Asia is not one naming tradition, it is dozens. The 2020 Census counted 24 million people in the United States who identify as Asian alone or in combination, spread across 41 detailed origin groups the Census Bureau reports separately (1).
The 105 girl names below come from Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, and beyond. Each entry gives you the origin, the meaning, a plain phonetic respelling, and, where the federal data has it, where the name actually stands in United States birth records.
About half of these names never appear in that data at all. The Social Security Administration leaves a name out of its published lists when fewer than five babies received it in a year (2), so silence here is a measurement of rarity, not a gap in our research.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: Naomi, Hana, Emi, Dara and Nami.
105 Beautiful Asian Names for Girls
Sit and sip under the cherry blossoms with our exciting list of Asian girl names.
Ae-jung
Ae-jung, also spelled Aejeong, shows up mostly in Korea, with scattered use in Thailand, Sweden, and the United States. Even across that spread it stays uncommon. The meaning is the whole point here: love and affection, said plainly. If you want a name that tells your daughter exactly how she is regarded, this one does it in two syllables.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Love, affection
- Pronunciation: AY-yuung
- Variations: Aejeong, Ae-jeong
- Namesakes: Ae-jung Lee, a South Korean actress known for her role in Autumn in My Heart.
- Popularity: In 2014, about four people were called Ae-jung worldwide, making it quite rare. There is no U.S. ranking for Ae-jung: the federal dataset leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year.
Ai
A list of Asian girl names would feel incomplete without Ai. It is Japanese and Chinese in origin, yet it travels well across the rest of the continent, and one Chinese reading renders it as mugwort. Two letters, one syllable, said like the English word eye. Nothing about it is hard for an English speaker, which is rare for a name this far from the usual American shortlist.
- Origin: Japanese, Chinese
- Meaning: Love, affection, indigo
- Pronunciation: EYE
- Namesakes: Ai Iino, a Japanese women’s professional shogi player. Ai Kato, a Japanese idol and actress.
- Popularity: Ai is most commonly found in Indonesia. In the United States, Ai last showed up in the federal name data at #9,580 in 2021.
Altantsetseg
Altantsetseg looks like a tongue twister and comes apart easily once you split it into syllables. Meaning “golden flower,” it has a formal, ceremonial ring to it. Mongolian naming has taken in influences from across the steppe over the centuries, but this one is homegrown and firmly feminine.
- Origin: Mongolian
- Meaning: Golden flower
- Pronunciation: al-dahn-TSEH-tseg
- Namesakes: Byambajavyn Altantsetseg, family name Byambajavyn, a Mongolian sports shooter.
- Popularity: Altantsetseg is most common in Mongolia, where it ranked 3rd in 2022.
Anzu
Calling a daughter Apricot may sound odd in the west, though Anzu is far from the only fruit name in Asia. The sweetness is only half the story. In Mesopotamian myth, Anzu is a divine storm bird, half lion and half eagle, and in Hinamatsuri, Anzu Hayashi is a telekinetic assassin. So it is not all peaches and plums with this one.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Apricot
- Pronunciation: AN-zoo, an-ZHOO
- Namesakes: Anzu Lawson, a Japanese-American songstress, actress, playwright, and comedian. Anzu Haruno, a Japanese voice actress.
- Popularity: In 2014, Anzu ranked in the top 5,000 in Bangladesh.
Asako
Asako suits a daughter born at sunrise, which is exactly what the name describes. The early bird does seem to catch the worm here, since its best known bearers are writers, composers, and performers who spent years honing a craft. Other kanji combinations turn Asako into hemp child, and yes, that is the fabric.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Morning child
- Pronunciation: AH-sa-koh
- Namesakes: Asako Yuzuki, an award-winning Japanese author. Asako Hirabayashi, a Japanese-American composer and harpsichordist.
- Popularity: Asako is most common in Japan, ranking 203rd in 2014. U.S. records last list Asako at #13,340, back in 1991.
Atchara
Atchara is for little angels and, apparently, for foodies. In the Philippines, atchara is a pickle made from grated unripe papaya, a crisp side dish that has nothing to do with the Thai name beyond the spelling. The coincidence adds a little flavor to an otherwise delicate pick.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Angel
- Pronunciation: A-char, A-chara
- Popularity: Atchara ranked 206th in Thailand in 2022. Atchara clears no U.S. reporting threshold, so American name data does not list it at all.
Benio
If red is your color, or your baby is the center of everything, Benio is worth a look. It reads slightly tomboyish, which only makes it more interesting on a girl. The best known bearer is fictional: Benio “Benibara” Amakusa, a supporting character in the Japanese anime Ouran Highschool Host Club.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Crimson, deep red, center
- Pronunciation: BEH-nee-oh
- Popularity: Benio does not rank in the top 1,000 on Japanese charts and is rare worldwide.
Bong-cha
Bong-cha is genuinely rare. It means superior daughter, and some translations push that further still, which is either a lovely thing to say over a crib or a superiority complex waiting to happen. Take your pick.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Superior daughter
- Pronunciation: BONG-chya
- Variations: Bongcha
- Popularity: Globally, about 33 people bear the name Bong-cha or Bongcha.
Bora
Bora is an indigenous Korean name built from a single two-syllable word. In Albania it is a girl’s name meaning snow, while in Turkish it is masculine and means strong wind or hurricane. Soft snow and whipping wind pulling in opposite directions is a fitting tension for a name this compact.
- Origin: Korean, Turkish, Albanian
- Meaning: Purple, strong wind, hurricane, snow
- Pronunciation: BOH-RA, POH-RA
- Variations: Bo-ra
- Namesakes: Bora Yoon, better known as Bora, a South Korean singer, rapper, and actress. Bora Shin, a South Korean comedian, singer, and actress.
- Popularity: Bora or Bo-ra, is most prevalent in Canada and Korea but doesn’t crack their top 1,000 names. In U.S. births, Bora sat at #5,891 in 2025.
Boribun
Boribun sounds odd on first hearing, and that can work in its favor. The unfamiliarity makes it a conversation starter rather than a name anyone will mishear for something else. If rare is what you are after, Boribun delivers.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Complete
- Pronunciation: baw-ree-BOON
- Popularity: Boribun is most popular in Thailand, although it doesn’t rank in the top 1,000. Fewer than five babies a year receive Boribun in the United States, which keeps it out of the published federal data entirely.
Buppha
Buppha carries real royal weight. Princess Norodom Buppha Devi bore it gracefully, and the two halves of her title translate as flower and goddess. She directed the Royal Ballet of Cambodia and was the first professional apsara dancer, performing as a prima ballerina for most of her life. That is a lot of grace attached to one short name.
- Origin: Thai, Cambodian
- Meaning: Flower
- Pronunciation: BOH-pa
- Variations: Bopha
- Namesakes: Norodom Buppha Devi, a Cambodian princess, minister, dancer, and senator.
- Popularity: In 2022, Buppha ranked 197th in Thailand.
Caihong
Caihong means rainbow, and it is as cheerful as that suggests. It is also fun to say once you get it, and genuinely difficult before then. Chinese pronunciation trips up most English speakers, so practice it out loud a few times before you commit it to a birth certificate.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Rainbow
- Pronunciation: tsa-OH-ng, tsa-HOH-ng
- Popularity: In 2014, Caihong ranked 414th in China.
Chae-won
Chae-won is blazing a trail in Korea. It is a straightforward option for parents who do not want anything fancy but still want something current. The meaning, gather or collect, gives it a quiet, industrious feel that suits a child who takes her time with things.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Collect, gather, pluck
- Pronunciation: CHAY-wun
- Variations: Che-won
- Namesakes: Chae-won Moon, a South Korean actress. Chae-won So, a South Korean compound archer who won bronze and gold in the 2017 Summer Universiade.
