Best Japanese Dog Names for Male and Female Dogs

What kind of dog do you have? An actual Japanese breed like a Shiba Inu, an Akita, or a Tosa?

Do you have a Shiba Inu that is known for hunting small game? An Akita which was bred to hunt large game? Or do you have an amazing Tosa that you’d like to give a unique name? Or do you just love anime or you yourself are Japanese and love the Japanese culture?

Maybe you want to name your dog Uki or Kenta because it’s so big! Or maybe you got the dog in Winter in which case you would name her Yuki: Snow.

Maybe you just want a good old fashion dog name like Spot, in which case the Japanese translation for that would be Pochi or Inu which means Dog.

Whatever your breed is, or passion for Japanese culture or any other reason, you can find some great Japanese dog names here!

Top 10 Japanese Dog Names

• Adzuki (red bean)
• Aki (spring)
• Akira (intelligent)
• Amaya (night rain)
• Asami (morning beauty)
• Chiyo
• Emi (blessing)
• Emiko
• Hana (flower)
• Haru (sunlight)

These are some popular names given to male and females and their meanings to the right of them.

• Hiro: This means generous.
• Kin: Gold
• Masa: Elegant
• Michi: Pathway
• Nori: The law
• Sora: The sky
• Yori: Public servant
• Yuki: Snow
• Yoshi: Nice

Listed below are the most popular male and female names. You could also choose a more masculine meaning for a boy and a more feminine meaning for a girl.

10 Popular Male Japanese Dog Names

• Goro: The fifth son
• Jiro: The second son
• Juro: The tenth son.
• Kenji: A healthy second son
• Koji: The shining second son
• Kuro: The ninth son
• Shiro: The fourth son
• Taro: The oldest son
• Toshi: Alert and intelligent son
• Yuji: A brave son

10 Popular Female Japanese Dog Names

• Bunko: Daughter who enjoys literature
• Kami: Daughter with a long life
• Kimi: A noble daughter
• Mana: Affectionate daughter
• Miko: Beautiful daughter
• Riko: A daughter like jasmine
• Yoko: Sunny daughter
• Yuko: Helpful daughter

Popular Japanese Dog Names for Seasons

• Aki: For a male or female; it means Autumn
• Kiko: A daughter of the spring
• Shiki: Four seasons

Some of my Personal Favorites are:

• Katsu: Victory
• Kenta: big and strong.
• Kuro: Black
• Shiro: White
• Uki: Big
• Kuma: Bear
• Tora: Tiger
• Kimi (noble)
• Koko
• Megumi (blessing)
• Miyu (gentle)
• Pochi (a classic dog name like “Spot”)
• Sushi
• Tadao (loyal)
• Toshiko (clever)
• Wasabi
• Yoshi
• Yumi (beautiful)

Helpful tips for choosing a Japanese dog name

When coming up with names for your dog, you could ask yourself some of these questions to help decide your pet’s name.

What size is the dog?

Some of these Japanese Dog Names might work to describe the size of your pet:

• Uki: Big
• Kuma: Bear
• Tora: Tiger
• Kenta: big and strong

What is your dog’s personality?

Is she loyal or clever or gentle? Is he noble?

Listed below are great suggestions for pups with personality.

• Tadao (loyal)
• Toshiko (clever)
• Miyu (gentle)
• Kimi (noble)

What color is your dog?

If your dog is a reddish color you could name it Adzuki (red bean).

For a white dog, it could be named Yuki: Snow or Shiro: White.

And if it is a black dog, you could call it Kuro: Black.

If you love Disney and your puppy is white, why not name her Shiro Yuki? (Snow White)

What are some of your passions?

If you enjoy reading you could name your dog Bunko: Daughter who enjoys literature.

If you like to eat, you could name your pet Wasabi or Sushi.

Maybe your favorite sport is snowboarding or skiing. If so, Yuki: Snow would be a fitting name.

Is there some special reason you got the dog?

Maybe you got your dog after the passing of a loved one or the birth of a new baby in which case, you could name it Emi (blessing) or Haru (sunlight).

These are all great things to think about when you’re naming your dog.

And last but not least One of the purest words in the Japanese language, Ren means “love”. I know your love for your pet will help you pick the best name for you and her.

So many fun things to consider when naming a pet! Whatever name you choose, make sure you love it and, especially, your dog loves it! You’ll want something easy to remember and meaningful to you.

Best of luck in naming your new best friend!