Meaningful Name / Anime & Manga

Meaningful Names are quite common in Anime and Manga, since Japanese names are written in kanji characters, which may have several layers of meaning and/or alternate pronunciations.

Anime with their own pages:

• Pretty Cure
• Sailor Moon

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#-A

• 7 Seeds should take first prize. When choosing the 35 people who shall repopulate the world after a meteorite obliterates everyone else, the Japanese decide to pick only people whose names refer to the seasonal name of the group. This is because there won't be seasons after the End of the World as We Know It. Examples include the Spring Group (Hana: "flower"), Summer Group A (Nijiko: "rainbow"), Summer Group B (Natsu: "summer". Yeah, they did that.) Fall Group (Ryoya, the Mid-Autumn Fall Festival), and Winter Group (Fubuki:"snow storm").
• 07-Ghost has a lot of these. Mostly in German.
  • Teito's surname is "Klein", which means "small" in German. Fits him well, since he's very, very short. His real first name is “Wahrheit”, which means “truth” in German. This is a hint at Teito’s mission; finding out the truth about the world.
  • Frau’s name, funnily enough, means “woman” in German, however his name might be a reference to the German legend “Faust”, there the titular protagonist was previously a man of God, but made a deal with the Devil for the Devil’s powers in exchange for his soul. Frau, who is a Bishop, has the Death God's, Verloren’s, scythe.
  • Although it sounds like he’s named after a dog breed at first, Labrador’s name probably comes from the flower known as Bog Labrador tea, which is used in herbal teas, with herbalism being a field Labrador excels at, or Marsh Labrador tea, which causes delirium. Illusions are one of Labrador’s abilties. His real name, Ilyusha, is the Russian version of “Elijah”, as in the prophet. This is likely a reference to Labrador being a prophet himself.
  • Castor means “beaver” in French and Greek, but his name likely comes from the Castor of Greek/Roman mythology. Castor had a twin, Pollux. There is a Greek legend that says when one twin got mortally injured, the other twin shared his life-force, allowing his brother to live. Tying the lives of people together is Castor’s power as Fest. His real name, Xing-lu, can have multiple meanings in Chinese, including “traveler” and “to travel”. This may be a reference to his wish to travel the world with Lazette when he was alive.
  • Kreuz’s, who is a man of God, name is the German word for cross/crucifix.
  • Some of the Black Hawks; Ayanami, Hyuuga, Katsuragi, Yukikaze and Suzunami, are named after famous Japanese warships. Wakaba also seems to follow this trend. Ironically, Yukikaze (the ship) was the only member of its class to survive WWII, but Yukikaze (the character) is the only member of the Black Hawks who has not survived. That is, at least in the beginning of the series.
  • Konatsu is the name of a citric fruit in Japan, which differs from other citric fruits in that its white rind is sweet and edible, while the others are bitter and inedible. This is a reference to Konatsu being the only member of a Warsfeil family who is not a Warsfeil; or being the only non-Warsfeil member of the Black Hawks, a group of Warsfeil. Konatsu (the fruit) is also called “Hyuuganatsu” in some parts of Japan. Matching names!!
  • The first half of Kuroyuri’s name, “Kuro", is a boy’s name (meaning “black”), and the second half, “Yuri”, is a girl’s name (meaning “lily”). Kuroyuri’s gender is unknown.
  • While Yukinami has a matching name with his twin, Suzunami, his name is likely a mixture of “Yukikaze” and “Ayanami”, as Yukikaze was Ayanami's begleiter before Yukinami came.
  • The Oaks are a prestigious and wealthy noble family. The oak leaf is commonly seen on military awards and insignia, is a symbol of strength, and the oak tree is the national tree of Germany.
  • The names of the Seven Ghosts (except Ea) are all references to their abilities (and German).
    • Although it is commonly spelled as “Zehel” in the community, the Ghost’s name is most likely “Sichel”, which means “scythe” in German. Not only does Sichel, like all the other Ghosts, use a scythe, but the latest reincarnation, Frau, has Verloren’s Scythe.
    • Profe comes from “prophet”, referring to the Ghost’s ability of seeing the future.
    • Fest’s name might come from “Feste”, which means “fortress” or “stronghold” in German. This could refer to the bonds of comradeship found in the military, as Fest has the ability to tie the souls of two people together.
    • Relikt, a German word, translates to “relic”. Relic in Latin translates to something that remains or something that is left behind, which describes Relikt’s ability.
    • Vertrag means “contract” in German, which refers to the contract that Vertrag (the Ghost) must make before a soul can be taken and controlled.
    • The German word for “map” is “Landkarte”. Landkarte is the Ghost that has the ability to teleport.
  • “Verloren” means “lost” in German and Dutch.
  • Eve is the name of the first human woman in abrahamic religions. It can mean “living one” or “source of life”, which might reference her becoming the light in everyone after falling onto earth.
• The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You: Several of Rentarou's girlfriends have names that describe their personalities - for example, Gentle Giant Nature Lover Yamame's name means "Kindness Mountain Woman", while Kishika (who takes it upon herself to look after others) has a name meaning "Knight".
• The "retsu" in "Retsuko" means "furious," and Retsuko's anger at her annoying and incompetent coworkers getting in the way of her job is the crux of the franchise.
• The title of Ai Yori Aoshi is taken from the proverb "Ao wa ai yori idete ai yori aoshi", meaning "Blue comes from indigo, yet it is bluer than indigo". (It's about students surpassing their teachers.) The main character's name is Aoi, a variant of that word for blue — the sneaky part is that it's only pronounced that way. The kanji for her name actually means "hollyhock". Many other names in the series are meaningful:
  • Aoi's family name is Sakuraba, which means "cherry blossom garden" — a good match with Kaoru, which means "fragrant".
  • Miyabi, who's been training Aoi all her life in the ways of the Yamato Nadeshiko, has a name that means "refinement".
  • Taeko, the Cute Clumsy Girl, has a name meaning "delicate child".
  • Mayu's name means "cocoon", and she's both a sheltered rich girl and a silk heiress.
  • The Hard-Drinking Party Girl's name is Tina Foster, though this may actually be a reference to the dissonance between her caucasian (American) ethnicity and her Japanese cultural identity, as in a foster child.