- Popularity: In 2013, Chae-won was the 7th most popular girl’s name in Korea. There is no U.S. ranking for Chae-won: the federal dataset leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year.
Chaisee
We know what you are thinking, and no, Chaisee is not a chassis. If Dad is a car enthusiast, that near miss might be a feature rather than a bug. Either way, your Chaisee will almost certainly be the only one in her class.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Innocent
- Pronunciation: CHA-see
- Popularity: Chaisee is most prevalent in Thailand; in 2014, about four people carried this name.
Chivy
Chivy means life, and it sounds like it. This is a pick for parents who want something genuinely uncommon, since Chivy is rare even in Cambodia. The two-syllable bounce gives a girl plenty to play with.
- Origin: Cambodian
- Meaning: Life
- Pronunciation: SHIH-vee
- Namesakes: Chivy Sok, a Cambodian-American activist and deputy director of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights.
- Popularity: Chivy pops up in the U.S. and Cambodia, but it doesn’t crack the top 1,000 names in either country.
Chiyako
Chiyako is a pretty Japanese option wrapped in the imagery of a thousand nights. Swap the kanji and it becomes thousand arrow child or child of knowledge instead. Singer Chiyako Sato carried the name in Japan, giving it a musical pedigree at home.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Thousand-night child
- Pronunciation: CHEE-ya-koh
- Namesakes: Chiyako Shimada, a Japanese politician for the Democratic Party of Japan. Chiyako Sato, a Japanese singer. Chiyako Shibahara, a Japanese voice actress.
- Popularity: Chiyako mostly occurs in Japan but doesn’t rank in the top 1,000. Chiyako clears no U.S. reporting threshold, so American name data does not list it at all.
Choden
No need to be picky about Choden, one of the few exclusively feminine Bhutanese options. Rooted in Buddhist tradition, it carries an air of spiritual calm. Bhutan has no general practice of surnames outside royal lineages, so Queen Consort Puntsho Choden stands as an example of a royal without a family name at all.
- Origin: Bhutanese, Tibetan
- Meaning: Possessing Dharma, devout
- Pronunciation: CHOH-den
- Variations: Choeden
- Namesakes: Ashi (Lady) Phuntsho Choden, a Bhutanese Queen Consort of the second king of Bhutan, Jigme Wangchuck.
- Popularity: Choden ranked 47th in Bhutan in 2014.
Daiyu
Meaning black jade, Daiyu is as dark and mysterious as a name gets. Daiyu Lin is a central character in Cao Xueqin’s eighteenth-century novel Dream of the Red Chamber, and the Star Wars franchise borrowed the name for one of its shadier planets. If your baby strikes you as a little enigmatic, this fits.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Black jade
- Pronunciation: DEYE-yoo
- Variations: Dàiyù, Dai yu
- Popularity: Daiyu ranked 7,172nd in Taiwan in 2014, as it’s very uncommon worldwide.
Dara
Dara is a doozy, with origins and meanings spread across most of the map. In Swahili it reads as beautiful one, in Kazakh as special or one of a kind. It also has Persian, Hebrew, and Irish roots, where it lands as masculine or unisex depending on who you ask.
- Origin: Thai, Indonesian
- Meaning: Star, young woman, virgin
- Pronunciation: DAH-RAH, DAR-AH
- Namesakes: Dara Kristen Hayes is an Australian DJ and record producer known by her stage name Tigerlily. Princess Dara Rasami of Chang Mai and Siam (Thailand).
- Popularity: Dara ran in the U.S. top 1,000 through the late 20th century, reaching its best showing, #469, in 1981, and still holding 953rd in 1993. United States data now puts Dara at #1,129 in 2025.
Da-rae
Da-rae is an indigenous Korean name that gained ground through the twentieth century. If nothing on your shortlist has stuck, nature is a reliable place to look, and this one means gooseberry. Berry beautiful, and easy to say.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Gooseberry
- Pronunciation: DAH-lay
- Variations: Da-lae, Darae
- Namesakes: Da-rae Kim, a South Korean field hockey player. Da-rae Jeong, a former South Korean swimmer, specializing in breaststroke.
- Popularity: Da-rae or Darae, is most common in Korea and Iran but rare worldwide. Fewer than five babies a year receive Da-rae in the United States, which keeps it out of the published federal data entirely.
Emi
Emi is three letters of pure sweetness, and it shortens to Em without losing anything. The meanings run to blessed beauty and beautiful picture, which is a lot to pack into two syllables. Like the skater Emi Watanabe, a girl carrying it gets beauty and grace written into the paperwork.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Blessed beauty, beautiful picture
- Pronunciation: EH-mee
- Namesakes: Emi Kathleen Watanabe, a former competitive figure skater of Japanese and Filipino descent.
- Popularity: Emi is quite popular globally, ranked in the top 300 in Japan and Indonesia in 2014. American records rank Emi #882 as of 2025.
Eri
Eri suits a clever girl. Like other kanji names it shifts with the characters chosen, and the options are unusually good: blessing, reason, excel, pear.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Clever love, hometown picture
- Pronunciation: EH-ree
- Namesakes: Eri Yamanoi, a former Japanese freestyle swimmer. Eri Fukatsu, a Japanese actress who has won several awards.
- Popularity: In 2014, Eri ranked 955th in Japan. Eri holds #4,008 in the U.S. figures for 2025. Its high-water mark in the U.S. was #3,301 in 2024.
Eun-mi
Do your daughter a kindness and call her Eun-mi. South Korea is where it sees the most use, which is no surprise given the meaning, beautiful kindness. Its bearers run from singers to novelists to actresses, so there is no single mold she has to fit.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Beautiful kindness, beautiful mercy
- Pronunciation: UUN-mee
- Variations: Eun-mee, Un-mee
- Namesakes: Eun-mi Lee, a South Korean singer known for the song “I Have a Lover.” Eunmi Choi, a South Korean novelist. Eun-mi Ko, a South Korean actress.
- Popularity: Eun-mi is the most popular in South Korea but falls short of the top 1,000 names.
Fa ying
Thai in origin, Fa ying has found its widest audience in China, and the reason is not hard to see. The name is as opulent as the palaces and temples of its homeland. Chandrmondol Sobhon Bhagiawati, the Princess Wisutkrasat of Siam, was known affectionately as Princess Fa-ying. For sheer ceremony, few Asian girl names match it.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Celestial princess
- Pronunciation: FAA-YEEN
- Variations: Fa-ying, Faying, Fa yin
- Popularity: Fa ying or Faying is most prevalent in China but doesn’t make the top 1,000 names.
Fei
The Chinese and English readings of Fei happen to line up: to dance on air, to fly, fairy. Picture a small, graceful person and you have the idea. It is sweet enough that it surprises people to learn it works for boys as well, and it turns up occasionally as a Chinese surname.
- Origin: Chinese, English
- Meaning: To dance on air, to fly, fairy
- Pronunciation: FAY
- Namesakes: Fei Meng, a Chinese artistic gymnast who has won silvers and bronze in two World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
- Popularity: Fei placed 34th in Hong Kong and 842nd in Malaysia in 2022. In U.S. births, Fei sat at #15,670 in 2025.
Fumi
Fumi is already fashionable in Japan and has been picking up in Nigeria as well. Literature sits at the heart of the meaning, and the readings branch out from there into wealth, sentence, and two, three. That range is the appeal: one short name, many ways to mean it.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Beautiful lotus, literature, history
- Pronunciation: FOO-MEE
- Namesakes: Fumi Kaneko, a Japanese ballet dancer with the Royal Ballet in London. Fumi Nikaido, a Japanese actress and model.
- Popularity: In 2014, Fumi ranked 131st in Japan. Fumi has not surfaced in United States birth data since 1927, when it stood at #2,927.
