ISBN: 978-80-244-6550-0 | ISBN online: 978-80-244-6551-7, 978-80-244-6782-5 | DOI: 10.5507/ff.26.24465500

Gender in Japanese Names Today

Ivona Barešová, Francis Bond

Gender in Japanese Names Today explores the expression of gender in Japanese given names and the naming preferences behind them. Using linguistic analysis, carefully compiled datasets, and real-life naming stories, the book offers insight into contemporary Japanese naming trends in the context of earlier naming patterns. The book shows that although the number of children born in Japan continues to decline, the diversity and creativity of Japanese baby names are expanding, contributing to a gradual blurring of boundaries between boys' and girls' names. While overtly gender-neutral names remain relatively uncommon, the number of names used for both boys and girls has increased significantly. In contrast to Western patterns, where gender-neutral names tend to develop from boys' names, Japanese naming trends are shaped by different dynamics, including the greater structural diversity of boys' names and the growing use of traditionally feminine elements in names given to boys. Placing contemporary Japanese naming practices in a broader international context, the book highlights both parallels with global naming trends and the distinctive linguistic and cultural features of Japanese names. The book offers valuable insights not only for scholars of Japanese studies and linguistics, but also for researchers interested in gender, culture, and social change. It is accompanied by open-access datasets and code, as well as an interactive website for exploring Japanese given names and their patterns.

1. edition, Published: 2026, online: 2026, publisher: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Křížkovského 8, 771 47 Olomouc