Ronin Name Generator
Masterless samurai names from Edo-period Japan
Generate ronin names for wandering, masterless samurai: authentic Japanese surname-first names built from Edo-period clan names and everyday warrior names like Jubei, Shinzaemon and Kuranosuke, plus the historical ronin of the Ako vendetta and the Bakumatsu.
About ronin names
A ronin was a samurai without a lord, and his name carried no hint of that status: he kept the surname of his house and the given name he had received as a retainer, so a ronin name is simply an Edo-period samurai name worn by a man with no stipend. Family name comes first, and the given name is usually the everyday tsusho rather than the formal two-kanji nanori. That is why the Ako vendetta roll reads Horibe Yasubei, Kataoka Gengoemon and Otaka Gengo: names ending in -emon, -bei, -suke, -zaemon, -nojo and -dayu were what comrades actually called each other.
Those endings are the sound of the period. The numeral names (Jubei, Sanjuro, Shichiroji, Hachiro) mark birth order, -nosuke and -zaemon echo old court office titles, and a single pseudo-title such as Mondo, Tatewaki, Hyogo or Shuzen was a mark of rank that many ronin stubbornly kept. Wandering swordsmen also took art names like Bokuden or Ittosai, and fiction added cryptic aliases: Sanjuro, thirty years old, or Ogami Itto, the Lone Wolf.
The list below mixes the forty-seven Ako ronin, Bakumatsu roshi such as Sakamoto Ryoma and the Shinsengumi, famous wanderers like Miyamoto Musashi, film and anime ronin, and several hundred original names built from genuine minor-house surnames and period given names.
How to choose ronin names
- Give a ronin an everyday name with a period ending (Jubei, Gengoemon, Sanjuro, Kihei, Shinzaemon) rather than a modern-sounding one like Takeshi or Hiroshi, which read as twentieth century.
- Keep surname first in narration (Oishi Kuranosuke, not Kuranosuke Oishi) and let friends use the given name alone; a ronin hiding his past might drop the surname entirely and go by a single alias like Sanjuro.
- Borrow the surname of a small or dissolved domain (Ako, Amago, Ukita, Otomo) to hint at how the character lost his lord without saying so outright.
- For Bakumatsu stories (1850s-60s) use roshi-style names like Kiyokawa Hachiro or Nagakura Shinpachi; for the 1600s-1700s, the -emon and -dayu endings of the Ako roll feel more at home.
- A ronin who has taken an art name (Ittosai, Bokuden, Muso) should still have a plain civil name underneath; reveal it at a meaningful moment.
Frequently asked questions
What does ronin mean and how do ronin names differ from samurai names?
Ronin literally means 'wave man', a samurai who had lost his lord through death, dismissal or the confiscation of his clan's domain. Names did not change: a ronin kept his family name and given name, so the list reads like any Edo-period samurai roll. The difference is tone, with more everyday names (Yasubei, Gengo, Kihei) and fewer grand two-kanji formal names, because these were men living outside the official registers.
Who were the most famous ronin?
The forty-seven Ako ronin led by Oishi Kuranosuke, who avenged their lord in 1703, are the best known; their names (Horibe Yasubei, Kataoka Gengoemon, Hara Soemon) anchor this list. Miyamoto Musashi spent most of his life masterless, Yui Shosetsu led a ronin plot in 1651, and in the 1860s roshi such as Sakamoto Ryoma and the early Shinsengumi were technically ronin. Fiction adds Kuwabatake Sanjuro, Ogami Itto, Tange Sazen and Himura Kenshin.
Are there female ronin names?
Historically the term applied to men, because only men held stipends, but a samurai-class woman who had lost her household appears in fiction as a wandering swordswoman (Lady Snowblood's Kashima Yuki is the famous example). For such a character use a surname from this list with a short period given name such as Yuki, Sayo, Tomoe, Shino, Chiyo or Saki, written surname first.
How do I make an original ronin name that sounds right?