Futaba
Futaba is unusual even for parents comfortable with Japanese names. It means sprout or bud, which suits a small person just starting out. In Ao Haru Ride, Futaba Yoshioka is an ordinary teenager working out her life and her feelings, and the name carries that same sense of someone still becoming.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Sprout, bud
- Pronunciation: foo-TA-BA, foo-TA-BAH
- Namesakes: Futaba Ito, a Japanese professional rock climber and boulderer. Futaba Kioka, a former Japanese footballer for the Japan women’s national team.
- Popularity: Futaba is most popular in Japan but is still rare as it doesn’t make the top 3,000 names. There is no U.S. ranking for Futaba: the federal dataset leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year.
Gyuri
Star jewel is a remarkable thing to name a child, and it is a wonder more parents have not noticed. Among the hanja combinations for Gyuri, gyu can mean auspicious jewel, writing, or stride, while ri means govern, village, or intelligent. Mix and match and you can build a meaning that is genuinely your own.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Star jewel
- Pronunciation: GYOO-ree, GYOO-lee
- Variations: Gyu-ri, Kyu-ri
- Namesakes: Gyu-ri Park, known simply as Gyuri, a South Korean singer, actress and radio host.
- Popularity: Between 2008 and 2022, 7,456 girls were named Gyuri in Korea.
Hae-won
Take a trip to the Korean coast with Hae-won. Most people do not picture South Korea as a beach destination, but it is bordered by water on three sides and the shoreline is superb. The name means beautiful ocean, and once you know that, guessing where it came from is easy.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Beautiful ocean, graceful
- Pronunciation: HAY-wun
- Variations: Haewon
- Namesakes: Hae-won Yi, or Hae-won Lee, a Korean princess and descendant of the Joseon dynasty. Haewon Song, a South Korean award-winning pianist and teacher.
- Popularity: In 2014, Hae-won ranked 646th in South Korea.
Hana
Hana is a multicultural option with roots on and off the Asian continent. In Hawaii it translates as craft, in Maori as to shine or glow, and in Korea as the number one. It doubles as a variant of the Hebrew Hannah, which makes it painless for English speakers.
- Origin: Japanese, Persian
- Meaning: Flower
- Pronunciation: HA-NA, HA-nuh
- Variations: Ha-na
- Namesakes: Hana Usui, a Japanese artist. Hana Kimura, a Japanese female professional wrestler. Hana Kobayashi, a Venezuelan singer of Japanese descent.
- Popularity: Hana ranked 252nd in Japan in 2014 and placed 807th in the U.S. in 2021. United States data puts Hana at #658 in 2025.
Hayma
Hayma does not rank on the Burmese charts, which is surprising given where it comes from. It sees more use in Oman and the Philippines and has caught on in parts of Central and South America. The husky sound suits outdoorsy families, and the meaning, forest, does the rest. The one drawback is that it leaves almost no room for a nickname.
- Origin: Burmese
- Meaning: Forest
- Pronunciation: HAY-muh
- Namesakes: Hayma Malini, the Singaporean wife of Indian actor and singer, Yugendran.
- Popularity: Hayma is popular in the Philippines and Oman, ranking 970th in 2022. Hayma clears no U.S. reporting threshold, so American name data does not list it at all.
Hinako
Hinako has a warm, sunny quality. Your baby lights up the room with soft coos and chirps, so a name meaning sun child or baby chick is not much of a stretch. Hina works nicely as a short form.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Sun child, baby chick
- Pronunciation: HEE-na-koh, HEE-nuh-ko
- Namesakes: Hinako Sugiura, a Japanese manga artist, and Japanese historical researcher. Hinako Ashihara, a Japanese manga artist of many shojo series.
- Popularity: Hinako is mostly found in Japan, ranking 2,426th in 2014. Stateside, the last entry for Hinako is #17,207 in 2016.
Huanzhu
With its dreamlike quality, Huanzhu is a striking choice among Asian girl names. It is the nickname of Xiaoyanzi, the lead of the Chinese television series My Fair Princess. The name is rare almost everywhere, which is the point rather than the problem.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Dreamy bamboo, returned pearl
- Pronunciation: HWAN-joo
- Variations: Huan Zhu
- Popularity: Huanzhu only appears in China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Mexico, but it doesn’t make the top 1,000 anywhere.
Ichigo
Ichigo is the Japanese word for strawberry, and that is the meaning attached when it is used for a girl. Fictional bearers include Ichigo Momomiya of Tokyo Mew Mew and Ichigo Amano of Yumeiro Patissiere. It works for boys too, but the sweetness is hard to shake.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Strawberry, protector of one (thing)
- Pronunciation: EE-chee-goh
- Namesakes: Ichigo Takano, a Japanese manga artist known for her series, Orange. Ichigo Rinahamu, a Japanese singer and idol.
- Popularity: Ichigo is most prevalent in Japan but is still very rare. In the United States, Ichigo last showed up in the federal name data at #11,364 in 2023.
Ichika
Ichika reads like springtime. One thousand flowers is the usual translation, and another kanji combination gives beautiful strawberry instead. If your shortlist has gone stale, a floral pick like this one is a good way to restart it.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: One thousand flowers, strawberry blossom
- Pronunciation: EE-chee-kah
- Namesakes: Ichika Nito, a Japanese musician and record producer.
- Popularity: In 2014, Ichika ranked just below the top 4,000 in Japan. U.S. records last list Ichika at #16,166, back in 2021.
Iniya
Iniya is one South Asian pick that settles easily into western circles. English speakers sometimes confuse it with the Arabic name Inaya, said ee-NEYE-uh, but Iniya is Nepali with Sanskrit roots rather than Urdu. It has a following in India and enough sound appeal to catch on in the United States.
- Origin: Nepali
- Meaning: Sweet
- Pronunciation: ihn-EE-yuh, IHN-ee-yuh
- Namesakes: Iniya Kumaran, the daughter of Indian actress, Devayani.
- Popularity: Iniya is the most popular in India but doesn’t rank within the top 1,000 names. American records rank Iniya #6,950 as of 2025.
Intan
With Intan, your daughter could shine bright like a diamond, which is what the name means. It sees little use outside southeast Asia, though most genuinely good things are scarce. Trends in the west come and go. A diamond is forever.
- Origin: Indonesian
- Meaning: Diamond
- Pronunciation: IHN-TAN
- Namesakes: Intan Erlita Novianti, an Indonesian TV presenter. Intan Venlö Aletrino, an Indonesian-Dutch model and TV personality. Intan Azura binte Mokhtar, a Singaporean former politician.
- Popularity: In 2014, Intan ranked 73rd in Malaysia and 244th in Indonesia.
Iseul
Iseul is easier to say than it looks. It means dew, and it gives the impression of a cold, bright dawn, which is a fitting image for the arrival of a new person. Unusual is not the same as unpopular, and this one manages to be the first without being the second.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Dew
- Pronunciation: EE-suul, EE-ssl
- Variations: Yi-seul, I-seul, E-seul
- Namesakes: Iseul Kim, a South Korean basketball player.
- Popularity: Between 2008 and 2022, 426 baby girls were named Iseul, which falls short of the top 1,000. Fewer than five babies a year receive Iseul in the United States, which keeps it out of the published federal data entirely.
Janya
Janya is sometimes mixed up with the Hebrew Janiya or Janiyah, which means the Lord is gracious. This Hindi pick is less devotional and more lively, and the meaning, full of life, matches. If your girl arrives kicking and screaming, consider it a hint.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Full of life, born
- Pronunciation: JAN-yuh, jan-YA, jun-YUH
- Popularity: In 2014, Janya fell just short of the top 1,000 in Thailand. Janya holds #6,961 in the U.S. figures for 2025.
