Japanese Last Names and Meanings

Japanese surnames often have beautiful meanings related to nature or geography. Here are some common Japanese last names:

1. Sato – “Help wisteria”
2. Suzuki – “Bell tree”
3. Takahashi – “High bridge”
4. Tanaka – “Dweller in the rice paddy”
5. Watanabe – “Across the border”
6. Ito – “Thread”
7. Yamamoto – “Base of the mountain”
8. Nakamura – “Middle village”
9. Kobayashi – “Small forest”
10. Saito – “Purified wisteria”

Japanese surnames typically come before given names in traditional Japanese order.