  • There's also a pun in the title, since another word pronounced "ai" means "love" and it's a romantic show. To imitate this effect, the manga translation keeps the title Ai Yori Aoshi but adds "True Blue Love" as a subtitle.
• Ruth from The Ancient Magus' Bride is Chise's familiar. He shares her feelings, her power and her life. His former name is Ulysse/Yuris but Chise names him "Ruth" at the conclusion of their binding spell. Elias comments that it means "friend." It's also a name from the Bible associated with a passage fitting for a mage's familiar and Ruth's innate loyalty first to Isabel and then to Chise: But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried."
• Katou Yue in Angel Sanctuary was given his first name Yue by his father, because his wife cheated on him and so Yue obviously wasn't his child, always reminding him of the incident. Yue is a term used for children born dead or dying shortly after birth. (Generally it means something like tragic accident, lethal occurrence etc) The name didn't work as a bad omen, as Katou was able to grow into a annoying teenager, but while the manga goes on, he gets killed once and sacrifices himself three times getting always beyond the border of death... before jumping right back into action, always more killing and slashing. In the end, he uses a doomsday device too summon a meteor smashing heaven saving Setsuna a third time and ultimately leaving Yuki no time to resurrect him before the series ending
• Many names in the movie Appleseed are references to Greek mythology. Most notably, General Uranus is named after the titan who devours his own children, and his goal is to destroy the Bioroids who can be considered children of humanity. Furthermore, his plan would inadvertently cause the whole mankind to become infertile. There's also Colonel Hades, whose name has more to do with Satan than the Greek god of the Underworld. Finally, Prime Minister Athena is named after the goddess of wisdom.
• The protagonist of Arata: The Legend, Hinohara, practically spells this out when he first introduces himself to Suguru — His given name, Arata, uses the kanji for "revolution." He basically receives his Hayagami to do just that.
• Characters' names in ARIA (formerly AQUA) are not really meaningful in any notable way, but there does seem to be a pattern: they all start with the English letter A, as well as the Japanese sound /a/.
  • The main Undines: Akari, Alicia, Aika, Akira, Alice, Athena. Three of them have Japanese names, the others have western names.
  • Recurring male characters: Akatsuki (a Salamander), Ayanokoji (a Sylph), Albert (a Gnome), Anno (a mailman)
• In Aruosumente, Legna's own name, which is backwards for Angel, his In-Series Nickname. As a sign of his office, he wears a cloak with angel wings on its back, as did his father Kian.
• Several in Assassination Classroom:
  • Korosensei is a pun on "korosenai" (unkillable) and "sensei" (teacher). Every attempt against his life has failed miserably and he is currently teaching his future murderers. Justified since it was a student who named him.
  • The resident Karmic Trickster Bully Hunter is called Karma.
• Ao in Asteroid in Love. Her name means "blue"^note Sure, "Ao" can mean blue or green, but an unanimated part of Chapter 16 established her name is taken to mean "blue" in-universe.. She has blue hair and blue eyes, and personality-wise she's a mixture of Blue Is Calm, Blue Means Smart One with a bit of Shy Blue-Haired Girl.
  • Gakushuu Asano's name means "excels at study". He is the best student in the complete school and The Ace.
• Astro Boy in the English translations has several recurring characters with apt names...Dr. Pakadurmus J. Elefun, Percival Pompous, Inspector Gumshoe, Cacciotore the Great, Dr. Astor Boyton. These meaningful monikers are only found in the English versions...in the original Japanese, the characters are usually given common Japanese surnames.
• In Attack on Titan, main protagonist Eren Yeager/Jaeger can be translated from Turkish and German into "Holy Hunter" or "Righteous Hunter".
  • One interpretation of the name Armin is "soldier". While initially, Armin looks like the character least fitting to be a soldier (as he joins the military just to see outside one day and does not possess high combat skills), he later becomes the commander of the Survey Corps thanks to his analytical genius and tactical skills.
  • Mikasa Ackerman is named after IJN Mikasa, a Japanese pre-dreadnought battleship that contributed to the defeat of the then-invincible Russian Baltic fleet. It also is the only remaining pre-dreadnought battleship in existence, similar to how Mikasa is the last Asian. Levi's surname is also Ackerman, however, the meaning behind this has yet to be revealed. Ackerman also means "farmer", and works on a couple of levels: one slaughters animals (Mikasa has a particularly badass moment where she threatens a piggish merchant by telling him the only thing she's good at is carving meat), one who harvests (a literal reaper), and one who tends livestock. The Ackermans have been serving the dynasty that keeps humanity corralled by the Walls.
  • Annie's surname is Leonheart or "Lion heart", fitting that the female lioness is More Deadly Than the Male and she is one of the best fighters. But for irony, lionesses often work in tandem with others and Annie has the second lowest teamwork score among the 104th.
  • Krista Lenz sounds a lot like "crystal lens" which can magnify objects or make things appear clearer. Her real name Historia means history or "knowledge acquired from inquiry". Both names make sense since she has the authority to speak freely about the truth of the walls, which is why the heroes are told to ask her about.
  • Ymir is a reference to Norse mythology. Specifically, the mythical Ymir was ancestor to all giants and Ymir is hinted to have an elite status among titans, to the point where a Titan refers to her as "Ymir-sama". We later learn that she was named in-universe for the very first Titan to ever appear, a woman who was also named Ymir.
    • Ymir the giant was killed by the gods so they could use his corpse to build the world. He was used to build something great, but had no true agency on his own. Ymir the first titan was a slave who build a mighty empire because someone else ordered her to.
  • Bertholdt's surname is "Fubar". Coincidentally, he is the Colossal Titan, and FUBAR is military slang for "fucked up beyond all recognition/reason/repair. Isayama seems to have a thing for naming characters literally.
• Azumanga Daioh: Sakaki is a family name, but it's also a kind of tree, which makes sense. Further, the kanji used for sakaki combines "tree" and "god", and is often used for religious purposes in Shinto. Her "rival", Kagura? "Sacred dance" — a type of dance used in Shinto ceremonies. Especially appropriate given that Sakaki is passive, while Kagura is active.