Ji-ae
Hoping for a scholarly daughter? Ji-ae means lover of wisdom, so the intent is on record from day one. The first syllable sits somewhere between a ch and a j sound, which trips up English speakers at first and stops being a problem within a week.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Lover of wisdom
- Pronunciation: chj-EE-AY
- Variations: Jiae, Ji Ae
- Namesakes: Ji-ae Lee, a South Korean TV personality and former announcer. Ji Ae Yoo, a South Korean singer, and actress.
- Popularity: In 2022, Ji-ae ranked 1078th in Korea.
Juri
Feminine in Japan, Juri is masculine in Estonia and Germany, where it is spelled Jüri and said YOO-ree. There it is a diminutive of Jürgen, a cognate of George, and means farmer. In Japan the kanji options include ju for trees, ball, or longevity, paired with ri for village, gemstone, or plum.
- Origin: Japanese, Estonian
- Meaning: Pear tree, jasmine plant
- Pronunciation: JOO-ree
- Namesakes: Juri Ide, a Japanese triathlete who competed in two Summer Olympics. Juri Osada, a Japanese figure skater, and coach.
- Popularity: Juri doesn’t rank in the top 1,000 in Japan. In U.S. births, Juri sat at #4,813 in 2025.
Kaede
Kaede is most common in Japan but also appears in South Africa, Israel, and much of South Asia. It means maple tree, so it suits an autumn baby or a girl her parents already consider sweet as syrup. Rather than the old-fashioned Maple, this is the same idea with better sound, and its steady use in anime keeps it in circulation.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Maple tree
- Pronunciation: ka-AY-day, ka-EH-deh
- Namesakes: Kaede Dobashi, a Japanese dancer, model, and actress. Kaede Hondo, a Japanese voice actress.
- Popularity: Kaede doesn’t crack the top 1,000 names in Japan. United States data puts Kaede at #16,014 in 2025.
Kanchana
Gold, gold, and more gold. Your daughter is your greatest find, so Kanchana earns its place here on meaning alone. It has done well in Sri Lanka and Thailand, and its bearers have a habit of ending up in the spotlight.
- Origin: Thai, Indian
- Meaning: Gold
- Pronunciation: KAN-chuu-na
- Namesakes: Kanchana Mendis, a Sri Lankan actress. Puranam Vasundhara devi, stage name Kanchana, is an Indian actress.
- Popularity: Kanchana placed 22nd in Thailand and 73th in Sri Lanka in 2014.
Kiba
Although Kiba is a unisex name in Japan, in Bhutan it belongs to girls. It means protected, or fang, depending on which tradition you follow. The best known bearer is fictional, Kiba Inuzuka of the anime Naruto, which suits a rough-and-tumble kid just fine.
- Origin: Bhutanese, Japanese
- Meaning: Protected, fang
- Pronunciation: KEE-ba, KEE-buh
- Popularity: Kiba ranked 274th in Bhutan in 2014. Kiba has not surfaced in United States birth data since 2021, when it stood at #13,199.
Kikyo
Kikyo may be the prettiest name on this list. A kikyo, or Japanese bellflower, is a deep purple bloom that stands for unchanging love, obedience, and honesty. In the manga and anime Inuyasha it belongs to a resurrected shrine priestess whose devotion outlasts centuries of separation, which almost certainly explains its modern following.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Japanese bellflower, apricot season or spring
- Pronunciation: KEE-kyoh
- Variations: Kikyō, Kikyou
- Popularity: In 2014, Kikyo was borne by about 602 people worldwide. Stateside, the last entry for Kikyo is #16,544 in 2024.
Kirana
You have always wanted to call your daughter a beautiful sunbeam. Kirana packages that up neatly. It is easy to say and sounds a little like wind chimes on a warm afternoon.
- Origin: Indonesian
- Meaning: Beautiful sunbeam, beautiful ray of light
- Pronunciation: KEE-ra-nah
- Namesakes: Kirana Larasati, an Indonesian actress.
- Popularity: Kirana is popular in South Asia but doesn’t make the top 1,000 on any charts. In the United States, Kirana last showed up in the federal name data at #16,550 in 2021. Its best American showing was #12,133 in 2008.
Kyung-ah
Kyung-ah is old-school and still lovely. It means graceful celebration, or capital city child, so it can honor a temperament or a birthplace. Be warned that the character options run deep: there are 54 hanja for kyung and 29 for ah. Good luck narrowing it down.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Graceful celebration, capital city child
- Pronunciation: KYUUN-a, KYUUN-ga
- Variations: Kyong-ah, Gyeong-ah
- Namesakes: Kyung-ah Choi, a South Korean manhwa artist known for her series Snow Drop. Kyung Ah Park, a South Korean female artistic gymnast.
- Popularity: Kyung-ah is the most prevalent in South Korea and the U.S. but is rare in both places. There is no U.S. ranking for Kyung-ah: the federal dataset leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year.
Lanfen
Lanfen means fragrant orchid and is extremely scarce, even in China, where it originates. That is a shame, because the sound is soft and unhurried. If your list needs something genuinely uncommon, add this one.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Fragrant orchid
- Pronunciation: LUN-fen, LAN-fen
- Variations: Lan Fen, Lan-fen
- Namesakes: Wu Lanfen, a Chinese calligraphy artist.
- Popularity: Lanfen appears mostly in China, including Thailand and Taiwan.
Laohu
Laohu is not usually a given name, which is what makes it so rare. It is the Chinese word for tiger, so using it is roughly equivalent to naming a child Dove or Wolf. Nature-minded parents will see the appeal immediately.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Tiger
- Pronunciation: LAOW-hoo
- Variations: Lăohŭ, Lao hu
- Popularity: In 2014, 32 people were called Laohu worldwide.
Lhamo
Westerners often mistake Lhamo for a surname. In Bhutanese and Tibetan practice it is a second name used only by women, and those women generally carry no family name at all. Used as a hyphenated or middle name, it adds goddess to whatever sits beside it.
- Origin: Bhutanese
- Meaning: Goddess
- Pronunciation: LA-moo
- Variations: Lha-mo
- Namesakes: Rinchen Lhamo, a Tibetan writer. Sonam Lhamo, a Bhutanese actress. Yungchen Lhamo, a Tibetan songstress living in the U.S.
- Popularity: In 2014, Lhamo ranked 55th in Bhutan. Lhamo clears no U.S. reporting threshold, so American name data does not list it at all.
Li-mei
Li-mei is a quiet classic, gentle in sound and meaning. In the Mortal Kombat games, Li Mei comes with beauty and considerable brawn. That association may be part of why it has seen so little American use, which leaves the field open.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Beautiful, beautiful Chinese plum
- Pronunciation: LEE-MAY
- Variations: Li Mei, Limei
- Namesakes: Satomi Toyohara, known by her stage name Li-Mei Chiang, a Taiwanese-Japanese actress and voice actress.
- Popularity: Li-mei, or Limei, ranked 40th in Taiwan and 249th in China in 2014.
Ling
Ling is used as a first and last name in China. As a girl’s name it also turns up in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Singapore. It can look plain on paper, and then you say it and hear the bell in it, which is exactly what it means. Chinese nicknaming convention gives you Ling-Ling for free.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Sound of jade, spirit chime, spirit bell
- Pronunciation: LIHN, LEEN
- Variations: Lin
- Popularity: In 2014, Ling ranked in China’s top 20 and 31st in Hong Kong. U.S. records last list Ling at #12,910, back in 2024. Its high-water mark in the U.S. was #5,447 in 1981.
Mari
Mari is widely used and comes from several traditions at once. In kanji one reading is ten thousand jasmine flowers, which goes some way toward explaining its reach. It means truth in one language and of the sea in another, and it has never needed a nickname to be friendly.
