Finding unique names can be quite challenging in this day and age, but thankfully Japan has us covered with some great anime boy names to choose from.
But why anime boy names in the first place? While it’s true that they might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the names can be really amazing! Each of them has a strong meaning that isn’t just tied to the cartoon character itself.
That said, the characters can be really well-written and have the qualities that you might look for in a role model.
Anime characters aren’t originally from anime either, but rather the eastern version of a comic book, also known as manga, one of the cornerstones of Japanese culture.
While these weren’t really prevalent in the US until the late 80s and early 90s, they’ve gained quite a bit of traction and are starting to become rather popular.
While most of these tend to be traditionally Japanese boy names, there are some that were taken from other cultures and belong to some really inspiring characters in anime, so don’t worry about being limited to just one place of origin.
Many of them you might recognize while a good handful of them might be far less common, but believe me when I say that they still make for some good name options for your baby boy.
It’s pretty much like being inspired by a character from a novel or a book, except this inspiration comes from a more visual medium.
Read on to find out what the top anime names for boys are and their meanings.
101 Anime Boy Names
1. Hiroshi
A popular name in Japanese culture, it describes someone ‘tolerant’, ‘prosperous’, and ‘generous’. The name belongs to one of the characters in ‘Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge’.
2. Michi
A gender-neutral name translating to ‘the righteous way’.
3. Zensuke
There’s nothing better than being called a ‘good friend’ and this name means just that. It’s one of the more popular names in Japan.
4. Goku
The main character of one of the most popular anime series, ‘Dragon Ball Z’, one whose name translates into being ‘aware of emptiness’.
5. Benjiro
A tranquil name originating from the Japanese language, meaning ‘to enjoy peace’.
6. Hiashi
A name given to people who are expected to live a long and prosperous life seeing as it translates to ‘long-lived’. It’s tied to the head of the Hyuga clan, Hiashi Hyuga from the ‘Naruto’ series.
7. Zenshin
Another name with a rather pleasant meaning behind it, something quite common in Japanese culture. This one depicts ‘trust’ and a ‘good heart’.
8. Batou
If you believe that your child will grow up to be powerful, then Batou might be the right call as it’s the Japanese word for a majestic ‘horse’.
9. Etsuko
This name is an abbreviation of Retsuko from the ‘Aggretsuko’ series and is part of more recent anime history. The name itself is native to Japan and translates to ‘joy’ which is a little ironic given the theme of the show.
10. Jiro
A unisex name with origins in Japan translating to ‘second son’. Its most notable appearance in recent times is the character Jiro in ‘My Hero Academia’.
11. Cygnus
This is one of the cool anime boy names that doesn’t have Japanese origins. This name of Latin origin means ‘swan’. It belongs to a popular character from the show ‘Saint Seiya’.
12. Court
A name that originates from the English language, describing a ‘game court’ like in golf or tennis. Its Latin counterpart translates to an ‘enclosure’ or a ‘yard’.
13. Yuri
A Russian name that refers to a simple, hard-working ‘farmer’, though it does have an alternate translation of ‘light of God’ in Hebrew. It’s the default name used for any representation of Russian men in anime.
14. Ash
A name that belongs to everyone’s favorite protagonist from the anime ‘Pokémon’ – Ash Ketchum. It’s not originally Japanese, but rather English and means someone who is ‘of the ash tree’.
15. Kauro
Next up we have the name Kauro, famous for being the name of the twins from ‘Ouran Host Club’. The name itself has a rather beautiful meaning which is ‘fragrance’.
16. Blagdan
A name with two meanings, the first being English, meaning ‘from the shadowy valley’, the second Slavic, meaning ‘holiday’.
17. Edward
Edward is a name that would surprise you with just how popular it is in Japan thanks to the anime industry. It belongs to the main protagonist of the ‘Full Metal Alchemist’ series and it translates to ‘wealthy guard’, originating from the English language.
18. Tadao
A name that means to be ‘complacent’ or ‘satisfied’, belonging to one of the main protagonists from ‘Ghost Sweeper Mikami’.
19. Duke
A name often given to puppies in anime series, Duke is Latin in origin, depicting a ‘leader’.
20. Goro
The name of the main protagonist, Goro Shigeno, in a popular anime series called ‘Major’. The name is native to the Land of the Rising Sun, translating to someone who is ‘fifth’.
21. Bashira
An anime male character name of Arabic origin, describing someone as a ‘predictor of good news’ or a ‘joyful’ person.
