Samurai Names
For nearly seven centuries, from the first shogunate at Kamakura to the Meiji reforms that abolished the class, Japan’s samurai class carried names that announced lineage, rank and ambition. A warrior might change his name several times in his life, adopting characters from his lord’s name as a mark of favor.
This list gathers more than 100 samurai names: given names of legendary warriors, the great clan surnames, the names of women who fought, and the kanji elements samurai names were built from. Names are given in Japanese order (family name first) where we cite a person. For modern usage, see our Japanese boy names and Japanese last names; for other warrior cultures, try Spartan names.
Given names of famous samurai
The personal names of the most celebrated warriors and warlords. Meanings follow the kanji each man used; many names had multiple possible readings.
| Name | Kanji meaning | Famous samurai |
|---|---|---|
| Musashi | Warrior + storehouse (old province name) | Miyamoto Musashi, swordsman |
| Nobunaga | Trust + long | Oda Nobunaga, unifier of Japan |
| Hideyoshi | Excellent + fortunate | Toyotomi Hideyoshi |
| Ieyasu | Household + peace | Tokugawa Ieyasu, first Tokugawa shogun |
| Masamune | Govern + ancestor | Date Masamune, the “One-Eyed Dragon” |
| Kenshin | Humble + trust (Buddhist name) | Uesugi Kenshin |
| Shingen | Faith + mysterious (Buddhist name) | Takeda Shingen |
| Yukimura | Fortunate + village | Sanada Yukimura |
| Tadakatsu | Loyal + victory | Honda Tadakatsu |
| Hanzō | Half + storehouse | Hattori Hanzō |
| Yoshitsune | Justice + rule | Minamoto no Yoshitsune |
| Yoritomo | Rely + dynasty | Minamoto no Yoritomo, first shogun |
| Masashige | Correct + become | Kusunoki Masashige, model of loyalty |
| Motonari | Origin + accomplish | Mōri Motonari |
| Takamori | Noble + prosperous | Saigō Takamori, “the last samurai” |
| Mitsuhide | Light + excellent | Akechi Mitsuhide |
| Katsuie | Victory + household | Shibata Katsuie |
| Toshiie | Advantage + household | Maeda Toshiie |
| Kiyomasa | Pure + correct | Katō Kiyomasa |
| Yoshimoto | Justice + origin | Imagawa Yoshimoto |
| Nagamasa | Long + govern | Azai Nagamasa |
| Muneshige | Ancestor + luxuriant | Tachibana Muneshige |
| Kanetsugu | Both + continue | Naoe Kanetsugu |
| Ujiyasu | Clan + peaceful | Hōjō Ujiyasu |
| Tsunetomo | Constant + morning | Yamamoto Tsunetomo, author of Hagakure |
| Bokuden | Divination + transmit (art name) | Tsukahara Bokuden, swordsman |
| Kojirō | Small + second son | Sasaki Kojirō, Musashi’s rival |
| Takauji | Esteemed + clan | Ashikaga Takauji |
| Kagetora | Scenery + tiger | Nagao Kagetora (young Uesugi Kenshin) |
| Naomasa | Honest + government | Ii Naomasa |
| Yasumasa | Peace + government | Sakakibara Yasumasa |
| Munenori | Ancestor + rule | Yagyū Munenori |
| Ittōsai | One sword + studio (art name) | Itō Ittōsai, swordsman |
| Hisahide | Long time + excellent | Matsunaga Hisahide |
| Kiyomori | Pure + prosper | Taira no Kiyomori |
| Nobuyuki | Trust + fortunate | Sanada Nobuyuki |
| Motochika | Origin + intimate | Chōsokabe Motochika |
| Yoshihiro | Justice + broad | Shimazu Yoshihiro |
Samurai clan names (family names)
The great houses of Japanese history. Their names often came from the estates they held; courtly clans used “no” (of), as in Minamoto no Yoritomo.
| Clan | Meaning | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Minamoto | Source, origin | Founded the Kamakura shogunate |
| Taira | Flat, peaceful | Rivals of the Minamoto in the Genpei War |
| Tokugawa | Virtue + river | Ruled Japan 1603–1868 |
| Oda | Small rice field | Clan of Oda Nobunaga |
| Takeda | Warrior + rice field | Famous cavalry of Kai province |
| Uesugi | Upper + cedar | Lords of Echigo |
| Date | Stylish, dandyish (readings vary) | Lords of Sendai |
| Sanada | Truth + rice field | Defenders at the siege of Osaka |
| Shimazu | Island + harbor | Lords of Satsuma |
| Hōjō | North + strip | Regents of Kamakura; later Odawara lords |
| Ashikaga | Foot + profit | Muromachi shoguns |
| Mōri | Hair + profit | Lords of Chōshū |
| Honda | Base + rice field | Tokugawa retainers |
| Ii | Well + phonetic character | Famous “Red Devils” in red armor |
| Imagawa | Now + river | Lords of Suruga |
| Chōsokabe | Long + ancestor + self + group | Unifiers of Shikoku |
| Maeda | Front + rice field | Lords of Kaga |
| Kusunoki | Camphor tree | Loyalists of Emperor Go-Daigo |
| Hattori | Clothing + subordinate | Iga ninja associations |
| Akechi | Bright + wisdom | Betrayed Oda Nobunaga in 1582 |
| Yagyū | Willow + birth | Sword instructors to the shoguns |
| Tachibana | Mandarin orange | Lords of Yanagawa |
| Ōtomo | Big + companion | Christian daimyo of Bungo |
| Nabeshima | Pot + island | Lords of Saga |
Female samurai names (onna-bugeisha)
Women of the samurai class trained with the naginata, and some fought in battle. These are real women; for more fierce names see our female warrior names.