B

• In Baby Steps, Eiichirou's nickname of "All-A" not only refers to the Japanese pronunciation of the first letter of his name, but also to his impeccable grades in every school subject.
• Meta example: Ryohgo Narita, the creator of Baccano!, chose the word not just because of the Italian motifs, but also because it describes how the story goes: "Baccano" is Italian for a din or ruckus: in other words, chaotic noise. Baccano's plot shifts frequently around a large and varied cast of characters connected together in small but significant ways but otherwise as different as can be so that you're following one group and then suddenly you're following another in a seemingly-disorganized mess.
• Several characters names have deeper meaning in Bakemonogatari:
  • The Fire Sisters take their nickname from the fact that the kanji used in their given names both have the character for fire [火]
  • Mayoi Hachikuji means "Lost Temple Eightynine" giving a bit more meaning to the fact that she was a lost spirit.
  • Senjougahara means "First Battlefield", as in the first person Araragi helps or the First Girl we see.
  • Kiss-Shot Acerola Orion Heart-Under-Blade is kind of a hard name to say, regardless of your spoken language, Meme then took the character for heart [心] and then put it under the character for blade [刃] giving her the fairly common name of Shinobu [忍]. The original name is meaningful in its own right, as her heart is literally under blade, a magical sword that she preserves inside her body.
  • Hanekawa Tsubasa is likely an ironic name, it means Feather River Wing and evokes bird imagery, which is funny for someone who is possessed by the spirit of a cat.
  • The Kanji used in Nadeko's given name is the exact same kanji (and has the same meaning as) the characters for Nadeshiko while her family name Sengoku translates, more or less, to civil war. Her name means the Maiden who is at war with herself. Think about that for a moment.
• In Bakuman。, the main characters do this on two occasions. Their pseudonym, "Muto Ashirogi," has its surname as a combination of "A" from "Azuki," "shiro" from "Mashiro" and "gi" from Takagi, and their given name, "Muto" is derived from the kanji for "dreams" and "coming true", symbolizing their desire for Mashiro and Takagi to succeed as mangaka and Mashiro to fulfill his promise and marry Azuki. The names of the main characters for Perfect Crime Party's are derived from "justice" and "truth," when in fact they are two kids who enjoy doing "perfect crimes," (albeit harmless pranks).
• Basquash! has Iceman Hotty. Outside a Bigfoot, he is has a calm, cool demeanor. Inside one, he goes into a frenzy while hurling balls with great force and shouting "DESTROY!!!"
• Berserk:
  • The main character is called Guts, which is English for well... a case of Fridge Brilliance when you realize not only does the character constantly spill them, the one thing you could say Guts has had since his birth is guts.
  • Casca, the deuteragonist’s name means “shell” in Portuguese which ties into Casca becoming a shell of her former self for most of the series. In the Journey to the Center of the Mind chapter Casca’s broken sanity is represented as a hollow doll. Also very fitting in relation to Guts her lover since he represents the internal literally and figuratively while she represents the external.
  • Big Bad Griffith’s name is of Welsh origin and means “strong chief” which is his initially role in the story as The Leader of the Band of Hawk. Griffith is also similar to “Griffin” which also means “strong leader” and is a mythical bird creature - Griffith has a bird-like helmet, armour with a winged design, leads the Band of Hawk and is considered the of “Hawk of Light”/“Hawk of Darkness”.
  • Puck takes his name from another mischievous fairy character from a famous Shakespearean play.
  • Void, the Greater-Scope Villain’s name relates to the Cosmic Horror Story that is the God Hand whom can unleash The Power of the Void upon those who are branded.
• The names Kyou and Asu of the sisters in Binbou Shimai Monogatari mean "today" and "tomorrow", respectively. It signifies the moments one should concentrate on in life and also gets mention in the opening theme.
• Black Butler's Grell Sutcliffe, co-Jack the Ripper with Ciel's aunt Angelina "Madame Red" Durless, shares her surname with Peter Sutcliffe, the original Jack the Ripoff
• Black Clover:
  • Asta is named after the demon Astaroth, which fits since he can wield devil powers. "Asta" is also a nickname for "Astrid", a Scandinavian name meaning "divine strength." Asta is incredibly muscular and strong due to years of intense physical training to make up for not having any magic.
  • Noelle's name refers to White Christmas (snow), and fits with "da Silva" (silver). Besides that, snow is just frozen water, and she has water powers.
  • Luck suits his happy, upbeat demeanor whenever he's not obsessed with fighting.
  • "Gauche" means awkward or left in French. He's a socially awkward jerk with a sister complex. He also has a mirror where his left eye would be that can instantaneously make many clones of a person.
  • Vanessa's surname Enoteca means "wine repository" in Italian, which is fitting for a Hard-Drinking Party Girl like her.
  • Charmy is similar to "charming", and she's a cute, friendly young woman who looks like a little girl.
  • Grey is a color associated with humility and sadness. She's very shy and suffered mistreatment from her stepfamily, causing her to have low self-esteem. Her eyes are also grey.
  • Zora's surname is Ideale, and he is a man with a very strong moral code, despite how he appears to other people.
  • Henry means "ruler of the home". He's the owner of the Black Bulls' hideout and his Recombination Magic changes its layout. His last name is Legolant, which sounds similar to Legoland.
  • Luck names Nero since it means "black", with her being an anti-bird with black feathers. Her real first name, "Secre", is Ukrainian for "secret", referring to how she's actually a human who is a servant of the first Wizard King who has been watching over Asta's grimoire. Her real last name is "Swallowtail" like the bird the swallow-tailed kite.
• Bleach should win a prize for this — not only are many names meaningful in isolation, but they also reflect the complex character relationships.
  • Ichigo's personal name is written with kanji that mean "to protect one thing". The pronunciation spawns several puns based on the homonyms "strawberry" and "one five". "Strawberry" crops up a lot in jokes about his unusual ginger hair, 15 is his age when the story begins, his favorite number, his birthday (July 15th), a sign on his door, and the design on one of his favorite t-shirts. His sister Yuzu combines part of his name ("Ichi") with the honorofic for "older brother" ("-niisan") to give him the nickname "One-Two-Three". A chapter cover depicts Ichigo as the frontman of a rock band called "Jetscape 15" — a pun on the literal translation of his full name ("Kurosaki" is written as "black promontory"). Ichigo's punny name is also connected to his sisters' names: "Yuzu" and "Karin" are also homonyms for types of fruit written with unrelated kanji. Kubo, who was unable to finish writing the manga as he originally planned due to severe ill-health, also deliberately wrapped up the story on Bleach's 15th anniversary as a nod to Ichigo's numerical theme.
  • Orihime (literally "Weaving Princess") is named after the celestial maiden in the Tanabata legend, who represented the star Vega. Her brother's name "Sora" literally means "sky", their family name translates literally as "upper well" (i.e., "dome of heaven"), and she is frequently connected to royal or celestial imagery in cover art. During her captivity in Hueco Mundo, the arrancar refer to her as the "princess" and nickname her "Princesa". In the "Jetscape 15" cover, Orihime appears as Vega Highwell, the literal translation of her name.
  • Byakuya Kuchiki is Ichigo's first major antagonist and "Byakuya" ("white verily") presents a direct opposition to "Kurosaki" ("black promontory"). During their climactic battle, their clashing powers are pure white and jet black respectively^note Less noticeable in the anime as the anime team changed most of his power to pink instead of the original white of the manga, and the fight itself occurs on a dark promontory that juts out from a forest of white, rotting trees ("Kuchiki" translates as "rotten wood").
  • Both Hitsugaya and Ukitake have white hair, and their personal names are "Toushirou" and "Juushirou" respectively. The word "shirou" means "white", and Hitsugaya's hated childhood nickname "Shirou-chan" (given to him by Hinamori, who still uses it even now he's captain) translates as "Whitey" or "Snowy". The "-shiro" in their names is coincidental: "-rou" is a standard masculine suffix and the "shi" comes from two unrelated kanji. Ukitake keeps trying to bond with Hitsugaya and when the irritated Hitsugaya finally loses patience with it and demands to know why Ukitake is always giving him gifts and sweets, Ukitake explains he feels they need to stick together due to both being "Shirou-chan".
  • Sado's personal name is Yasutora ("peaceful tiger"). Despite his great strength as a hand-to-hand fighter, he observes a strict code of honour in memory of his grandfather, fighting only to protect others but never himself.
  • The Ishida family all have personal names alluding to their Quincy lineage.
    • Souken's name is written with kanji meaning "religon/essence" and "bowstring", and can be interpreted as "the soul of the archer". Souken's past is the key to the Ishida family's unique status within the Quincy clan, including their use of unusual techniques and unorthodox acceptance of Soul Reapers. In accordance with traditional samurai naming practices, Souken incorporated the "bowstring" kanji from his own name to his son Ryuuken.
    • Ryuuken's name is written as "dragon/imperial" and "bowstring". The name suits his stern personality and fearsome power as a master archer. Ryuuken maintained the continuity of names by including the "dragon" kanji into his son's name, but his omission of the Quincy-appropriate "bowstring" kanji could also bee seen as an allusion to his dissaffection with the Quincy heritage.
    • Uryuu's name means "rain dragon". His signature technique is called "Licht Regen" ("Rain of Light"), where he rains 1200 arrows of light onto his enemy. In East Asian mythology, dragons and their power over the waters (especially rain) are symbols of the emperor's divine lineage and his power over his subjects: Uryuu's power has been revealed to hold the key to the Quincy King's defeat, something Ryuuken had secretly known about and prepared for at least nine years previously.
• Blue Exorcist protagonist Rin translates to phosphorus, which not only refers to his temperament but also phosphorus is named after Lucifer. Considering his biological father...
  • Mephisto Pheles is a play on Mephistopheles, the devil from Faust. His alias, Johann Faust, comes from the protagonist.
  • Yukio's name means "snow boy", both echoing his overall calm demeanor and hinting that he's more fragile than he seems.
• Another "Mamoru" comes from Blue Seed, although nobody really calls him by his first name (except for Valencia from the sequel OVA series); in this case, he was named by the Aragami who assigned him to protect Kaede. His last name, Kusanagi, is a reference to the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.
• In Brave10, there are a handful:
  • With a name like "Kamanosuke", it's pretty appropriate that he fights with a "kama" (sickle).
  • Also, Isanami is a female take on the legendary Miyoshi Isa, but that's certainly not all there is to her name, as she's the vessel for Izanami-no-Mikoto, a death goddess.
  • Rokuro and Nanakuma have this as part of their Theme Twin Naming, the sixth ("roku") and seventh ("nana") Unno heirs, making the order of precedence very clear to Nanakuma's eyes.
  • The other Rokuro also has significance, as being the sixth kid in a poor family is likely why he was abandoned, and so in the interest of the One Rokuro Limit he gets a Meaningful Rename to Benmaru, which was Yukimura's childhood name. The foreshadowing is heavy with this one, as his second Meaningful Rename is to Sanada Daisuke when Yukimura formally adopts him as his heir.