Pair a genuine minor surname (Nagao, Katagiri, Hazama, Kuki, Tsuge) with an everyday given name built from a period ending: numeral names like Sanjuro or Hachiro, office-style names like Shinnosuke or Jurozaemon, or a single pseudo-title like Tatewaki or Mondo. Avoid combining two famous names, and avoid modern given names ending in -ki, -ya or -to.
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All 500 ronin names
A: 21 names
- Akabane Genzo
- Akamatsu Chuhachi
- Akamatsu Norihide
- Akiyama Kunai
- Akizuki Nobutsura
- Akizuki Tatewaki
- Amano Shinjuro
- Amano Tadamasa
- Anayama Genpachi
- Anayama Nobutada
- Aoyama Gunbei
- Arai Heima
- Araki Mataemon
- Arakida Shinpachiro
- Arima Hyogo
- Arima Yoshitaka
- Asahina Hidenori
- Asahina Kotaro
- Asakura Heizo
- Atobe Katsusuke
- Atobe Seibei
B: 2 names
- Baba Masakage
- Baba Sukezaemon
C: 4 names
- Chiba Ihachiro
- Chiba Tsunanori
- Chijiiwa Motome
- Chikamatsu Kanroku
D: 2 names
- Doi Kagehisa
- Doi Mondo
E: 4 names
- Ebina Zenkichi
- Endo Munetaka
- Endo Tokuemon
- Enomoto Gendayu
F: 9 names
- Fujikawa Terumasa
- Fujikawa Yaichiro
- Fujino Hanzaburo
- Fukazawa Shume
- Funaki Sogoro
- Furuta Katsuhisa
- Furuta Naizen
- Fuse Shinzo
- Fuwa Kazuemon
G: 3 names
- Gamo Kazusa
- Goto Genba
- Goto Yasunaga
H: 44 names
- Hachisuka Sozo
- Hagi Sakubei
- Hagiwara Kurobei
- Hagiwara Naomasa
- Hamada Tsunehachi
- Hanada Sentaro
- Hanaoka Sadatomo
- Hanaoka Sonosuke
- Hanawa Yahachi
- Hara Soemon
- Harada Sanosuke
- Hasegawa Heizo
- Hasegawa Yoshinobu
- Hattori Akinari
- Hattori Kumazo
- Hayami Tozaemon
- Hayashida Heihachi
- Hazama Jujiro
- Hazama Kihei
- Hazama Shinrokuro
- Higuchi Toramatsu
- Hijikata Toshizo
- Hikita Manjiro
- Hikita Tsunetoyo
- Himura Kenshin
- Hino Gentaro
- Hino Yoshikage
- Hirano Narimasa
- Hirano Tatsunosuke
- Hirata Wasuke
- Hirata Yasuzane
- Hirose Kichinosuke
- Honjo Bunkichi
- Honjo Shigenaga
- Horibe Yahei
- Horibe Yasubei
- Horiuchi Tokuzo
- Hoshi Zusho
- Hoshino Sadakage
- Hoshino Shosuke
- Hosoi Kinzo
- Hosoi Tadanao
- Hotta Masatsuna
- Hotta Shigeemon
I: 34 names
- Ibaraki Shogen
- Ibuki Heikuro
- Ibuki Tsunakatsu
- Ichijo Kanjiro
- Ichimura Kageyoshi
- Ichimura Tokubei
- Igarashi Tetsunosuke
- Igarashi Tomotsuna
- Iida Moritada
- Iida Sanemon
- Ikeda Eitaro
- Ikeda Harunobu
- Imai Gonzaburo
- Inaba Magobei
- Inaba Morishige
- Inoue Nobukatsu
