Have you ever had this thought when you exchange business cards with a Japanese person or hear them introduce themselves? “That’s an unusual last name,” or “I wonder what that means?”, and so on. In Japan, there are many unusual last names that make you wonder about their meanings. If you count the number of last names with different kanji and readings, it is said that there are nearly 300,000 different last names in Japan. The origins of these last names also vary, with some originating from the occupations of their ancestors and others from the land we lived in. Although not many people are aware of it, a last name can be said to represent a person’s roots. In this article, I will introduce the origins of Japanese last names, common last names among Japanese people, and their meanings.
It is said that last names were created in Japan as far back as the Heian period. At that time, only the ruling class could have last names, and only a few people used them.
Later, in the period of warriors, and then in the Edo period (1603-1868), the common people started to have their own last names, and it became widely used. However, until the Meiji era (1868-1912), people outside the ruling class were not allowed to use their last names on official occasions. Then, in the Meiji era, by order of the government, last names that had previously been available only to the ruling class became officially available to all citizens, including the common people. It was at this time that the number of last names in Japan increased drastically. The number of last names known in the Edo period was about 10,000, but now it is said to be more than 100,000.
Although people were free to choose their own last names, it is said that in most cases, last names were given to people who were related to them in some way. The most common last names were came from place names, accounting for 80% of the total, and the following are said to be common. (The following are examples of last names in parentheses.)
・from place names (Watanabe, Yokoyama, Sasaki)
・from landscape or scenery (Yamaguchi, Kotani, Nakajima)
・from direction (Kita, Higashi, uemura)
・from occupation (Hattori, Kagaya, Kaji)
・from the Fujiwara family of Heian nobility (Sato, Ito, Endo)
Do you know the most common last names in Japan? The following are the Japanese last names that are said to be the most common. There are many theories about the origin of last names, but here are some of the meanings of common last names.
How did you like it? There are many kinds of last names, and each one of them has been named after a different origin such as the occupation of an ancestor, the land they lived in, or the direction they lived. Some last names can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185), showing that our ancestors have continued their lives from the old days to the present. It can be also said that last names represent a person’s roots. The apps introduced here can help you learn about the origin and history of the last names, so it’s a good idea to use them. It’s kind of exciting to think about what kind of life the ancestors lived in that place at that time. If you see an unusual last name when you introduce yourself to a Japanese person, it might be interesting to ask about its origin.
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Origin of the last name
It is said that last names were created in Japan as far back as the Heian period. At that time, only the ruling class could have last names, and only a few people used them.
Later, in the period of warriors, and then in the Edo period (1603-1868), the common people started to have their own last names, and it became widely used. However, until the Meiji era (1868-1912), people outside the ruling class were not allowed to use their last names on official occasions. Then, in the Meiji era, by order of the government, last names that had previously been available only to the ruling class became officially available to all citizens, including the common people. It was at this time that the number of last names in Japan increased drastically. The number of last names known in the Edo period was about 10,000, but now it is said to be more than 100,000.
Although people were free to choose their own last names, it is said that in most cases, last names were given to people who were related to them in some way. The most common last names were came from place names, accounting for 80% of the total, and the following are said to be common. (The following are examples of last names in parentheses.)
・from place names (Watanabe, Yokoyama, Sasaki)
・from landscape or scenery (Yamaguchi, Kotani, Nakajima)
・from direction (Kita, Higashi, uemura)
・from occupation (Hattori, Kagaya, Kaji)
・from the Fujiwara family of Heian nobility (Sato, Ito, Endo)
Top 10 most common last name in Japan
Do you know the most common last names in Japan? The following are the Japanese last names that are said to be the most common. There are many theories about the origin of last names, but here are some of the meanings of common last names.