C

• Meow's kung-fu style in Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran is heavily inspired by the movements of cats.
• Tooya from Ceres, Celestial Legend is another example. His growth to his adult physical build took only ten nights, and he even explains this whenever someone asks him his name. "From 'ten' and 'night', Tooya."
• Cesare - Il Creatore che ha distrutto does this with a real historical figure. Miguel (a.k.a. Micheletto, Cesare Borgia's legendary right-hand assassin) has an ordinary enough name, but putting him next to the manga's original character Angelo, an innocent young Florentine who serves as the audience's window into Cesare's world, brings out the association of St. Michael the Archangel. A character in volume 2 of the manga says that Cesare needs both his angels by his side (the character had offered Miguel, who is Jewish, a place on a voyage of exploration as an escape from persecution, but Miguel choose to stay by Cesare's side).
• In the series A Certain Magical Index the main character, Kamijou Touma, is a major user of this trope. The full name can be read as "The One Who Purifies Gods and Slays Demons". He manages to talk a god into a Heel–Face Turn, and other gods want him to do something similar for them. His power, Imagine Breaker, has also been described as a weapon meant to drive off demons. "Kamijou" on its own can be read as "Above God", while "Touma" can be read as "Invisible Demon". Touma's body contains an entity that's apparently sealed by Imagine Breaker, which is described as invisible and is seemingly more powerful than God.
  • The Cutesy Dwarf teacher Komoe-sensei is another example, in that 'ko' means 'small' and Moe...
  • Local Anti-Hero Accelerator. His name is spelled in kanji reading Ippōtsūkō which means "one-way road", alluding to his esper power of vector manipulation subconsciously repelling all inbound projectiles right back at their source, making him Nigh-Invulnerable unless his attacker knows how to abuse it (Kihara), can cancel it out (Touma) or can simply prevent him activating it (Last Order). His spoken name "Accelerator" refers to the primary offensive application of his powers: anything he touches he can accelerate to any speed he wishes. Even a small stone can be devastating when moving at Mach 2.
  • Although the true name of the "frog-faced doctor" is unknown, the title he goes by among Academy City's elite is Heaven Canceller. It refers to his seemingly limitless ability to heal people no matter how damaged they are... he "cancels trips to Heaven".
• Chrono Crusade has a few meaningful names in the series. The most obvious is Chrono, whose name comes from the greek for "time". Aion's name, in contrast, means "forever". And then there's Joshua Christopher's name — "Christopher" means "bearing Christ", and Joshua is from the same name that we get the name "Jesus" from.
• Code Geass has Nina Einstein, who goes on to invent the Fleiya Warhead, the in-universe equivalent of nukes.
  • And Lelouch Lamperouge, who's first name roughly translates to "The Suspicious" in French, which is fairly on the mark (though somewhat mangled). Lamperouge translates into "red lamp" or "red light"... since his eye(s) glow red when he uses his Geass, this one should be pretty obvious.
  • And the Kururugi clan, Suzaku and his father Genbu, two of a group of four popular zoomorphised constellations, specifically the firebird and tortoise-snake. Suzaku's name also ends up also being a Prophetic Name.
  • And Kaguya, named after a fabled moon princess, who falls in love with the Japanese Emperor, and asks impossible tasks of her undesired suitors, including acquiring a jewelled branch from the Chinese island of Penglai, and when she rejects him and leaves for her home on the moon, leaving him a pot containing immortality elixir, he burns it atop Mount Fuji, from which they declare the smoke that rises from Fuji (due to it's volcanic nature, which has settled since) is from that burning. Compare and contrast to Code Geass's Kaguya, who falls in love with Zero, Saviour of the Japanese, who eventually moves her and his army to the artificial island Horai, which is the alternate Japanese reading of the same Chinese characters, then when they are parted, he gives up on immortality, despite it being in his reach, and detonates Fuji, sending it's smoke high into the air.
  • Then there's Kallen, which means beautiful in Japanese. She is not only the series most common source of fanservice, but the most major member of Lelouch's romantic interests... who doesn't suffer a fate worse than death by the end of the first season.
  • C.C.'s name is chosen for the opposite reason: It has no particular relationship to anything. As Lelouch points out, it's not a human name... and C.C. only barely classifies as human. It may have something to do with her real name, which is known by Lelouch, but never revealed.
• Corpse Princess has a group of villains called the Seven Stars, which is also one of the Japanese names for The Plough. Their deadliest and most important member is named Hokuto, whose name is another word for the same constellation.
• The magical owl Ikebukuro from Cosplay Complex gets its name from a commercial district in Tokyo, which is known for "Otome Road", a street with otaku shops aimed at a female audience. The district also has a statue of an owl behind the station.
• Cowboy Bebop:
  • Spike's Evil Counterpart is named Vicious.
  • Faye Valentine’s first name is actually quite clever the more you delve into it. “Faye” can mean “fairy” a beautiful otherworldly creature that is mysterious and ageless, is exactly what Faye is in the show, being someone from a previous world who was frozen in time (i.e a Human Popsicle) and who can’t feel at home in this future world she’s found herself in. Faye can also mean “belief” or “faith” which is what Faye’s happier younger self in a Time Capsule encourages her future self to do: never stop believing in herself. Something she’s long since done.
  • Julia’s name is quite meaningful especially in relation to Spike. Her name relates to “Jupiter” the Roman god and in no small coincidence the two-parter where Spike searches desperately for Julia takes place on the moon of Jupiter. Also Jupiter being a “supreme god of the heaven and light”, clues you into exactly how much Spike worships and idolises Julia. Her name is even used for a gag in the same episode Spike while searching around gets mistakenly sent to a transvestite named “Julius”.
  • The name of titular Cool Starship “Bebop” is a type of Jazz, something that is greatly prominent not only in The Future Is Noir universe of the show but makes up most of the soundtrack and relates to the names of the episodes aka “sessions”.
• Funimation's Gag Dub of Crayon Shin-chan refers to a queen in the Planet of the Dogs episode as "Her Royal Bitchness". As this takes place in an alternate Earth ruled by dogs, this is no insult, as she is a female dog. A literal royal bitch.
• Cromartie High School:
  • Though the kanji is off, the protagonist's name Kamiyama can be interpreted as God [is] Judge, and after transliterating it to Hebrew, you get Daniel. Fitting for him being in his situation of a ^note not-so nice guy in a delinquent high school.
  • To a lesser extent, Takeshi Hokuto. His first name is written with the same kanji as warrior, and he is an expert at several forms of martial arts.
    * In Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!, evil Student Council President Kinshirou Kusatsu is a textbook example of Not Good with Rejection, in that his Start of Darkness is mistakenly thinking that his Childhood Friend Atsushi Kinugawa rejects him. All the Binan characters are named after onsens, and Kusatsu Onsen's waters are reputed to heal all ailments "except the sickness of love". His Secret Identity, Aurite, could be read as a pun on what he is definitely not — that is, all right. The shi in his name, as well, uses the same kanji as the shi in Atsushi's name. It's 史, meaning history. Also, the Japanese word for "spinach" shares a kanji, 草 (meaning grass), with the name "Kusatsu". Atsushi's otherwise-bizarre Secret Identity name, Epinard, is Gratuitous French for spinach. He's the only one of the good-guy Five-Man Band who has a name in French, whereas all of Kinshirou's opposing Terrible Trio have French-based names.
• In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Lucy's full name is Lucyna Kushinada. Her last name is based on the Shinto goddess Kushinadahime. In Shinto mythology, Kushinadahime is the goddess of love and the sole surviving child of Ashimazuchi and Temazuchi. Her last name thus perfectly reflects Lucy's romance with David driving much of the series' plot as well as her Dark and Troubled Past being the sole surviving member of her netrunning team after escaping Arasaka.