22. Yoshi
This name, which any Super Mario fan will know, belongs to the green dinosaur. It has quite a powerful meaning of someone ‘righteous’ or ‘good’.
23. Daiki
A name tied to one of the more iconic characters, Daiki Aomine, from the basketball anime series ‘Kuroko no Basuke’. It can be translated to ‘shining’.
24. Sora
A name that possesses a rather light and beautiful meaning, ‘sky’ – one that belongs to one of the main characters of the anime ‘No Game No Life’.
RELATED: 53 Best Baby Names That Mean Sky For Boys And Girls
25. Kouki
A happy name for a happy boy, the name Kouki means just that, ‘happiness’. While not necessarily tied to a character in a literal sense, it is the name of a famous Japanese voice actor, Kōuki Uchiyama who is responsible for many of the voices.
26. Elric
The last name of the brothers Elric from the show ‘Full Metal Alchemist’. It’s a fantastic English name with the strong meaning of ‘king’ and is an ideal unique middle name if anything.
27. Rio
One of the more lovely anime boy names, it translates to ‘palace of the cherry blossoms’. The name itself belongs to a male anime character Rio Rollins from ‘Rio: Rainbow Gate!’
28. Itachi
One of the most iconic characters in the ‘Naruto’ series, Itachi Uchiha is an idol for many young boys, so it’s quite a good choice for a name. The meaning of ‘weasel’ doesn’t do it nearly enough justice.
29. Fumio
A name of Japanese origin used in the ‘Slice of Life’ series, translating into ‘scholarly hero’.
30. Zempei
A Japanese name commonly used in depictions of the country during medieval times, translating to ‘good soldier’.
31. Akane
While used as a girls’ name, the name has a rather unisex nature to it. It was the name of one of the main characters of ‘Smile PreCure’ and it translates to ‘deep and brilliant red’.
32. Ichigo
Another name that’ll be familiar to many kids who grew up in the 90s as it belongs to the main protagonist from the ‘Bleach’ shounen manga. It’s one of the more popular baby names in Japan, and translates to ‘strawberry’.
33. Osamu
A name of Japanese origin translating to ‘discipline’ and associated with the manga series, ‘Buddha’.
34. Sasuke
A character from the famous ‘Naruto’ series and one of the titular character’s biggest rivals. It means ‘assistance’ or to ‘help’
35. Brock
A name known to Pokemon lovers everywhere as the famous supporting character. The name originated in Gaelic which translates to ‘badger man’.
36. Hayate
One of the more common names in Japanese culture, but the impact of its meaning stands strong, describing someone ‘smooth’.
37. Hiro
A name often seen in eastern animation, one that means to ‘help’ or describing something ‘broad’ or ‘wide’.
38. Isamu
This name means ‘courage’ and belongs to the main male anime character from ‘Kōya no Shōnen Isamu’.
39. Haru
A unisex name given to people who were ‘born in the spring’ and a rather lovely one at that.
40. Levi
Captain Levi of the Scouts is a name that went down in anime history as one of the coolest characters to ever exist. He’s part of the ‘Attack on Titan’ cast and the meaning of his name inspires solidarity as it means ‘joined together’.
41. Naruto
A name with the rather silly meaning of ‘fish cake’, Naruto Uzumaki is known globally as the main character of the titular series.
42. Raiden
A name meaning ‘thunder and lightning’ which belongs to two iconic characters from video games. The first one is from Mortal Kombat while the other is from Metal Gear, each taking heavy inspiration from anime.
43. Daisuke
A common Japanese name in both anime and Japanese culture in general. It describes something ‘great’. One of the most iconic characters wielding that name is Daisuke Kambe from ‘Fugou Keiji Balance: Unlimited’.
44. Shouta
Another common name in many eastern fictional works, Shouta translates to something ‘big’ or ‘soaring’. One of the most prominent characters with this name is Shouta Magatsuchi from ‘Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid’.
45. Inuyasha
While the name translates to ‘dog demon’ which might not be ideal to some more religious parents, the name is actually quite beautiful if you don’t think about the meaning. It’s the name of the main protagonist of the titular series.
46. Jiraya
A great name for any energetic child as it translates to ‘young thunder’ and it is the name of Naruto’s late mentor in both the titular series and a good part of ‘Naruto: Shippuden’.
47. Alex
A name from a very famous series back in the 90s and early 2000s, ‘Full Metal Alchemist’, belonging to one of the most popular characters of the show, Alex Louis Armstrong. It’s a name that describes the powerful mountain of muscle well as it’s Greek in origin and translates to ‘defender of man’.