- Origin: Japanese, Scandinavian, Estonian
- Meaning: Truth, jasmine, of the sea
- Pronunciation: MA-REE, muh-REE
- Namesakes: Mari Yaguchi, a Japanese singer, actress, and TV personality. Mari Boine, a Norwegian singer who combines folk yodeling with rock.
- Popularity: Mari has been in the U.S. top 1,000 names since 1939, but in 1995 it ranked 1,000th before dropping out. American records rank Mari #1,620 as of 2025.
Mega
Mega turns up in Uganda and Ethiopia as well as Indonesia, though it is scarce everywhere. The best known bearer is Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Sukarnoputri, known as Mega or Megawati, an Indonesian politician and the country’s first female president. Megawati means cloud goddess, so if the clouds alone are not enough for you, the longer version is right there.
- Origin: Indonesian
- Meaning: The clouds
- Pronunciation: MEH-ga, MEH-guh
- Namesakes: Megawati “Mega” Sukarnoputri, a former Indonesian president.
- Popularity: Mega ranked 330th in Indonesia in 2014. Mega holds #6,329 in the U.S. figures for 2025.
Megumi
Megumi is common in its homeland, where its rise through the seventies and eighties put it in the top ten between 1973 and 1988. It means grace, blessing, love, and shortens naturally to Meg or Megu. If you are choosing it for its rarity in the west, resist leaning on Meg, or you will lose the thing that drew you to it.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Grace, blessing, love
- Pronunciation: meh-GOO-mee, MEH-GOO-mee
- Namesakes: Megumi Fujii, a retired Japanese mixed martial artist. Megumi Nakajima, a Japanese voice actress and singer.
- Popularity: In Japan, Megumi ranked 374th in 2022. In U.S. births, Megumi sat at #12,734 in 2025. Its best American showing was #4,158 in 1991.
Meilin
Meilin is simply cute. The references to woodland and glossy fruit might give your daughter an early appreciation for the outdoors. Another rendering translates as beautiful female unicorn, which does exist and is worth knowing about. There are further meanings behind it, enough to keep the name interesting long after the novelty wears off.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Plum jade, beautiful forest
- Pronunciation: MAY-lihn
- Variations: Mei-lin, Mei Lin, Meirin
- Namesakes: Alyssa Meilin Gray, an American singer-songwriter of Chinese descent. Mei Lin Ong, a Malaysian former backstroke and medley swimmer.
- Popularity: In 2022, Meilin placed in the top ten names in Taiwan and the top 300 in China. United States data puts Meilin at #6,256 in 2025.
Mima
Mima is about as endearing as a name gets. Bulgaria has kept it in circulation, and the meanings range from young woman to beautiful horse to dove depending on the tradition. MiMi or Mimi keeps the youthfulness going for a vintage pick.
- Origin: Burmese, Japanese, Hebrew
- Meaning: Young woman, beautiful horse, dove
- Pronunciation: mee-MA
- Namesakes: Mima Ito, a Japanese table tennis player who placed 3rd at a Summer Olympics event, at age 15. Mima Shimoda, a Japanese female professional wrestler.
- Popularity: Mima has not surfaced in United States birth data since 2022, when it stood at #13,152. Its best American showing was #1,504, in 1935.
Mingxia
Around the world, Mingxia is used exclusively for girls. It is found in China and across parts of southeast Asia, and it means bright halo. Your baby may not come with an actual halo, but the sentiment holds. Do not let the pronunciation put you off.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Bright halo, shining halo
- Pronunciation: MIHN-shee-ya, MEEN-shee-ya
- Namesakes: Minxia Yang, a Chinese female race walker. Mingxia Fu, a retired Chinese diver and the youngest diving champion ever.
- Popularity: Mingxia ranked in the top 800 in China in 2014.
Nami
Go with the flow and let the waves carry you to Nami, which means ocean waves. In the anime One Piece, Nami is a member of the main pirate crew, written as cunning and sexy, and she and the other female leads have been both celebrated and criticized for that treatment. The name itself stays easy and unhurried.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Ocean waves, red apple, beautiful
- Pronunciation: NA-mee
- Variations: Na-mi
- Namesakes: Nami Tamaki, a Japanese pop singer. Nami Teshima, born Nami Kimoto, a retired Japanese female judo wrestler.
- Popularity: In 2014, Nami cracked the top 500 in Japan. American records rank Nami #1,404 as of 2025.
Nana
Nana may read as a relic in the United States, but it is not outdated everywhere. It surfaces in Greek, Indian, and Indonesian contexts, sometimes masculine, sometimes feminine, sometimes both. It is also the title of a Japanese anime and manga built around two protagonists who share it. The Japanese meanings, seven and calm summer, are the ones that suit a baby best.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Seven, calm summer
- Pronunciation: NA-na
- Namesakes: Nana Komatsu, a Japanese actress and model. Nana Mizuki, a Japanese voice actress, narrator, and singer.
- Popularity: Nana’s best U.S. showing was #1,360 in 1921. Nana holds #7,045 in the U.S. figures for 2025.
Naomi
Naomi is used almost everywhere. Because it arose independently in two unrelated traditions, it works as a meeting point between them rather than a borrowing from one into the other. Naomi Osaka embodies that neatly, sharing this Japanese and Hebrew moniker with Naomi Campbell.
- Origin: Japanese, Hebrew
- Meaning: Straight, beautiful, pleasantness
- Pronunciation: NA-oh-mee, nay-OH-mee, NEYE-OH-mee, NO-mee
- Variations: Noemi, Nohemí, Noomi
- Namesakes: Naomi Osaka, a Japanese professional tennis player. Naomi Watanabe, a Japanese comedian, and fashion designer. Naomi Campbell, a British model, actress, and singer.
- Popularity: Naomi was hot on the charts at 54th in the U.S. in 2021 and 66th in Kenya in 2014. In U.S. births, Naomi sat at #47 in 2025. Its high-water mark in the U.S. was #44 in 2023.
Nari
Nari is a four-letter name for a four-letter flower. Lily is lovely and has been used to exhaustion, so this is the move for parents who like the idea and want a fresher delivery. The figure skater Naomi Nari Nam did a lot to put it in front of American families.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Lily
- Pronunciation: NA-ree
- Variations: Na-ri
- Namesakes: Naomi Nari Nam, an American former competitive figure skater. Na-ri Kim, a South Korean tennis player.
- Popularity: Nari placed 126th in Cambodia while its hanja variation, Na-ri, ranked 1299th in South Korea. United States data puts Nari at #3,559 in 2025.
Natsuko
Expecting between June and August? Natsuko means summer child, and there is no sarcasm intended. There are plenty of breezy seasonal options, and this is the classic among them. It is also easy to say, though the middle syllable often comes out faint.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Summer child
- Pronunciation: NA-tsoo-koh, NA-ts-koh
- Namesakes: Natsuko Sone, a Japanese competitive eater. Natsuko Yokosawa, a Japanese actress and comedian. Natsuko Aso, a Japanese actress, and singer.
- Popularity: Natsuko was 495th in Japan in 2014. Stateside, the last entry for Natsuko is #9,366 in 1994.
Nhung
Nhung has a soft, rubbery sound that matches its meaning better than its spelling suggests. It means velvet, and the second reading, the young antlers of a deer, is just as gentle. A mainstay among girl names in Vietnam, it is not going anywhere.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Velvet, young antlers (of a deer)
- Pronunciation: n-YUNG-g
- Namesakes: Thị Hồng Nhung Khương, a Vietnamese chess player and title-holder. Phi Nhung Pham, a Vietnamese-American singer, actress, and humanitarian.