D

• In Da Capo, Sakura Yoshino is tied to the magical sakura tree that her grandmother planted on the island, even more so when she wished that she wouldn't age under it.
• Daimos:
  • "Kazuya" means "peace"^note From 和 (kazu), which is befitting to him as he wants nothing more than the war between Earthlings and Baamites to stop, considering he's the Romeo to Erika's Juliet.
  • "Erika" is the female form of the name "Erik", which was the name of many Scandinavian kings. Fittingly, Erika is the Princess of the Baamites.
  • Three times over for Richter.
    • "Richter" is] German for "Judge", and in the anime, Richter judges who is allowed to live and die in the Undersea castle, massacring anyone who refuses to support his cause or listen to him.
    • In the Starbirds dub, his name is changed to Roderick, which means "famous ruler" in Old German. Richter/Roderick is the Prince of the Baamites, and his name is famous amongst Earthlings and Baamites alike for the terror he unleashes.
    • In the Phillipine-English dub, his name is changed to Ulrich, which is derived from the element uodil ("heritage") and rih ("ruler, king"). Richter/Ulrich indeed inherited the title of future ruler of Baam from his father, Leon.
• Daltanious: The clone of Emperor Palmillion is called Dolmen, as in something man-made.
• Darker than Black:
  • The main character's codename, "Hei", is Chinese for "Black" (黑). His sister's codename is "Bai", which is "White" (白); and her real name is revealed to be "Xing", "Star" (星). Huang is "Yellow" (黄), Yin is "Silver" (银). Many of the other characters have colors as codenames or names, such as Havoc, also known as Carmine, a shade of Red, or Amber, which is a yellow-orange. Counts as a Bilingual Bonus for anyone who knows basic Chinese.
  • Hei's normal alias, "Li Shun Shen" is synonymous with the words for Mr. Lee, the Chinese equivalent of a Mr. Jones, or a Mr. Smith in terms of name obscurity.
  • "Mao" (猫), the Human-Contractor trapped in the body of a cat.
• Death Note has several of these.
  • The Villain Protagonist of the series Light Yagami has the properly ironic name of "Light" (this refers to Dante's allegory with likening God to the Sun and sunlight, which is used often in the Bible, a name that is written as 'Moon' but read as 'Light', as in 'moonlight'). It's spelled with the character for "moon" and his last name "Yagami" also means "night god." His pseudonym, "Kira," is "killer" in Gratuitous English. Light is not only borrowing a Shinigami's power as the moon will 'borrow' sunlight to make himself a god (shinigami being the closest thing to gods in the series), but that he is also, in reality, an imitation, a false god after all (making his accusing Near of being an imitation of L hypocritical).
  • Light-spelt-as-moon is also not a name anyone would ever have — it has a stroke count of four. In Japanese numerology, this equates to making his adult life all about death.
  • L's successors also do this ironically. Mello is a loose cannon and Near spends most of his time in the story in another country from the protagonists. Also, the first letter in their names refers to their status as L's successors. Think alphabetics.
  • "How to Read 13" notes that Near's real name, "Nate River", is supposed to symbolize that his talents flow from L, therefore he is L's natural successor.
  • Mikami Teru's given name means "shining". He's got the -kami going on in his surname, too — though it doesn't mean "god". Just another example of Teru being Light in microcosm, over a shorter arc.
  • Then there's Watari, whose name derives from watashiyaku (渡し役), meaning "handler" — he manages and takes care of L.
  • L's full name, L Lawliet, can be pronounced either law-lee-it or law-light, as in how he attempted to bring the law unto Light Yagami.
• Death Parade: Each of the arbiters who play a role in the judgement of humans' souls are given names extracted from the Latin number for their assigned floor. Those without a defined floor number still retain Latin theme naming with a loose connection to their role (i.e. Clavis (key), controls the tower's only elevator; Castra (castle), assigns who goes to which floor for judgement; and Oculus (eye), oversees the tower's operations and makes the rules).
• In Delicious in Dungeon, Senshi's name translates into "seeker" in Dwarven. His name can also mean "warrior" in Japanese, which is ironic since he's not much of a fighter but instead specialises in cooking.
• The kanji for The Demon Girl Next Door's rendition of Tama, 多魔, means "many demons". As noted in Chapter 48 of the manga, this is probably the only place demons can safely co-exist with others and thus has more of them there.
• In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Zenitsu Agatsuma’s given and family names are both rooted in his character, Zenitsu means "goodness", shedding light on his deeply good natured personality underneath his apparent immediate flaws such as his obnoxiousness and cowardice. Agatsuma (我妻), can be read as Wagatsuma meaning "My Wife", it can be related to the running gag of Zenitsu being desperate to find himself a wife, as he sometimes upstages his attempts at charming girls with the immediate proposal of marriage.
• Den-noh Coil quickly establishes the two Yuukos with very different personalities. They quickly gain nicknames from another character, both based on the alternate readings assigned to the different kanji their names are written with. The kind-hearted, more passive Okonogi Yuuko (Yasako) is read as "Gentle Girl," while the more driven, determined Amasawa Yuuko (Isako) is read as "Brave Girl."
• Cross Marian of D.Gray-Man seems to count. His name seems to be a reference to The Marian Cross Also, he seems to be most affiliated with crosses than any other character. His name. He created Tim◊, who has a cross on him. He wears a cross ◊ necklace◊, and his mask◊ has a cross on it.
• The Digimon franchise is big on this, as nearly all Digimon have a Meaningful Name suffixed with "mon".
  • As far as human characters go, Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02 have:
    • The first character in Taichi's (Tai) name, ta (太), is the same character as the first in "Taiyou (Sun)". His crest is the shape of a sun, and this is semi used as a device in his character song "Atarashii Taiyou (New Sun)", speaking about Daisuke (Davis) being the new leader.
    • Hikari (Kari) means "light" (though her name is written in katakana, not kanji), and not only is she the bearer of the Crest of Light^note they play with the identical meaning/pronunciation when Wizardmon appears before Takeru (T.K.) and Jou (Joe) looking for her — carrying the Crest of Light, no less — and they get a little confused, her partner evolves into an angel.
    • Taichi (Tai) and Hikari's (Kari) surname, Yagami (八神), is spelled with kanji which mean "eight gods". Indeed, there are eight Chosen Children in Adventure, and Kari is the eighth.