- Inoue Yozaemon
- Inukai Jinzaemon
- Inukai Tsunayoshi
- Irie Shichirobei
- Ishida Juemon
- Ishida Tadatsugu
- Ishikawa Tonomo
- Ishizaka Gonpachi
- Isogai Jurozaemon
- Isshiki Sakuzaemon
- Itagaki Shuzen
- Itagaki Yukinaga
- Ito Ittosai
- Ito Kashitaro
- Iwasa Shuri
- Iwashiro Jinnosuke
- Izumi Kagemoto
- Izumi Ukyo
K: 77 names
- Kagawa Sakyo
- Kageyama Tojuro
- Kaiga Yazaemon
- Kajiwara Kageyu
- Kajiwara Tametomo
- Kakizaki Hisakage
- Kakizaki Ryozo
- Kamei Mokuemon
- Kamiya Iori
- Kamiya Sukemune
- Kanbayashi Gohei
- Kanbayashi Hidetsugu
- Kaneko Kozuke
- Kanzaki Yogoro
- Kasahara Genshiro
- Kasahara Tomonaga
- Katagiri Izumo
- Katagiri Yoriyasu
- Kataoka Gengoemon
- Katayama Gorobei
- Katsura Shimosa
- Katsuta Shinzaemon
- Kawabe Yoshiro
- Kawai Hanzo
- Kawai Kanetsugu
- Kawakami Gensai
- Kawakubo Shohachi
- Kawakubo Yoshihisa
- Kayano Sanpei
- Kido Denzo
- Kido Masatoyo
- Kikuchi Gonbei
- Kikuchi Nagachika
- Kikuchiyo
- Kimoto Shinnosuke
- Kimura Okaemon
- Kinoshita Rokuro
- Kinoshita Shigetsugu
K, continued
- Kinugasa Daizen
- Kirihara Kumanosuke
- Kirihara Nobuyasu
- Kishi Shichibei
- Kitabatake Hachirota
- Kitagawa Chozaemon
- Kitagawa Naotsuna
- Kiyama Tosuke
- Kiyokawa Hachiro
- Koga Heita
- Koga Michinaga
- Kojima Daizaburo
- Kojima Masaharu
- Komatsu Hirotada
- Komatsu Magoroku
- Kondo Isami
- Konishi Matabei
- Kosaka Ihei
- Kosaka Norimasa
- Kubo Kanjuro
- Kuki Kakubei
- Kuki Yoshitaka
- Kumagai Shingo
- Kumagai Tokitada
- Kurahashi Densuke
- Kurata Sekiemon
- Kuroki Kojuro
- Kuroki Masazane
- Kurosawa Sueharu
- Kurosawa Tarozaemon
- Kuroyanagi Sozaemon
- Kusaka Unosuke
- Kusaka Yoshizane
- Kuwabara Sadamasa
- Kuwabara Sanai
- Kuwabatake Sanjuro
- Kuze Ichinoshin
- Kuze Sadamune
- Kyuzo
M: 43 names
- Machida Harutaka
- Machida Ukyonosuke
- Maebara Isuke
- Makino Sanshiro
- Makino Takahide
- Marubashi Chuya
- Mase Kyudayu
- Mase Magokuro
- Mashiko Gosuke
- Matsuda Tadahiro
- Matsuda Tadanoshin
- Matsunaga Kinnosuke
- Matsuo Shogoro
- Matsuo Tadayuki
- Mibu Tadazane
- Mibu Tanomo
- Mikami Nagayasu
- Mikami Tasuke
- Mikumo Uneme
- Mimura Jirozaemon
- Minagawa Daigaku
- Mitsui Bunzo
- Miura Genzaburo
- Miura Sanetomo
- Miyake Kazuma
- Miyamoto Musashi
- Mizoguchi Dennojo
- Mizoguchi Kagetomo
- Mizuno Kagenori
- Mizuno Yoshinosuke
- Mochizuki Shinnojo
- Mogami Sakichi
- Momoi Shinsaburo
- Momoi Yasukage
- Morioka Tomonoshin
