Japan’s top baby names in 2022 reflect hopes amid turbulent times

The most popular names chosen for babies born in Japan in 2022 reflect their parents’ hopes for a brighter future set against a year marked by war, spikes in virus infections, and frequent natural disasters, according to a recent ranking. 

陽葵 (often read as Himari, Hinata, Hina) for girls, 蒼 (Aoi, Sou, Ao, Sora) and 凪 (Nagi, Nagisa) for boys topped an annual ranking of baby names written in kanji characters published by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company in December.

The character 蒼 is used in terms relating to the blue of the ocean and sky and so might be said to evoke images of expansive clear blue skies and wide ocean horizons creating an impression of openness, even grandeur.  

蒼 also carries the meaning of dense vegetation, which might be said to create the impression of being tall, straight and rooted to the ground.  

Use of the character reflects a wish for people to pursue their dreams and to grow tall and healthy, according to the creators of the ranking. 

The character 凪, which ranked joint first in boys names, carries the meaning “calm” and is derived from a phrase meaning “a lull in the wind.” Its use in naming is believed to reflect the hope that a child will grow up peacefully in a calm world. 凪 is also often used in girls’ names - placing 20th in the latest ranking of baby names for girls - perhaps reflecting a trend among parents towards genderless names.   

The character 蒼 made a return to the top of the ranking of baby names for boys this year after ranking third in 2021 and first in 2020. By contrast, the popularity of 凪 surged in 2022, jumping all the way to the top after ranking only 45th the previous year.

Among names for new born girls the top-ranked 陽葵 continues to be a favorite among parents in recent years. Commonly read as “Himari,” “Hinata,” or “Hina,” the combination of characters has ranked first or second since 2019.  

The character 葵 forms a part of the word for sunflower (himawari) in Japanese - the combination of kanji characters for which can be interpreted as “a plant which faces the sun.”  

The combination with 陽, which means “the light of day,” results in a name which might be said to reflect a positive disposition and hope for a society moving forward toward a bright future, regardless the circumstances, just as we might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after the pandemic. 

Ranking second for girls names was the character 凛. Commonly read as “Rin” the character has been another consistent favorite among parents in recent years, perhaps owing to its cute sound and the dignified impression it creates, according to the ranking’s creators. 

“Names that seem to reflect the background of the times and trends are becoming popular, and children's names may be said to be a mirror of the times,” said Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company in a press release.

Along with names that reflect the times, those that have an association with nature have also proved to be popular in 2022.  

Among the top ten names for both girls and boys, along with those that carry meanings associated with the sea and sky, plants and flowers, there are others whose meanings are associated with the sun, wind and warmth. The popular theme of nature among babies’ names reflects an approach to choosing kanji characters that can have either a direct or indirect association with the theme. 

A recent push toward environmental awareness and the creation of a sustainable society may have created a growing interest in nature among new parents which in turn may have played a role in the naming of their children, according to the ranking creators. 

The ranking from Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company covered the names of 8,952 boys and 8,561 girls born in 2022, using data from the insurer's existing policy holders as of September.  

384,942 babies were born in Japan, and to Japanese expatriates, from January through June in 2022, representing a drop of five percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.  

It is the first time since 2000 for the number of newborns in Japan to be fewer than 400,000 in the first six months of the year and puts the country on course to see fewer than 800,000 births in a year for the first time since 1899 when the government began compiling the data.

Top baby names for girls born in Japan in 2022

Ranking continued:

Top baby names for boys born in Japan in 2022

Ranking continued:

1 in 5 married couples in Japan found partner through dating app, survey