- Popularity: In 2014, Nhung came in at 69th place in Vietnam. In the United States, Nhung last showed up in the federal name data at #17,369 in 2002. Its best American showing was #4,228 in 1983.
Nin
Nin is a multicultural pick, three letters long, with etymologies that run from the ornamental to the practical. In China it is used as a surname meaning year, grain, and harvest. In Thai it means sapphire. Two very different ideas, one very small name.
- Origin: Thai, Hebrew, Chinese
- Meaning: Sapphire, grace, harvest
- Pronunciation: NIN
- Popularity: Nin took the 760th spot in Vietnam in 2014. U.S. records last list Nin at #13,651, back in 1998.
Odval
Odval means chrysanthemum and sounds like it belongs to a character in a fantasy novel, which is a compliment. Most Mongolian names stay within Mongolia, though in Brazil and Costa Rica Odval turns up as a boy’s name, for reasons nobody has satisfactorily explained.
- Origin: Mongolian
- Meaning: Chrysanthemum
- Pronunciation: OH-dvul, od-VAHL
- Popularity: Although Odval is a Mongolian name, it doesn’t appear on the charts. Fewer than five babies a year receive Odval in the United States, which keeps it out of the published federal data entirely.
Orraya
Orraya is scarce enough to be almost private. Besides Thailand, the only countries where it is recorded at all are Norway and Sweden. It means intelligent lady, and the sound would sit comfortably alongside western names if anyone gave it the chance.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Intelligent lady
- Pronunciation: OH-reye-ah
- Popularity: Orraya does not make the top 1,000 names in Thailand.
Pam
In English, Pam is a shortened form of Pamela. Its presence in the Philippines looks like straightforward cultural adoption. However it got there, it means all honey, and for a newborn daughter it is hard to do sweeter than that.
- Origin: Filipino, Greek
- Meaning: All honey, sweetness
- Pronunciation: PAM
- Namesakes: Pam Warren, a British professional speaker and author. Pam Hallandal, an Australian artist.
- Popularity: In the U.S., Pam peaked at 125th in 1959 but fell out of the top 1,000 after 1973. Pam has not surfaced in United States birth data since 1996, when it stood at #15,216.
Parima
Parima is a practical pick for parents having their first girl, since that is exactly what it means. Though it seems more popular in Thailand than in India, the difference may come down to population size. Parima is also a mountain range straddling the Brazil and Venezuela border, a topographical bonus for down-to-earth families.
- Origin: Thai, Indian
- Meaning: First born
- Pronunciation: pa-REE-MAH
- Popularity: Parima is most prevalent in India and Thailand but doesn’t make the top 1,000.
Phuong
Phuong has a musical lift to it, which may explain how many of its bearers ended up singing for a living. It means phoenix, and like the firebird, a small Phuong can burn brightly. Its standing at home only adds to the case.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Phoenix, direction
- Pronunciation: fw-ONG
- Namesakes: Bùi Thị Phương Thanh, a contemporary Vietnamese singer. Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Vy, a Vietnamese singer who won the first season of Vietnam Idol in 2007.
- Popularity: Phuong ranked 9th place in Vietnam in 2014. Stateside, the last entry for Phuong is #18,626 in 2013. Its high-water mark in the U.S. was #1,409 in 1984.
Ping
Ping looks like the sound a struck bell makes, which is a fair description of the name. It is a popular name in China and means peaceful or stable. For a pretty name that feels grounded rather than delicate, this is the pick.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Peaceful, stable, duckweed
- Pronunciation: P-ee-ong
- Namesakes: Ping Lang, a Chinese former volleyball player and current head coach of the women’s national team. Ping Wang, a Chinese-American professor, writer, and artist.
- Popularity: In 2014, Ping placed in the top 20 names in China. In the United States, Ping last showed up in the federal name data at #15,114 in 1994.
Priya
Priya is easy on the ears and means dear or beloved. It does well in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, both home to large East Indian populations. If you do not want to go too far off the map with Asian baby names, this one is familiar almost everywhere. Pri is the obvious short form.
- Origin: Indian
- Meaning: Dear, beloved
- Pronunciation: PREE-ya, PREE-yah
- Variations: Pria
- Namesakes: Priya Anand, an Indian actress and model. Priya Krishna, an Indian-American food journalist, Youtuber, and author. Priya Basil, a British author and activist.
- Popularity: In Fiji, Priya blew up in 2014 at 55th place. American records rank Priya #1,956 as of 2025.
Qing
Qing is not said like king, and it is not qw-ing either. Treat the q as a ch and you are most of the way there. A fictional bearer is Yu Qing Luo from the Chinese drama Qing Lou, though it also works as a surname. Either way the meaning, azure, gives it an expensive kind of shine, and paired with the Chinese word for “dragon,” it becomes Qinglong, the Azure Dragon.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Azure, blue-green
- Pronunciation: CHEEN, CHEENG, CHIHNG
- Variations: Ching, Ch’ing
- Popularity: In 2014, Qing made the top 20 names in China and the top 100 in Hong Kong. U.S. records last list Qing at #17,741, back in 2003.
Qiu
Short as it is, Qiu is a seasonal name and doubles as a surname. The revolutionary and writer Qiu Jin is its best known bearer, and her name reads literally as autumn gem. Even if your daughter is not a fall baby, this beats reaching for Autumn again.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Autumn, hill
- Pronunciation: CHYOH
- Variations: Chiu, Hiu
- Namesakes: Qiu Jin, a Chinese revolutionary, feminist, and author.
- Popularity: In Singapore, Qiu ranked 637th in 2014. There is no U.S. ranking for Qiu: the federal dataset leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year.
Quyen
Quyen is lively and fashionable in Vietnam, and in the U.S. it is carried by surgeon and professor Quyen T. Nguyen. As a surname, Quyen means “powerful,” and as a first name it means “a kind of bird.” Let her fly.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: A kind of bird, powerful
- Pronunciation: gu-YEN
- Variations: Quyên, Quyễn, Quyền
- Namesakes: Quyen T. Nguyen, an American surgeon and professor.
- Popularity: Quyen ranked 93rd in Vietnam in 2014. Quyen holds #14,523 in the U.S. figures for 2025.
Roro
Roro already sounds like a nickname, which saves you a step. In Indonesian folklore, Nyai Roro Kidul is a supernatural figure with many names, usually pictured as a mermaid controlling the waves of the Indian Ocean. The name also appears in parts of Africa, including Morocco and Ethiopia, and it means nobility.
- Origin: Indonesian
- Meaning: Nobility
- Pronunciation: ROH-ROH
- Namesakes: Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, an Indonesian politician with the People’s Representative Council.
- Popularity: Roro placed 615th in Egypt in 2014.
Ruoxi
Ruoxi is calm and slightly mysterious, and its meaning, resembles the night tide, is responsible for both. It stays rare, which is most of the appeal. Despite the gap between its spelling and its sound, it has found homes in the United States, Australia, and England.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Resembles the night tide
- Pronunciation: ZHOO-ah-shee, ZHOE-shee
- Variations: Ruòxī
- Namesakes: Ruoxi Chen, a Taiwanese author.
- Popularity: Ruoxi is the most popular in Taiwan, Thailand, and China. In U.S. births, Ruoxi sat at #12,931 in 2025.
Ruri
Ruri gets our vote. It is a Japanese girl’s name with several kanji readings, including ones that translate as genuine and as current or flow. In Thailand, Indonesia, and India it is also a girl’s name, though a handful of countries use it for boys. Lapis lazuli is the meaning that sticks.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Lapis lazuli, village
- Pronunciation: ROO-ree
- Namesakes: Ruri Mizutani, a Japanese model and vocalist for the rock group Bon-Bon Blanco.
