan (Noriko)
- Nomu-san (Nomura)
- Nomuken (Nomura Kenta)
- Non-chan (Nozomi)
- Non-non (Nonoka)
- Nonbiri-ya
- Nono (Nonoka)
- Noppo
- Nori (Noriyuki)
- Nori-chan (Noriko)
- Nozomin (Nozomi)
O: 32 names
- O-Fuji
- O-Gin
- O-Hana
- O-Haru
- O-Ichi
- O-Kiku
- O-Matsu
- O-Mitsu
- O-Natsu
- O-Ren
- O-Ryou
- O-Sen
- O-Shin
- O-Sono
- O-Tae
- O-Tama
- O-Toyo
- O-Tsuru
- O-Ume
- O-Yuki
- Ogayuka (Ogawa Yukari)
- Ojou
- Okacchi (Okada)
- Okajun (Okamura Junpei)
- Okayan (Okamoto)
- Okkun (Okuda)
- Onee-chan
- Onii-chan
- Otenba
- Ouji
- Oyabun
- Oyakata
R: 22 names
- Ran-ran (Ran)
- Rei-chan (Reiko)
- Ricchan (Ritsuko)
- Rii-chan (Rina)
- Rika-nyan (Rikako)
- Rika-tan (Rika)
- Rikkun (Riku)
- Rin (Rintaro)
- Rin-chan (Rinka)
- Rin-rin (Rin)
- Rina-pi (Rina)
- Riri (Ririka)
- Risa (Risako)
- Roku-san (Rokusuke)
- Rumi-chan (Rumiko)
- Ruu-chan (Rumi)
- Ryocchi (Ryoko)
- Ryoppe (Ryohei)
- Ryou (Ryosuke)
- Ryou-chan (Ryoko)
- Ryou-kun (Ryota)
- Ryuu (Ryuichi)
S: 53 names
- Saa-chan (Saki)
- Sabu-chan (Saburo)
- Sacchan (Sachiko)
- Sacchi (Sachie)
- Sachi (Sachiko)
- Sae-chin (Sae)
- Saki-tan (Sakiko)
- Sakki (Saki)
- Sakkun (Satoshi)
- Saku-chan (Sakura)
- Saku-san (Sakuma)
- Sakuharu (Sakurai Haruka)
- Saorin (Saori)
- Sassa (Sasaki)
- Satoken (Sato Kengo)
- Satomin (Satomi)
- Saya (Sayako)
- Saya-chan (Sayaka)
- Secchan (Setsuko)
- Sei-chan (Seiji)
- Sen-chan (Sentaro)
- Sennin
- Senpai
- Sensei
- Shachou
- Shiba-chan (Shibata)
- Shige (Shigeru)
- Shige-san (Shigezo)
- Shigeyan (Shigeru)
- Shii-chan (Shiori)
- Shii-tan (Shiho)
- Shimatomo (Shimada Tomomi)
- Shin (Shinichi)
- Shin-chan (Shinji)
- Shin-kun (Shinya)
- Shin-shin (Shintaro)
- Shinbou (Shinsuke)
- Shiorin (Shiori)
- Shishou
- Shizu-chan (Shizuka)
- Shoppe (Shohei)
- Shou (Shotaro)
- Shou-chan (Shota)
- Shun (Shuntaro)
- Shun-kun (Shunsuke)
- Sou-chan (Sota)
- Sou-kun (Soma)
- Sugi-chan (Sugimoto)
- Sugihiro (Sugiyama Hiroki)
- Sugiyan (Sugiyama)
- Sumi (Sumire)
- Suu-chan (Suzuka)
- Suu-san (Suzuki)
T: 50 names
- Taa-chan (Takashi)
- Taa-kun (Takuma)
- Tacchan (Tatsuya)
- Tacchi (Tatsuki)
- Tai-chan (Taichi)
- Taichou
- Taishou
- Taka (Takayuki)
- Taka-chan (Takahashi)
- Taka-kun (Takahiro)
- Takacchi (Takashi)
- Takamari (Takano Marie)
- Take-chan (Takeuchi)
- Takebou (Takeshi)
- Takeshin (Takeuchi Shingo)
- Takeyan (Takeda)
- Takki (Takigawa)
- Takkun (Takuya)
- Taku-chan (Takumi)
- Tama-chan (Tamako)
- Tanacchi (Tanaka)
- Tatsu (Tatsuo)
- Tatsu-san (Tatsugoro)
- Tatsubou (Tatsuo)
- Tatsujin
- Tattsun (Tatsuhiko)
- Tecchan (Tetsuya)
- Tenchou
- Tensai
- Tetsu (Tetsuo)
- Tetsu-chan (Tetsuro)
- Toku-san (Tokujiro)
- Tome-san (Tomekichi)
- Tomo (Tomohiro)
- Tomo-chan (Tomoko)
- Tomo-chin (Tomoe)
- Tomo-kun (Tomoya)
- Tomo-pi (Tomoka)
- Tomo-pon (Tomonori)
- Tomocchi (Tomoko)
- Tomorin (Tomomi)
- Tomoyan (Tomoya)
- Tono
- Tora-san (Torao)
- Toshi (Toshiyuki)
- Toshi-chan (Toshiko)
- Tsucchi (Tsuchiya)
- Tsuka-chan (Tsukamoto)
- Tsukki (Tsukada)
- Tsuru-chan (Tsuruta)
U: 4 names
- Ucchan (Uchida)
- Ucchi (Uchiyama)
- Uchimasa (Uchida Masaki)
- Ume-chan (Umeda)
W: 4 names
- Wadashin (Wada Shinya)
- Waka
- Wanpaku
- Wassan (Wada)
Y: 35 names
- Yakkun (Yasuhiro)
- Yama-chan (Yamamoto)
- Yamacchi (Yamada)
- Yamaken (Yamaoka Kensuke)
- Yancha
- Yassan (Yasuda)
- Yasu (Yasuhiro)
- Yasu-chan (Yasuko)
- Yasu-san (Yasukichi)
- Yocchan (Yoshiko)
- Yocchi (Yoshie)
- Yokkun (Yoshiki)
- Yoko-chan (Yokoyama)
- Yoppe (Yohei)
- Yoshi (Yoshihiro)
- Yoshibou (Yoshio)
- Yossan (Yoshida)
- You-chan (Yoko)
- Yucchi (Yuichi)
- Yui-yui (Yui)
- Yukacchi (Yuka)
- Yukarin (Yukari)
- Yuki (Yukiko)
- Yuki-chin (Yukie)
- Yuki-nyan (Yukina)
- Yukki (Yukie)
- Yukkun (Yukito)
- Yumi-chan (Yumiko)
- Yussan (Yusuke)
- Yuttan (Yuta)
- Yuu (Yuichi)
- Yuu-chan (Yuko)
- Yuu-kun (Yuta)
- Yuu-pi (Yui)
- Yuu-tan (Yuna)