Anime Girl Names
Anime heroines come in every flavor: the soft-spoken magical girl, the soldier who never misses, the thousand-year-old elf mage. Their names are part of the characterization. Madoka is written with the kanji for “circle,” hinting at wholeness; Homura means “flame”; Tohru Honda’s given name means “transparent,” fitting a girl who hides nothing.
Here are 95 anime girl names grouped into six styles, from the characters fans cosplay most to real Japanese names you could give a baby today. Where a name is Japanese, we list the meaning of the kanji the character uses (other spellings can change it). For the male side, see anime boy names; for real-world options, browse Japanese girl names or head back to the anime names hub.
Iconic anime girl names
The heroines below headline some of the best-selling anime and manga of all time.
| Name | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Mikasa | Mikasa Ackerman | Attack on Titan |
| Nezuko | Nezuko Kamado | Demon Slayer |
| Usagi | Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon) | Sailor Moon |
| Asuka | Asuka Langley Soryu | Neon Genesis Evangelion |
| Rei | Rei Ayanami | Neon Genesis Evangelion |
| Sakura | Sakura Haruno | Naruto |
| Hinata | Hinata Hyuga | Naruto |
| Nami | Nami, navigator of the Straw Hats | One Piece |
| Robin | Nico Robin, the archaeologist | One Piece |
| Anya | Anya Forger | Spy x Family |
| Yor | Yor Forger, the assassin “Thorn Princess” | Spy x Family |
| Frieren | Frieren the elf mage | Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End |
| Makima | Makima | Chainsaw Man |
| Power | Power, the Blood Fiend | Chainsaw Man |
| Violet | Violet Evergarden | Violet Evergarden |
| Holo | Holo the Wisewolf | Spice and Wolf |
| Rem | Rem | Re:Zero |
| Erza | Erza Scarlet, “Titania” | Fairy Tail |
| Ochaco | Ochaco Uraraka | My Hero Academia |
| Shinobu | Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira | Demon Slayer |
Real Japanese girl names from anime
Every name in this group is a genuine Japanese given name, so it works as well on a birth certificate as on a character sheet.
| Name | Meaning | Anime connection |
|---|---|---|
| Hana | “Flower” | Hana, the mother in Wolf Children |
| Yui | “Bind, tie” | Yui Hirasawa, K-On! |
| Mio | “Waterway, channel” | Mio Akiyama, K-On! |
| Akane | “Deep red, madder” | Akane Tendo, Ranma ½ |
| Kaori | “Fragrance” | Kaori Miyazono, Your Lie in April |
| Mitsuri | “Honey” + “lapis lazuli” | Mitsuri Kanroji, Demon Slayer |
| Nanami | “Seven seas” | Nanami Momozono, Kamisama Kiss |
| Tsubaki | “Camellia” | Tsubaki, Soul Eater |
| Kokoro | “Heart, spirit” | A common name in modern anime |
| Chiyo | “A thousand generations” | Chiyo Mihama, Azumanga Daioh |
| Misaki | “Beautiful blossom” | Misaki Ayuzawa, Maid Sama! |
| Aiko | “Love” + “child” | A classic, gentle choice |
| Tohru | “Transparent, clear” | Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket |
| Mai | “Dance” | Mai Sakurajima, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai |
| Taiga | “Great river” | Taiga Aisaka, Toradora! |
| Homura | “Flame” | Homura Akemi, Puella Magi Madoka Magica |
| Madoka | “Circle, round, tranquil” | Madoka Kaname, Madoka Magica |
| Himari | “Sunflower” | One of Japan’s most popular girl names |
| Kaede | “Maple” | Kaede Kayano, Assassination Classroom |
| Sumire | “Violet (flower)” | Sumire Hanazono, Kiratto Pri☆Chan |
Magical girl anime names
The mahou shoujo genre gave the world some of anime’s most beloved girls. Fans of sparkle should also try our fairy names and unicorn names.
| Name | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Ami | Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury) | Sailor Moon |
| Makoto | Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter) | Sailor Moon |
| Minako | Minako Aino (Sailor Venus) | Sailor Moon |
| Chibiusa | Chibiusa (Sailor Chibi Moon) | Sailor Moon |
| Hotaru | Hotaru Tomoe (Sailor Saturn); “firefly” | Sailor Moon |
| Setsuna | Setsuna Meioh (Sailor Pluto) | Sailor Moon |
| Michiru | Michiru Kaioh (Sailor Neptune) | Sailor Moon |
| Haruka | Haruka Tenoh (Sailor Uranus) | Sailor Moon |
| Tomoyo | Tomoyo Daidouji | Cardcaptor Sakura |
| Mami | Mami Tomoe | Puella Magi Madoka Magica |
| Sayaka | Sayaka Miki | Puella Magi Madoka Magica |
| Kyoko | Kyoko Sakura | Puella Magi Madoka Magica |
| Nanoha | Nanoha Takamachi | Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha |
| Doremi | Doremi Harukaze | Ojamajo Doremi |
| Utena | Utena Tenjou | Revolutionary Girl Utena |
Studio Ghibli girl names
Ghibli heroines are brave, curious and grounded, and their names reflect it.