48. Yuu
A name with multiple different meanings, five in total, which are ‘distant’, ‘superior’, ‘leisurely’, ‘lithe’, and ‘gentleness’.
49. Hikaru
A unisex name often tied to religion in anime, one depicting ‘radiance’ and ‘light’.
50. Tadashi
Another of the more popular anime boy names, one that translates to someone ‘loyal’ or ‘proper’.
51. Aoi
In Japanese, the name Aoi translates into the plant ‘hollyhock’, though it also has a Greek variant translating into someone ‘wholesome’. While it is mostly a girl name, it has also seen some use as a boy name. In anime, it belongs to a character in ‘Rail Wars’.
52. Kaname
Another feminine-leaning name, but one that’s unisex in nature, meaning to ‘pivot’ or describing a ‘golden eye’.
53. Arata
This name refers to someone who is ‘new and fresh’ and is of Japanese origin, though it has a meaning in Italian too which is ‘plow’.
54. Wakato
A great name to give to your baby boy as it translates to ‘young one’ and is prevalent in a lot of eastern animation.
55. Ueda
A perfect middle name for both boys and girls, one belonging to the famous Japanese voice actress Kana Ueda, carrying the meaning ‘upper rice paddy’.
56. Makoto
A name not tied to a character specifically, but rather the manga artist, Makoto Shinkai, whose name means ‘good’.
57. Masashi
The name of another manga artist, Masashi Kishimoto, the man responsible for the widely popular ‘Naruto’ series. It carries a powerful meaning too, that of ‘commander’.
58. Bolt
A name you’ve undoubtedly seen as both a first and last name on many occasions. It has an English origin and translates to a ‘small farm’. It’s a nickname for Boruto, Naruto’s son, and the inheritor of his legacy.
59. Toshiro
A name that truly belongs to a gifted child as it translates to someone who is ‘talented’ or ‘intelligent’.
60. Wazuki
A popular name in the Land of the Rising Sun, one that translates to ‘serenity’ and ‘peace’.
61. Yasu
A traditional Japanese name that describes someone ‘calm’.
62. Erembour
Anime very often has an edgy nature which is why it frequently contains rather dark names (albeit still popular ones).
Erembour is such a case as it originally comes from English and refers to a mythological character who was known to ride shadows with ease.
63. Haruo
Another very popular name in Japanese history, one translating to ‘a man of spring’.
64. Chibi
A cutesy name perfect for an empathetic child. It’s gender-neutral and describes someone or something that’s ‘cute’, ‘tiny’, and ‘small’.
65. Noburu
A name, meaning to ‘expand’, belonging to a character from the ‘Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora’ show,.
66. Natsu
The iconic character in the ‘Fairy Tail’ series, Natsu Dragneel. The name itself originates from Japan and describes someone ‘born in summer’.
67. Umito
A male variation derived from the word Umi, meaning ‘sea’ or ‘ocean’, it’s yet another wonderful name often used in many animated series in Japan.
68. Yuyu
A cutesy little boys’ name with the lovely meaning of someone ‘gentle’ or someone who is ‘distant’ or ‘superior’ in a way. While not one that belongs to a character itself, it’s part of the name of one of the most famous manga and anime series in history, ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’.
69. Kenshiro
A name every boy from the 90s or avid anime fan is bound to know. It belongs to the main character from the series ‘Fist of the North Star’. He is a one man army and an idol for boys worldwide.
70. Ushio
A name tied to nature, native to the wonderful island country and belonging to a character called Ushio Aotsuki from the titular series.
71. Kaito
A name coming from the show ‘Magic Kaito’. It belongs to the main protagonist of the series. It translates to the ‘sea’, the ‘ocean’, or simply the will to ‘fly’.
72. Rin
A unisex name that belongs to a female character from the ‘FATE’ franchise, Rin Tohsaka. It translates to ‘companion’. It can still be used as a boy’s name too though, don’t worry.
73. Cashe
A name of French origin from a similar-sounding word ‘casse’ and translates to a ‘case’. It’s a name that’s used in manga and its animated counterpart.
74. Dante
A name tied to a video game character who later inspired an anime series, Dante is the main protagonist of the game ‘Devil May Cry’ and one of the most popular characters in general.
The inspiration for the name came from the writer, Dante Alighieri, though that’s where the similarities stop.
75. Takashi
A name describing someone who is ‘noble’ or ‘prosperous’ in the Japanese language.
76. Bliss
Another name with origins in English, translating to ‘cheer’ or ‘joy’.