- Popularity: Ruri is mostly found in Japan and Indonesia, where it ranked within the top 4,000 names in 2014. Ruri has not surfaced in United States birth data since 2021, when it stood at #14,935.
Ryoko
Ryoko means refreshing child and generally lives up to it. It is well established in Japan and familiar from anime, and its bearers tend to be tough, sharp, or both. Ryoko Hakubi of the Tenchi Muyo series is a space pirate, and Ryōko Sakaki of Food Wars is a culinary student with a similar streak.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Refreshing child, helpful child
- Pronunciation: ree-OH-koh
- Namesakes: Captain Ryoko Azuma, the first woman to become a warship unit chief in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Ryoko Chiba, a Japanese women’s professional shogi player.
- Popularity: Ryoko was 49th on the Japanese charts in 2014. Stateside, the last entry for Ryoko is #17,972 in 2017. Its best American showing was #11,743 in 1981.
Sadako
Most western readers know Sadako from the horror franchise The Ring. Others know it from Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes and the fate of Sadako Sasaki. Set the associations aside and the name itself means auspicious child, or child of integrity, which is a strong thing to hand a daughter. It is still reasonably common in Japan and has never taken hold elsewhere.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Auspicious child, chaste child, child of integrity
- Pronunciation: SA-A-DA-A-koh
- Namesakes: Empress Teimei of Japan, born Sadako Kujō. Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese survivor of the Hiroshima bombing. Sadako Pointer, a Blasian American singer.
- Popularity: Sadako made it to the 74th spot in Japan in 2014. In the United States, Sadako last showed up in the federal name data at #4,923 in 1940.
Sakura
Sakura reads as the stereotypical Japanese name, and that reputation is earned. It climbed in Japan through the 2000s, and almost everyone has met a Sakura, real or fictional. Sakura Haruno of Naruto is the one most people name first. Cherry blossom is the meaning, and it fits the name perfectly.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Cherry blossom
- Pronunciation: SA-koo-ra
- Namesakes: Sakura Oda, a Japanese pop singer and dancer. Sakura Tsukagoshi, a professional Japanese cyclist. Sakura Tsukuba, a Japanese manga artist.
- Popularity: Sakura ranked in the top 3,000 in Japan and the top 600 in Myanmar (Burma) in 2014. United States data puts Sakura at #2,925 in 2025.
Sarasa
In Hindi, Sarasa means swan or crane. In Japanese it refers to light patterned cotton, the fabric known in English as chintz. Both readings suggest something delicate, and the soft s sounds carry that through.
- Origin: Indian, Japanese
- Meaning: Swan, chintz
- Pronunciation: sa-RA-sa
- Variations: Sharasa
- Namesakes: Sarasa Ifu, a Japanese songstress.
- Popularity: Sarasa is most popular in India and Malaysia but doesn’t make their top 1,000 names.
Shanhu
Shanhu is a Chinese nature name that has never had its moment. It means coral, and it captures the idea of a daughter who is both precious and beautiful without saying either word out loud.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Coral
- Pronunciation: shun-HOO
- Variations: Shān hú
- Popularity: In 2014, Shanhu ranked 8,895th in China. Shanhu clears no U.S. reporting threshold, so American name data does not list it at all.
Shiyun
Some people will tell you not to leave your baby’s name up to fate. Shiyun, which means exactly that, makes the counterargument. The sound is sharp and decisive, and it fits a child her parents already expect big things from.
- Origin: Chinese, Korean
- Meaning: Fate
- Pronunciation: sh-YOON
- Variations: Shi-yun, Shī-yún, Shi-yeon, Si-yun, Si-yeon, Shi-yon
- Namesakes: Shi-yeon Sung, a South Korean classical music conductor.
- Popularity: Shiyun is in the top 1,000 names in Hong Kong and Singapore but falls just short in Taiwan and China.
Soon-ja
Soon-ja is upright, decent, and undeniably dated. Girls’ names using the hanja for soon appear to have fallen out of fashion in South Korea after the late 1940s. For parents who like a vintage find, that is the recommendation rather than the drawback.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Obedient child
- Pronunciation: suun-JA
- Variations: Sun-ja
- Namesakes: Soon-ja Lee, the former first lady of Korea and widow of President Chun Doo-hwan.
- Popularity: In 1940, Soon-ja ranked 7th in Korea’s top ten but has since declined in usage.
Tham
Tham is common in Vietnam, and it is easy to see why. It is simple to write, simple to say, and the meaning, of discreet grace, is quietly flattering. Bhutan and Cambodia use it too, for boys and girls alike. Tam and Tammy follow naturally from the sound.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Of discreet grace
- Pronunciation: TAM
- Namesakes: Tham Simpson, a Canadian paralympic athlete from Vietnam.
- Popularity: In Vietnam, Tham came 186th on the charts in 2014. Fewer than five babies a year receive Tham in the United States, which keeps it out of the published federal data entirely.
Tomoe
Tomoe carries several strong meanings at once. In Japan, a tomoe is a comma-shaped symbol used in religious emblems and heraldic badges, and the name also reads as friend and blessing, or intelligence. Its notable bearers have tended toward strength or scholarship, which lines up with the symbolism well.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Friend and blessing, spiral, intelligence
- Pronunciation: toh-moh-EH, toh-moh-AY
- Namesakes: Tomoe Gozen, a Japanese female warrior of the Heian period. Tomoe Abe, a Japanese ultramarathon and marathon runner. Tomoe Yamashiro, a Japanese novelist and activist.
- Popularity: Tomoe placed in the top 300 in Japan in 2014, but is also popular in Brazil and Thailand. U.S. records last list Tomoe at #4,248, back in 1934.
Tsukushi
Tsukushi is modern and has never caught on, which is part of its charm. In Boys Over Flowers, Tsukushi Makino is mocked because her name means horsetail plant, a perennial weed. Weeds are tough and they come back stronger, which is a better lesson than the bullies intended.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Horsetail plant
- Pronunciation: tsu-KOO-shee
- Namesakes: Tsukushi, a Japanese professional wrestler and actress.
- Popularity: Tsukushi is rare worldwide and ranks far outside the top 1,000 names in Japan.
Tuyen
Tuyen is most common in Vietnam and could travel much further than it has. It is technically unisex and lands on girls more often. Bright and airy already, some have suggested Tuyen means “snow.”
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Angel, ray
- Pronunciation: too-WEN
- Namesakes: Tuyen Do, a London-raised Vietnamese actress, and director known for Different for Girls.
- Popularity: Tuyen ranked 84th in Vietnam in 2014. Tuyen has not surfaced in United States birth data since 1999, when it stood at #16,795.
Ume
Ume is named for the Prunus mume, the Japanese plum, whose flowers are usually called plum blossoms. Japan tends to file it under old-fashioned. If your baby is due in February or March, though, note that this is exactly when those blossoms open.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Plum, apricot
- Pronunciation: oo-MEH, oo-MAY
- Namesakes: Ume Aoki, a Japanese manga artist.
- Popularity: Ume ranked near the top 1,000 in Japan and Pakistan in 2014. Stateside, the last entry for Ume is #19,030 in 2014.
Urassaya
Urassaya looks long and complicated and is neither once you say it. You have a beautiful daughter, and the name means beautiful daughter. Urassaya Sperbund goes by Yaya, and Saya works just as well.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Daughter, beauty
- Pronunciation: YOO-ra-seye-ah
- Namesakes: Urassaya Sperbund, a Thai-Norwegian actress and model.
- Popularity: Urassaya appears only in Thailand and does not rank in the top 1,000, making it very rare.
Vanya
Vanya is plainly pretty with a slightly haunted edge. Vanya Hargreeves of The Umbrella Academy is the best known bearer, and fittingly for a name this musical, the character is known as The White Violin. It is a girl’s name almost everywhere, with Russia going the other way and using it for boys.