    • Sora means "sky", and she is partnered with a Piyomon (Biyomon) , a bird Digimon who becomes a Giant Flyer and serves as a common means of transport for everyone. Additionally, her surname is "Takenouchi", which my translator assures me means "home of the warrior", as in, the place he goes when he needs a break from fighting.
    • The first character in Daisuke's (Davis) name, dai, can be pronounced as tai (though it's a different character than in Taichi's name.) Taken together, "Daisuke" means "big help". Which he really was. Just ask Ken! In the dub, Tai's surname "Kamiya" is very similar to Daisuke's (Davis) "Motomiya" (which seems to be coincidence since this parallel doesn't exist in the Japanese version and the Adventure dub aired before 02 was a thing that happened in Japan).
    • Iori's (Cody) name translates to "hermitage." The guy was a stoic Kid Samurai.
    • Ken's name is written with the character for "intelligence", since he's a boy genius. Additionally, the "ichi" in his last name means first, while "jouji" means usually, so it becomes "usually first." Sounds right for the kid.
  • Digimon Frontier:
    • The "kou" in Kouji and Kouichi's name means "shine" in reference to the former's light element, and "ichi" and "ji" in their names use the characters "one" and "two", because Kouichi is the "older" twin. (Though naming twins with a common radical for both and numbers to separate them is common practice in Japan, so it may not be as meaningful so much as it is a practical standard)
    • The first character in Tomoki's family name, Himi, uses the character for "ice". Fittingly, Tomoki's powers are ice related.
  • Digimon Data Squad: Protagonist Daimon Masaru's name is an alternate reading of the kanji for his given name has 'dai-mon-dai,' which sounds like 'big problem.'
  • Digimon Fusion and Digimon Xros Wars: The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time:
    • Zenjiro Tsurugi is a practitioner of kendo who often used swords throughout the series.
    • Kiriha's surname, Aonuma (蒼沼), translates to "blue swamp". He's clearly associated with the colour blue — blue Digimon, blue X Loader, blue flag, blue jacket, etc.
    • Tagiru's name is pronounced the same way as (滚), meaning "to boil". Much as you'd expect, he's a Hot-Blooded Keet. The name of his insert song plays with this — "Tagiru Chikara" (spelled in katakana only) can accordingly be taken to meaning "boiling power".
• In Doujin Work, Najimi's full name is a play on "Osananajimi" which means "childhood friend", a character type that is a staple of hentai games. She also is another character's childhood friend in the series.
• In the 2005 episode Doraemon episode "Shizuka-chan Disappeared!?", a forcibly transformed Shizuka makes friends with a stray cat named Nora, whose name means "stray" in Japanese.
• Dragon Ball has a lot of Theme Naming, though a few characters do have meaningful names:
  • Master Roshi's name is a Japanese transliteration of "laoshi", the Chinese word for teacher. In addition, "ro" and "shi" mean elderly and purple respectively. Master Roshi is an elderly martial arts teacher with a purple turtle shell
  • Goten is a mixture of Goku's name, and "ten", which in Japanese means heaven/afterlife. He is Goku's son born after his father was in Otherworld.
  • Goku's name is the Japanese name for Sun Wukong. His name can be translated 'awakened to emptiness'. His name can also be translated to 'from the sky' since the Ku in Goku's name can also mean sky. Goku is an alien who came from the sky.
  • Baby from Dragon Ball GT has it twofold. He was named by Dr. Myuu, who considered him his "baby," and he's also horribly immature.
• Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai:
  • "Dai" means "grand", but there is also a variation of his name that means "hero". His original name, Dino, was said to mean "strong dragon" in his mother's language.
  • "Leona" means "female lion", which may explain her 'feline' personality.
  • Maam and Popp are probably named so because they're taking their parents' positions at the Hero's side.
  • Myst-Vearn refers to his mysterious nature and also the fact that he is the secret safe-guard of Vearn's physical body in its prime and he's keeping this truth a mystery.
  • The name "Kill-Vearn" means that he is an assassin for Vearn and that he's an assassin sent by Velzar to kill Vearn when his guard is down.
• Both the heroes of Dream Eater Merry have names related to dreaming. Yumeji's name could be translated "dream path" (which is very appropriate to his abilities), and Merry Nightmare requires no explanation.
• Dr. STONE:
  • Protagonist Senku's name (千空) means "thousand skies", referring to how the story begins with him (and the rest of humanity) being Taken for Granite for thousands of years; it can also be a reference to his lifetime ambition of becoming an astronaut. His surname is eventually revealed as Ishigami (石神), which means "stone god" and refers to how his grasp of science makes him a veritable god of the "Stone World".
  • Senku's best friend is Taiju Ooki (大木 大樹); both his names can be translated as "big tree", referring to his immense physical strength and his firm, unwavering loyalty to Senku.
  • The story's first antagonist is Tsukasa Shishioh (獅子王 司); his surname means "king of lions", referrencing his being a peerless martial artist, while his given name means "ruler", a reference to the fact that he founds his own empire in opposition to Senku. His Delicate and Sickly Morality Pet little sister is named Mirai (未来), which means "future", and the moment he stops stewing in his past and starts looking to humanity's future marks his Heel–Face Turn.
  • The residents of Ishigami Village all have names derived from earth sciences: Action Girl Kohaku (amber), her high priestess sister Ruri (lapis lazuli), amateur scientist Chrome, Cool Old Guy blacksmith Kaseki (fossil), etc. This is because the 100 Tales they venerate were written by Senku's father Byakuya Ishigami in order to try and preserve as much of humanity's knowledge and science as possible following the "stone light".
  • Later in the series we meet Ryusui Nanami (七海 竜水), the heir to a major shipping magnate; appropriately enough his surname means "seven seas" while his first name means "water dragon", which marks him not only as a ruler of the oceans but as a very proud, ambitious, and greedy man.
  • In the third story arc we meet former reporter Minami Hokutozai (北東西 南); when written in Japanese order and translated to English, her name becomes "North-East-West South", which abbreviates to "N.E.W.S.".
• Durarara!!:
  • The series HEAVILY lampshades Ryuugamine Mikado's name (It means Peak of Dragons and Emperor).
  • Shizuo Heiwajima's name is a Double Subversion: "Quiet Man, Peaceful Island" seems to be completely inappropriate for a violent, hot-tempered berserker until one gets to understand his true nature, self-image and motivations. His name doesn't refer to his character so much as it stands for what he desperately wants to be, which he points out in volume 5.