| Name | Meaning / note | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Chihiro | “A thousand fathoms” | Spirited Away |
| Satsuki | Old name for May | My Neighbor Totoro |
| Mei | Japanese form of “May” | My Neighbor Totoro |
| Kiki | The teenage witch and delivery girl | Kiki’s Delivery Service |
| Sophie | Greek, “wisdom” | Howl’s Moving Castle |
| Ponyo | Onomatopoeia for “soft, squishy” | Ponyo |
| Nausicaä | From the princess in Homer’s Odyssey | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind |
| San | The wolf girl | Princess Mononoke |
| Sheeta | Heir to the floating castle | Castle in the Sky |
| Arrietty | The tiny Borrower girl | The Secret World of Arrietty |
| Shizuku | “Droplet” | Whisper of the Heart |
| Fio | Fio Piccolo, the young aircraft engineer | Porco Rosso |
| Umi | “Sea” | From Up on Poppy Hill |
Cute kawaii anime girl names
Many of these come from fruit and flower words, just like popular cute girl names in English.
| Name | Meaning | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Momo | “Peach” | Sweet and bubbly |
| Koharu | “Little spring”; also Indian summer | Warm and gentle |
| Ichika | “One flower” or “strawberry flower” | Fresh and girly |
| Miku | “Beautiful sky” | Hatsune Miku’s pop-star energy |
| Hina | “Sunlight” or “chick” | Tiny and bright |
| Chika | “A thousand flowers” | Chika Fujiwara’s chaotic cheer |
| Suzu | “Bell” | Light and musical |
| Ringo | “Apple” | Quirky and cute |
| Yuzu | “Yuzu citrus” | Zesty and fun |
| Anzu | “Apricot” | Soft and sunny |
| Kurumi | “Walnut” | Playful |
| Nene | Repeated “sound/tone,” a classic pet-name form | Bouncy |
Fierce and badass anime girl names
Swordswomen, sharpshooters and soldiers. For more names with bite, see our badass girl names.
| Name | Character | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Revy | Revy “Two Hands” | Black Lagoon |
| Motoko | Major Motoko Kusanagi | Ghost in the Shell |
| Esdeath | Esdeath, the ice general | Akame ga Kill! |
| Akame | Akame, the assassin with the cursed blade | Akame ga Kill! |
| Maki | Maki Zen’in | Jujutsu Kaisen |
| Yoruichi | Yoruichi Shihoin, “Flash Goddess” | Bleach |
| Kallen | Kallen Stadtfeld | Code Geass |
| Lucy | Lucy, the netrunner | Cyberpunk: Edgerunners |
| Ryuko | Ryuko Matoi | Kill la Kill |
| Faye | Faye Valentine | Cowboy Bebop |
| Mikoto | Mikoto Misaka, “the Railgun” | A Certain Scientific Railgun |
| Tatsumaki | Tatsumaki, the “Tornado of Terror” | One-Punch Man |
| Casca | Casca of the Band of the Hawk | Berserk |
| Riza | Riza Hawkeye | Fullmetal Alchemist |
| Olivier | Olivier Mira Armstrong | Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood |
How to choose an anime girl name
- Know the kanji behind the sound. “Yui” can mean “bind,” “gentle” or “superior” depending on the characters, so pick the one that matches your character.
- Let the name echo her power. A fire user named Homura or an ice queen named Esdeath feels intentional.
- Try a nickname form. Japanese fans add -chan to cute names (Momo-chan) and drop it for tough ones.
- Use nature words for a gentle heroine. Flowers and seasons (Sumire, Tsubaki, Koharu) are classic in anime and Japanese naming alike. See our names that mean flower.
- For a baby, choose names that are easy abroad. Hana, Mei, Yui, Mio and Emi are short and simple to spell in English.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular anime girl name?
Among fans, Mikasa, Nezuko, Sakura, Hinata and Rem are some of the most searched and cosplayed anime girl names. Newer favorites include Anya, Yor, Frieren and Makima.
What are cute anime girl names?
Momo (peach), Hina (sunlight), Suzu (bell), Ichika (one flower), Koharu (little spring) and Yuzu are cute, short names common in anime.
What anime girl names mean flower?
Hana means “flower,” Sumire means “violet,” Tsubaki means “camellia,” Sakura means “cherry blossom” and Himari means “sunflower.”
Are anime girl names real Japanese names?
Many are. Hana, Yui, Mio, Akane, Kaori and Misaki are genuine given names in Japan. Some anime names, like Frieren or Esdeath, are invented or borrowed from European languages.
What is a good anime name for a strong female character?
Revy, Motoko, Mikasa, Erza, Riza, Tatsumaki and Maki all belong to formidable fighters and carry that reputation with them.