1. 佐藤【sa-tou】
“Sato” is the most common last name in Japan, with about two million Japanese having this name. The first syllable “sa” means “help”. The second syllable “To” means “Fuji (plant)”. “To” means “Fuji (plant)” and is said to be connected to the Fujiwara family, who held political power in the Heian period (794-1185).2. 鈴木【suzu-ki】
The name “Suzuki” may remind many people of Ichiro (the famous Japanese player who played in Major League Baseball). The first syllable “Suzu” means “bell”. The second syllable, “ki” means “tree”. It is said that the name “suzuki” comes from a stick called “susuki” used by farmers to pray for a good rice harvest.3. 高橋【taka-hashi】
“Taka,” the first syllable, means “high,” and “Hashi,” the second syllable, means “bridge”. Together, the two mean “bridge” over a river. In the old days, bridges were very rare. There is a theory that “Takahashi” comes from the word for “high pillar” connecting heaven and earth.4. 田中【ta-naka】
The first syllable “Ta” means “rice field”. The second syllable “naka” means “middle”. Together, they mean “in the middle of the rice field. In the old days in Japan, the head of the village used to have his house in the middle of the rice field. In those days, it was a symbol of wealth and affluence.5. 伊藤【i-tou】
The first syllable “I” means “this” or “that”. The second syllable “To” means “plant wisteria” and is connected to the Fujiwara family. It is said that the origin of the name “Ito” is that the descendants of the Fujiwara family started taking the name “Ito”.6. 渡辺【wata-nabe】
The first syllable “Wata” means “to cross”. The second syllable “be” means “area”. The name “Watanabe” comes from a prince of the 52nd Emperor Saga who was given the last name “Minamoto”, and became a commoner from the imperial family.7. 山本【yama-moto】
The first syllable “Yama” means “mountain”. The second syllable “Moto” means “base” or “source”. Together, the two mean “center of the mountain” or ” base of the mountain. In the old days, people who called themselves “Yamamoto” were said to be messengers of the mountain gods.8. 中村【naka-mura】
The first syllable “Naka” means “middle” or “center”. The second syllable “Mura” means “village”. Together, the two mean “center of the village”. “Nakamura” has to do with rice cultivation. It is said that many people lived in the village for rice cultivation.9. 小林【ko-bayashi】
The first syllable “Ko” means “small”. The second syllable “Bayashi” means “Woods. Together, the two mean “small woods”(Kobayashi). In the old days, villages were surrounded by windbreak woods, and it is said that this is where the name comes from.10. 加藤【ka-tou】
“The first syllable “Ka” means “to add”.The second syllable “To” comes from “Fujiwara family”. It is said that the first people to take the name “Kato” were the descendants of Fujiwara who migrated to Kaga (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture). It is said that there were too many descendants and blood relatives of the Fujiwara family who took the name of Fujiwara, so they created a new name with “To(fuji)”.Tool to find out the origin of your last name
There are so many last names in Japan that it is impossible to list the origin of all of them here. If you are interested in knowing the origin of Japanese last names, this service is also recommended.Last name origin net(myoji yurai net)
Last name origin net is an application used by more than 50 million users operated by Lixta Co. The app is the only organization in Japan that specializes in last name research, and its research is based on the latest statistical data released by the Japanese government and nationwide telephone directory data, which has 99.04% of all the last names in Japan, making it a kind of “encyclopedia of Japanese last names. It’s very easy to use. All you have to do is enter the last name you are interested in in the search form and click the search button, and it will instantly show you the national ranking, the number of people in Japan, and the explanation of the origin of the last name. The results are based on data that is steadily researched, surveyed, analyzed, and collected every day from all over Japan, including Japanese records, last names, family lines, names, family crests, shrines, and temples, so you can get highly accurate and detailed results. [blogcard url=”https://myoji-yurai.net/”] ※Jump to another siteLast name represents roots
How did you like it? There are many kinds of last names, and each one of them has been named after a different origin such as the occupation of an ancestor, the land they lived in, or the direction they lived. Some last names can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185), showing that our ancestors have continued their lives from the old days to the present. It can be also said that last names represent a person’s roots. The apps introduced here can help you learn about the origin and history of the last names, so it’s a good idea to use them. It’s kind of exciting to think about what kind of life the ancestors lived in that place at that time. If you see an unusual last name when you introduce yourself to a Japanese person, it might be interesting to ask about its origin. 