E

• Eat-Man: Bolt Crank, whose favorite snacks are... bolts and cranks.
• Almost all the characters on Eyeshield 21 have meaningful names. Some of these names are reflective of their abilities, which means they also count as Steven Ulysses Perhero. For example:
  • Sena Kobayakawa's last name means "small, swift river", while Word of God states that the first name comes from the late Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna (who won the F1 World Championship three times, and was renowned as one of the best in the sport of all time). And, since we know how fast Sena is...
  • Mamori Anezaki's first name means "protector" (and she's certainly protective of Sena early in the series), while her last name means "promontory sister".
  • Mamoru Banba's name also carries the protector, and he's part of the impenetrable Pyramid Line that never fails to protect the quarterback.
  • Yoichi Hiruma's name means "daytime night market". Also, his last name is spelled with kanji meaning "leech demon" (since he clamps tightly onto any talented player he can get for his team), and his first name is spelled with kanji meaning "bewitching one" (because he's fairly persuasive). This also means that his last name can be read as "demon in broad daylight".
  • Ryokan Kurita's first name means "powerful" and is spelled with the kanji for "good" and "broad-minded" (sure enough, he's a certified Gentle Giant), and his last name means "field of chestnuts" (referring to the shape of his head).
  • Daikichi Komusubi's first name means "great amount of good fortune", and "komusubi" is a rank in sumo wrestling.
  • Manabu Yukimitsu's first name means "study" (since that's what his mother made him do since grade school).
  • Tetsuo Ishimaru's last name means "stone circle" or "great stone", possibly a reference to his stoic yet easygoing personality... and possibly the bland forgettableness that's become a running gag about him.
  • Natsuhiko Taki, the Devil Bats' blonde, dimwitted, and boastful tight end, has a first name meaning "prince of summer".
  • Joe Tetsuma, the powerhouse wide receiver for the Seibu Wild Gunmen who ploughs through the defense like a train and runs on his pass routes as if he were on tracks, has a last name that means "iron horse".
  • Shien Mushanokoji, the quarterback for the Seibu Wild Gunmen, has a last name that means "warrior's trail", but is spelled with the kanji for "child" (hence his frequently used nickname, "The Kid").
  • Ohira and Onishi Hiroshi, the linemen for the Kyoshin Poseidons, have names that mean "Pacific Ocean" and "Atlantic Ocean", respectively. The Poseidons also have Kengo Mizumachi, whose name means "strong waiting time in the water" (since he used to be on Kyoshin's swim team). Also Osamu Kobanzame; Osamu means "ruler" (he's the quarterback and technically the team captain, indecisive but respected by everyone) but Kobanzame means "remora", as in the fish that attaches itself to larger fish and eats what the bigger fish doesn't. Subverted a little since actual remora can be useful for fishing, as this page shows.
  • Kotaro Sasaki is the rival of Gen "Musashi" Takekura, just as Kojiro Sasaki was the rival of Miyamoto Musashi
  • Rikiya Gaoh, the beastly, carnivorous player killer from the Hakuushuu Dinosaurs; "Gaoh" is an onomatopoeia for a dinosaur's roar.
  • Donald Oberman's frequently used nickname Mr. Don is mostly used to illustrate how he's the boss wherever he goes, universally feared and respected, like a Don in The Mafia.
  • Similarly, Reiji Maruko's chosen nickname of "Marco" reflects his love of Italian suits and the general Mafia air around him.
  • Kiminari Harao's name is the Japanese pronunciation of "pharaoh", referring to both the fact that he rules his school like a king (even having his own harem) and that he's the leader of his team.
  • "Buffalo" Ujishima's real given name is "Baharou", which is the Japanese pronunciation of "Buffalo".
  • Daigo Ikari has a Hair-Trigger Temper; written with different characters, "Ikari" is the Japanese word for anger.