- Moriya Jingoro
- Murai Heihachiro
- Murai Sadayoshi
- Muramatsu Kihei
- Muramatsu Sandayu
- Muso Gonnosuke
- Muto Monnojo
- Muto Yukikage
N: 31 names
- Nagakura Shinpachi
- Nagao Ichiemon
- Nagao Masanobu
- Nagatsuka Yoichibei
- Naito Gorobei
- Naito Tadaoki
- Nakagawa Hisamasa
- Nakagawa Jubei
- Nakahara Hidezane
- Nakahara Kichizaemon
- Nakai Tomoemon
- Nakamura Kansuke
- Nakane Samon
- Nakanishi Gengoro
- Nakaoka Shintaro
- Nakatsuka Yataro
- Nakazawa Hanjuro
- Nanbu Shinzaemon
- Narita Hanbei
- Narita Yasumoto
- Nasu Yohei
- Negishi Sakon
- Nemuri Kyoshiro
- Nishina Kurando
- Nishina Morinobu
- Niwa Kuranosuke
- Niwa Shigeyuki
- Noguchi Katsunori
- Noguchi Kuhei
- Nomura Seijuro
- Nomura Tomoyasu
O: 47 names
- Oba Katsutoyo
- Oba Tsunenosuke
- Obata Rokurota
- Obata Sanekage
- Ochiai Kojiro
- Ochiai Mitsuhisa
- Ogami Itto
- Ogasawara Mataemon
- Ogawa Noritsuna
- Ogawa Ryunosuke
- Ogura Ichibei
- Ogura Tomohide
- Ohara Shinpachi
- Ohara Yoshiharu
- Oishi Chikara
- Oishi Kuranosuke
- Oishi Sezaemon
- Okabe Kyuzo
- Okada Izo
- Okajima Yasoemon
- Okamoto Katsushiro
- Okano Kinemon
- Okita Soji
- Okochi Moriyasu
- Okochi Rihei
- Okubo Jurozaemon
- Okuda Magodayu
- Okuda Sadaemon
- Okuma Shinpei
- Okuma Yasunobu
- Omura Denshichiro
- Omura Tsunemoto
- Onizuka Hidekage
- Onizuka Sahyoe
- Onodera Junai
- Onodera Koemon
- Onuma Kanbei
- Osaki Chikara
- Osaki Haruhisa
- Ota Gengoemon
- Ota Katsumasa
- Otaka Gengo
- Otani Mimbu
- Otomo Yasubei
- Ozaki Gonroku
- Ozaki Tsunamasa
- Ozawa Chojuro
R: 2 names
- Rokkaku Heihachiro
- Rokkaku Sadatsugu
S: 64 names
- Saeki Sanjuro
- Saeki Yukihide
- Saga Tomozo
- Sagara Ukon
- Sagara Yoshiyori
- Saigo Kihei
- Saionji Tomokichi
- Saito Hajime
- Sakai Sahei
- Sakakibara Jinbei
- Sakamoto Ryoma
- Sakata Heiji
- Sakata Kiyotada
- Sakuma Tatewaki
- Sakurai Hyobu
- Sanada Juzo
- Sasa Narihide
- Sasa Sannojo
- Sasaki Kojiro
- Satake Kagetsugu
- Satake Mondo
- Sato Gunbei
- Sawada Hyogo
- Sawada Yoshitomo
- Sawai Kurazo
- Sawai Noriyasu
- Segawa Shuzen
- Segawa Tadakage
- Seki Ukyo
- Sekiguchi Kanemon
- Senba Saburobei
- Serizawa Kamo
S, continued
- Shiba Kageyu
- Shiba Nobuzane
- Shibuya Tokujiro
- Shibuya Yoshitsuna
- Shichiroji
- Shiga Iori
- Shimada Kai
- Shimada Kanbei
- Shinjo Genba
- Shinohara Daihachi
- Shinohara Sadahisa
- Shinozaki Gorozaemon
- Shinozaki Tomomasa
- Shirai Naizen