| Name | Kanji meaning | Famous woman |
|---|---|---|
| Tomoe | Comma-shaped swirl | Tomoe Gozen, 12th-century warrior |
| Hangaku | Board + amount | Hangaku Gozen, archer |
| Nakano Takeko | Bamboo + child | Led women fighters in the Boshin War, 1868 |
| Ginchiyo | Silver + thousand generations | Tachibana Ginchiyo, clan head as a girl |
| Nene | Traditional girls’ name, no fixed meaning | Wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi |
| Kaihime | Princess of Kai | Defended Oshi Castle in 1590 |
| Tsuruhime | Crane princess | Ōhōri Tsuruhime, “Joan of Arc of Japan” (legend) |
| Yamamoto Yaeko | Eight-fold | Gunner at Aizu, later Niijima Yae |
| Ii Naotora | Honest + tiger | Female head of the Ii clan |
| Oichi | Market | Sister of Oda Nobunaga |
| Chacha | Tea (childhood name) | Yodo-dono, defender of Osaka Castle |
| Komatsuhime | Little pine princess | Wife of Sanada Nobuyuki |
| Hōjō Masako | Govern + child | “Nun shogun” of Kamakura |
| Myōrin | Wondrous + forest (nun name) | Defended Tsurusaki Castle in 1586 |
| Ikeda Sen | Thousand | Said to have led a musket unit (tradition) |
Kanji elements used in samurai names
Samurai given names were usually two kanji. Mix these parts (for example Taka + masa) to build a believable name for a story or game; our anime boy names use many of the same pieces.
| Element | Meaning | Example name |
|---|---|---|
| Masa | Correct, govern | Masamune |
| Nobu | Trust, faith | Nobuyuki |
| Hide | Excellent | Hidetada |
| Yoshi | Justice or good fortune | Yoshinobu |
| Tada | Loyal | Tadatsugu |
| Kage | Shadow, scenery | Kagekatsu |
| Tora | Tiger | Toranosuke |
| Ryū | Dragon | Ryūnosuke |
| Katsu | Victory | Katsuyori |
| Shige | Luxuriant, heavy | Shigemasa |
| Mune | Ancestor, chief | Munetaka |
| Taka | Tall, noble or hawk | Takatora |
| Kiyo | Pure | Kiyomori |
| Yasu | Peace | Yasutoki |
| Tsugu | Succeed, continue | Hidetsugu |
| Moto | Origin | Motochika |
| Uji | Clan | Ujimasa |
| Naga | Long | Nagahide |
| Mitsu | Light | Mitsunari |
| Tomo | Friend | Tomonobu |
| Suke | Assist (common suffix) | Kanesuke |
| Emon | Guard of the gate (title-style suffix) | Kyūemon |
| Maru | Circle; childhood-name suffix | Ushiwakamaru |
| Jūrō | Tenth son | Soga Jūrō |
How to create or choose a samurai name
- Put the family name first. In Japanese order it is Oda Nobunaga, not Nobunaga Oda. Western books often reverse it, so be consistent.
- Build from two kanji. Combine elements like Taka (noble) + Kage (shadow) = Takakage. Most historical names follow this pattern.
- Use a childhood name for backstory. Samurai boys had names like Takechiyo or Kichibōshi before their coming-of-age ceremony (genpuku), when they took an adult name.
- Add a court title for flavor. Names like Hanzō, Kyūemon or Saemon grew out of titles and birth order. They make great nicknames for game characters.
- Respect the history. Real clan names belong to real families; for an original character, invent a clan by pairing a nature word with -da, -kawa or -mura, or browse our Japanese last names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous samurai name?
Miyamoto Musashi, the undefeated swordsman and author of The Book of Five Rings, is probably the most famous samurai worldwide, alongside Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Did female samurai exist?
Yes. Women of the samurai class, known as onna-bugeisha, trained in the naginata and defended castles. Tomoe Gozen, Nakano Takeko and Ii Naotora are among the best known.
Why did samurai change their names?
Samurai received adult names at their coming-of-age ceremony, took characters from a lord’s name as an honor, and adopted Buddhist names on taking vows. Uesugi Kenshin, for example, was born Nagao Kagetora.
What does “no” mean in names like Minamoto no Yoritomo?
“No” means “of,” linking a court clan name to a personal name. It was used for ancient noble clans such as Minamoto, Taira and Fujiwara.
What are cool samurai names for a character?
Kagetora (shadow tiger), Ryūnosuke (dragon helper), Takakage, Masamune, Yukimura and Tomoe are popular choices with real historical roots.