77. Eren
Eren Yaeger is one of the most popular anime characters in recent times from the series ‘Attack on Titan’. The name itself is of Turkish descent that translates to ‘saint’.
78. Captain
A name of clear English influence, translating to ‘commander’.
79. Alphonse
Another name from the ‘Full Metal Alchemist’ series, this time belonging to one of the two protagonists, Alphonse Elric. It’s originally German and depicts someone who is ‘ready for battle’.
80. Kira
A name of Irish origin this time, it describes a ‘dark-haired’ person, ideal if you see your child having darker hair when he comes into this world. It’s also a reference for something ‘shiny’ or ‘glittery’ in Japan.
81. Kouta
A name of Japanese origin, translating to a ‘zen state’ or ‘peace’. It belongs to the main character of ‘Kanokon’, Kouta Oyamada.
82. Hideaki
A name quite popular in eastern Asian culture that describes someone ‘bright’, ‘shining’, and ‘excellent’.
83. Tatsuya
A powerful boys’ name with an even more powerful meaning behind it, that of ‘dragon’. It’s also used to describe people who are in ‘good health’.
84. Light
A name famous in the anime world, belonging to the main character of the ‘Death Note’ series, Light Yagami.
He’s a man of admirable intelligence and a compliment to your child should you choose it. It originates from the Greek language and describes someone or something ‘white’.
85. Haruto
This is a name with a rather warm meaning, translating to ‘sunlight’ and it belongs to a character from ‘Shichisei no Subaru’.
86. Bradley
Another famous name from the ‘Full Metal Alchemist’ series. It belongs to King Fuhrer Bradley and carries a powerful meaning in the English language, ‘broad wood’.
87. Uta
Yet another beautiful name with an even more beautiful meaning, that of ‘song’. It’s quite iconic as it belongs to a protagonist from the famous ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ series.
88. Cloud
A name belonging to the main character of a game heavily inspired by anime tropes, ‘Final Fantasy’. It’s of American origin and translates to ‘cloud’ or ‘visible vapor’.
89. Hideo
A name that describes perfection, with the meaning of ‘a man of peak form’, ‘excellence’, and ‘beauty’.
90. Ito
Tied to the author of manga’s most unique horrors, Junji Ito. The name’s meaning isn’t as scary as his series, translating to ‘yarn’.
91. Kuro
A name often seen in manga or its animated counterpart, one that means ‘ninth son’.
92. Shun
The name of the main character in the ‘Group One’ series, it translates to ‘speed’ in Japanese.
93. Akira
A 5 letter name famous to any anime fan. It belongs to the protagonist of a series with the same name. Its meaning is someone who is ‘intelligent’, ‘clear’, or ‘bright’.
94. Dai
A 3 letter name of Welsh origin, with a meaning that’s grandiose and translates to someone ‘large’ or simply ‘to shine’. It’s tied to a series called ‘Dragon Quest’ which was originally a video game and belongs to one of its protagonists.
95. Shin
A name describing a feeling that is ‘real’ and ‘new’. It belongs to the main protagonist of ‘Kenja no Mago’, Shin Wolford.
96. Astro
Truly a 4 letter name ‘of the stars’, Astro is of Greek origin and means exactly that. It also belongs to one of the oldest anime characters in existence, Astro from the series ‘Astroboy’.
97. Wataru
A name often given to sailors for good luck as it describes the desire to ‘navigate’ or to ‘cross over’.
98. Betzalel
One of the more religious anime boy names, Betzalel is a Hebrew name, describing someone who is ‘in God’s shadow’.
99. Haruki
A name with Japanese roots that translates to ‘shining brightly’. It belongs to the character Haruki Nakayama from the titular anime series.
100. Gohan
A name any US anime watcher is bound to know, at least those who’ve grown up watching Dragon Ball Z. It belongs to Goku’s son, Gohan and it translates to ‘cooked rice’ as food names were common in that show.
101. Kei
A name of African origin that’s still seen often in Japan, one that describes something ‘white’ or ‘sandy’.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are plenty of anime boy names to choose from. Many of them have Japanese origins but some even come from European languages and other places all over the world.
I do hope that this has managed to provide a few new options to your baby name’s list and that you’ll choose a really fitting one for your baby when the time comes. Until next time, mamma.
READ NEXT: 73 Best Sci-Fi And Fantasy Boy Names For Your Little Adventurer
Like this post? Please share or pin it for later. You can also stay in the loop and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
We love honesty! Find Your Mom Tribe is an Amazon Associate and we earn from qualifying purchases through affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Please see our full Amazon Affiliate disclosure for more information.