- Shirai Tsunehide
- Shiraishi Kyubei
- Shishido Baiken
- Soma Hideyasu
- Soma Tonomo
- Sonoda Matashiro
- Sonoda Sanehisa
- Sugai Kanemasa
- Sugai Kinshiro
- Suganuma Senzo
- Sugawara Kotaro
- Sugawara Masahisa
- Sugaya Hannojo
- Sugino Juheiji
- Sugiura Heizo
- Sumida Hisayoshi
- Sumida Jinpachi
- Suzuki Sogoro
T: 52 names
- Tachibana Shume
- Takagi Kiyonaga
- Takagi Kurobei
- Takamura Gyobu
- Takano Ihachi
- Takashima Hachibei
- Takashima Tomokage
- Takasugi Shinsaku
- Takayanagi Denpachi
- Takebayashi Tadashichi
- Takeda Moritsuna
- Takeda Yahachi
- Takei Shuhei
- Takenaka Zenkichi
- Tamaki Kyunosuke
- Tamaki Naomori
- Tamura Tokuemon
- Tamura Yoshimune
- Tanabe Toramatsu
- Tanaka Shinbei
- Tange Sazen
- Tani Kumazo
- Tani Tadamoto
- Tanuma Kinpachi
- Terada Sadanori
- Terada Shosuke
- Terasaka Kichiemon
- Toda Kagekatsu
- Toda Tetsunosuke
- Todo Heisuke
- Togashi Eitaro
- Tokita Magobei
- Tokoro Moriyuki
- Tokoro Yasuke
- Tominomori Sukeemon
- Tomita Yozaemon
- Tomita Yukimori
- Toyama Juemon
- Tsubaki Sanjuro
- Tsuchiya Harukage
- Tsuchiya Kanjiro
- Tsuda Munenaga
- Tsuda Tsunehachi
- Tsuge Kinjuro
- Tsuge Masakatsu
- Tsugumo Hanshiro
- Tsukahara Bokuden
- Tsukue Ryunosuke
- Tsunoda Shinkuro
- Tsurumi Kyuroku
- Tsurumi Yoshitsugu
- Tsutsui Yaichiro
U: 16 names
- Uchida Shichirobei
- Uchida Tomokatsu
- Ueda Sukezaemon
- Ueda Yasutoki
- Ujiie Harumoto
- Ujiie Sadayu
- Ukai Danjo
- Ukita Ihachiro
- Umeda Tomoshichi
- Umemura Hikozo
- Umemura Tadakiyo
- Umezawa Kichinosuke
- Uno Gisuke
- Uno Kagezane
- Usami Gonzaburo
- Ushioda Masanojo
W: 4 names
- Wada Narikage
- Wada Tatsunosuke
- Wakabayashi Hikozaemon
- Wakisaka Kazusa
Y: 38 names
- Yabe Mitsutada
- Yabe Shimosa
- Yabuki Haruyasu
- Yabuki Hikoshiro
- Yada Goroemon
- Yagi Kozuke
- Yagyu Jubei
- Yamada Izumo
- Yamagata Hanzo
- Yamagata Kiyomasa
- Yamaguchi Denzo
- Yamamoto Gonbei
- Yamamoto Sadahide
- Yamana Rokuro
- Yamanami Keisuke
- Yamanouchi Katsunosuke
- Yamanouchi Sueyoshi
- Yamaoka Magosaburo
- Yanagisawa Shichibei
- Yasuda Hachirota
- Yasuda Tadayori
- Yato Emoshichi
- Yokokawa Kanpei
- Yokoyama Hisanaga
- Yokoyama Tosuke
- Yonekura Heita
- Yoshida Chuzaemon
- Yoshida Sawaemon
- Yoshikawa Yasohachi
- Yoshimi Kanzaemon
- Yoshimura Magoroku
- Yoshimura Noriyuki
- Yoshioka Denshichiro
- Yoshioka Seijuro
- Yuasa Matabei
- Yui Shosetsu
- Yuki Kanzo
- Yuki Yoshitada