- Origin: Indian, Hebrew, Greek
- Meaning: Deity of forests, gracious gift of God
- Pronunciation: VAHN-ya
- Variations: Vanja
- Namesakes: Vanya Mishra, a former actress and pageant titleholder from India. Vanya Shtereva, a Bulgarian singer and author.
- Popularity: In Bulgaria, Vanya placed 81st in 2014. American records rank Vanya #2,408 as of 2025.
Vui
Break out the smiles with Vui, which means cheerful. This short, upbeat Vietnamese pick has spread through southeast Asia and Samoa. Its use for boys or girls is a mixed bag, though in Canada, the United States, and Vietnam it leans female.
- Origin: Vietnamese
- Meaning: Cheerful, merry
- Pronunciation: VOOY
- Popularity: In 2014, Vui was 302nd on the Vietnamese charts. There is no U.S. ranking for Vui: the federal dataset leaves out any name given to fewer than five babies in a year.
Wakako
Wakako is reasonably common in Japan and looks unfamiliar in the west, which is the only real obstacle. Japanese-American writer Wakako Yamauchi carried the name well before that unfamiliarity, proof it travels fine. Worldwide it is used exclusively for girls, and the meanings, child of peace and child of harmonious song, are as gentle as the sound.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Child of peace, young child, child of harmonious song
- Pronunciation: WA-ka-koh
- Namesakes: Wakako Kishimoto, a Japanese designer and co-founder of a British fashion company. Wakako Yamauchi, a Japanese-American writer.
- Popularity: Wakako ranked in the top 1,000 in Japan in 2014.
Wan
Wan is widely used in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Brunei, where it ranks within the top 100 in each. It also serves as a surname, and in 2008 it placed 88th among the most common family names in China. As a given name it means gentle or gracious, and it is about as compact as a name can get.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Gentle, gracious, ten thousand
- Pronunciation: WAHN
- Variations: Ban, Man
- Namesakes: Imperial Consort Wan of the Chenghua Emperor, during the Ming dynasty.
- Popularity: Wan ranked in the top 1,000 names in China in 2014. In the United States, Wan last showed up in the federal name data at #15,550 in 1992.
Wila
Wila comes from Thailand and means feline. A name that suggests a nimble cat sets a certain expectation, and small children generally meet it. Expect your wispy Wila to spring from one activity to the next with no warning.
- Origin: Thai
- Meaning: Feline
- Pronunciation: WIH-lah, WEE-lah
- Popularity: Wila took the 843rd spot in Ecuador in 2014. Wila holds #17,130 in the U.S. figures for 2025.
Xiaoyan
Xiaoyan puts birdsong at daybreak in your head, which is what it means. An “X” girl’s name through and through, it also carries readings like small bamboo, cliff or rocks, and to know. China’s affection for it is no accident given that flexibility, and the soprano Xiaoyan Zhou has done the name no harm either.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Dawn swallow, small swallow
- Pronunciation: SHEE-ow-yan
- Variations: Hsiao-yen, Xiao-yan
- Namesakes: Xiaoyan Cheng, a retired Chinese shot putter. Xiaoyan Zhou, a Chinese classical soprano, dubbed “China’s First Lady of Opera.”
- Popularity: Xiaoyan ranked 28th in China in 2014.
Xue Fang
Winter wonderland meets luxury perfume with Xue Fang. Fragrant snow is an enchanting thing to call a person, and the image it lands on is frost across an open field dotted with pines. Very few people anywhere carry it.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Fragrant snow
- Pronunciation: ZHWAY-FANG, ZHWAY-FAN
- Variations: Xuefang, Xue-fang
- Popularity: Xue Fang or Xuefang ranked 836th in China in 2014. Xue Fang clears no U.S. reporting threshold, so American name data does not list it at all.
Yihwa
Yihwa does sound a little like a cowboy’s yell, and it deserves better than to be crossed off for that. The name points to the pink and white blooms of the plum and pear trees, which is imagery enough to earn it a second look. If you are still not sold, consider it for a middle name.
- Origin: Korean, Thai
- Meaning: Pear blossom, plum blossom, soul, heart
- Pronunciation: YEE-hwa
- Variations: Yiwha, Yiwah, Yihua, Yi-Hwa
- Namesakes: Eva Yi-Hwa Chen, a Taiwanese businesswoman and CEO, named in the 2012 Forbes’ “Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen.”
- Popularity: Yihwa is most prevalent in the U.S. and Thailand but doesn’t make the top 1,000 in either country.
Yoko
Yoko should not be confused with the masculine Yōkō or Youkou, which is written and said differently. The meanings on offer are unusually good: ocean child, leaf child, crystal child, talented child, willow child. Pick the one that suits and the name does the rest.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Ocean child, leaf child, crystal child
- Pronunciation: YOH-koh
- Variations: Yōko, Youko
- Namesakes: Yoko Ono, a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, and activist.
- Popularity: Yoko is extremely popular at 7th in Japan in 2014. U.S. records last list Yoko at #17,577, back in 2021. Its high-water mark in the U.S. was #2,682 in 1933.
Yue
Most people will agree that Yue’s lunar etymology gives it an otherworldly quality. In Avatar: The Last Airbender, the princess of the Northern Water Tribe carries it, silver hair and all. Yue also works as a Chinese surname, and depending on dialect and characters it can mean blessed or pearl.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Moon
- Pronunciation: YOO-ay
- Variations: Yueh
- Popularity: Yue ranked 26th in China in 2014 and also highly in other countries. In U.S. births, Yue sat at #9,438 in 2025.
Yumei
Yumei means jade plum, and the picture is worth pausing on: a fruit already glossy and sweet, given the deep sheen of a gemstone. It has done well across the region. Put that on a birth certificate.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Jade plum
- Pronunciation: OO-mehy, OO-may
- Variations: Yu-mei
- Namesakes: Yu-mei Chen, a Taiwanese politician. Yumei Chen, a Chinese actress and singer. Yumei Liu, a Chinese former handball player.
- Popularity: Yumei ranked 23rd in Thailand and 157th in China in 2014.
Zhen
Zhen is traditional without being dusty. Empress Zhen lends it a certain royal polish, and the meanings, precious, genuine, chaste, back that up. It suits a small person who is already running the household.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Precious, genuine, chaste
- Pronunciation: JEN, CHEN
- Namesakes: Empress Zhen, one of Emperor Shizong’s two wives during China’s Liao dynasty.
- Popularity: Zhen ranked 33rd in China in 2014. United States data puts Zhen at #11,993 in 2025. Its best American showing was #4,884 in 2023.
Zi
Call your baby Zi and she will be writing her own name before her classmates finish theirs. Beyond graceful and beautiful, Zi carries readings including multiply, grow, and rose. That is a lot of good wishes in a two-letter package.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Graceful, beautiful
- Pronunciation: TSEE
- Popularity: In 2014, Zi ranked 761st in Malaysia. Zi has not surfaced in United States birth data since 2017, when it stood at #18,420.
Zolzaya
Zolzaya takes a little practice and pays it back. It is one of the few Mongolian options for girls beginning with Z, and it means fate, luck, and destiny. Wish your daughter good fortune with it, then try Zoly, Zaya, or Zo when the full version is too much of a mouthful.
- Origin: Mongolian
- Meaning: Fate, luck, destiny
- Pronunciation: ts-OHL-ts-EYE-a
- Variations: Zolzayaa
- Namesakes: Zolzaya Badral, a Chevening scholarship awardee. Zolzaya Batkhuyag, an attorney, activist, and artist.
- Popularity: In 2014, Zolzaya placed 1,069th in Mongolia. Fewer than five babies a year receive Zolzaya in the United States, which keeps it out of the published federal data entirely.