F

• Saito Hiraga from The Familiar of Zero is named after Gennai Hiraga (Scientist from Edo period) and his name is written as "ability man." Quite fitting considering that his power is to use any weapon in existence.
• Ichinose Kai from Forest of Piano. His name can alternatively be read as "ichi no sekai" or "world's number one", a... not so subtle allusion to Kai's development into a musical genius.
• Everyone in Fruits Basket. Yuki — Snow, to match his nickname "Ice Prince". Kyo can mean ill fortune, ginger or turmoil. Shigure gets his name from the tenth month, which is the month of the dog, of the former Japanese lunar calendar, Shigurezuki, and so on and so forth with the rest of the Sohmas.
  • Momiji and Haru had their names mistakenly reversed, as Momiji stands for the month of the Cow and Haru the month of the rabbit. But since the names fit their characters so well they stuck
  • According to The Other Wiki, Natsuki Takaya said everyone outside of the Zodiac aren't supposed to have much meaning in their names. However the fact that Kyo's name is meaningful might indicate that Takaya herself believes the cat to be part of the zodiac.
• Makoto Sain from FullMaPla does all communication by Talking with Signs.
• In Fullmetal Alchemist one can find several instances of this trope.
  • Riza Hawkeye is a sharpshooter. In a flashback in the manga, one military man in her area tells another not to worry because "we have a hawk's eye on us". The name however seems to mean nothing for her father, who is never seen handling firearms or practicing any sort of aiming-based activity.
  • In old French as well as Celtic and Gaelic, Roi/Roy meant King, and Colonel Roy Mustang is a man who wants to become ruler of Amestris. This one might be accidental, as Roy is a common English name. Mustang, besides being an airplane name, is also a breed of horse, and horses are known as being overly proud and affectionate of the females.
  • There's also Alex-Louis Armstrong, who is incredibly strong and uses alchemy to gain incredible super-strength. His state alchemist title is practically a Lampshade Hanging in itself — the Strong Arm Alchemist, just his last name reversed.
  • Then there's Fuhrer/President Bradley, whose first name just happens to be "King". This is given an in-universe explanation in the manga, which reveals that Bradley was actually given the name "King" after being selected by Father to be the next dictator of Amestris.
  • Also, most of the members of the military are named after WWII military vehicles; explanations for Bradley, Fury, Havoc, Hawkeye, Hayate, Hughes and Mustang can be found at the bottom of this page. Also, the P-51 Mustang was considered "the best fighter aircraft of WWII" and the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye was a reconnaissance plane. (Grumman is also Hawkeye's grandfather.)
  • The Homunculi are obviously named after the Seven Deadly Sins.
  • "Alphonse" is derived from German and means both "noble" and "ready for battle"; two fitting adjectives for the innocent yet awesome Al.
  • Bonus points for Riza: Lieutenant Hawkeye acts as Roy's aiming system after he gets blinded.
  • Miles, of the Briggs Army, whose name means "soldier".
  • The names "Winry" and "Pinako" were created by Hiromu Arakawa by changing one letter in "Winly" (A tool company in Taiwan) and "Pinaco", a Vietnamese battery manufacturer.
  • Ed practically hates his father for abandoning him, and the Big Bad he fights at the end is named Father.
  • Olivier's name comes from "olive", sacred to Athena, Greek Goddess of War and Strategy.
  • Izumi Curtis's given name means flood in Japanese, which is fitting, since she first encounters the Elric boys as she's helping defend against a flood in Resembool.
• Fushigi Yuugi:
  • Each of the Seishi is named after a constellation to which a particular deity is assigned, e.g. the Suzaku Seishi being named after Suzaku's constellations, the Seiryuu Seishi being named after Seiryuu's constellations, and so on. Yuu Watase, however, didn't know what the characters' names actually meant when she made them, and upon finishing the series, she looked up their definitions. Most of the time, they suited the characters' personalities so well that it was eerie.
  • Miaka's name means "beautiful red", and she's the priestess of the Vermillion Bird.
• Fruits Basket: Yuki Sohma, whose given name means "snow", has a Sugar-and-Ice Personality. At first, he's extremely sugarly kind and sweet toward Tohru, but a bit colder to other people and downright hostile to Kyo and Ayame. His Character Development involves him actually opening up to people other than Tohru.
• All the diary owners in Future Diary have names corresponding to the Roman gods.

G

• GaoGaiGar:
  • The "Shishioh" in Shishioh Guy means "Lion King." Lions are synonymous with courage, and Guy pilots a robot nicknamed "Brave King" which also has an actual (giant robot) lion at its core. Also, the kanji used for "Gai" is used in constructs to mean "victory."
  • There is also Amami Mamoru ("mamoru" as before meaning "to protect"), whose Meaningful Name was acknowledged in the show itself.
• Gintama:
  • Sakata Gintoki the silverhaired natural-perm samurai. Obviously a pun.
  • One of the longest running gags is Katsura's Mad Libs Catch Phrase, "Zura ja nai, Katsura da," (It's not Zura, it's Katsura), which is also a pun on the words "zura" and "katsura," which both mean wig. For a character who truly enjoys his horrible Cosplay, this is very fitting. But "zura" also means "friend." When the phrase, "Katsura ja nai, Zura da!" is finally used, it's quite moving.
  • Utsuro's name means "emptiness". Fitting for an Omnicidal Maniac devoid of all emotion.
• Gravitation: Yuki Eiri, whose given name means "snow", has a cold, Sugar-and-Ice Personality.
• Great Teacher Onizuka: Tomoko's name means "friend" and "child". Fitting for a childish at heart girl who just wants friends.
• Grenadier actually has a little wit with regards to the main character's name: Her given name, Rushuna, is a play on a Rushana Buddha, a statue exemplifying the essence of the Buddha, while her surname, Tendou, translates to "Heavenly Path." Her espousal of the Ultimate Strategy ("ending a fight gently and without fighting"), her almost unrelentingly kind and chipper demeanor, and her honest, unironic caring for everyone she meets makes her name almost as accurate as she is. It also makes sense that she finds her way to Tenshi ("angel").
• GTO: The Early Years: Eikichi Onizuka is such a Blood Knight some wonder if he might actually be an oni rather than a human.
• The various Gundam series are not shy about using meaningful names.
  • The term 'Gundam' itself is a portmanteau of 'gun' and 'dam', and intended to evoke the image of a weapon capable of holding back vast numbers of enemies the same way a dam holds back water.
  • In the original Mobile Suit Gundam, some characters who are Newtypes are given names of Japanese vehicles and historical figures:
    • Amuro Ray = Rei (Zero), the Mitsubishi Zero. The name "Amuro" was meant to be entirely original, to emphasize Amuro's lack of nationality.
    • Kai Shiden, the Kawanishi N1K-J.
    • The war orphan Kikka is named after the Nakajima J9Y.
    • The older Mirai Yashima is named after a Japanese battleship of 1894.
    • Hayato Kobayashi, who is not a Newtype, is named after a medal-winning Japanese infantryman.
    • The Englishman Ensign Bright is named after an English ambassador who helped the Japanese in the nineteenth century.
    • Four Murasame is named meaningfully. "Four" is clearly a number: not something usually used as a name. Four is the fourth test subject of the Murasame laboratory.
  • Rau Le Creuset of Gundam SEED, whose assumed last name is French for "The Crucible", a reference to the play of the same name about the Puritan witch hunts, which in turn refers to both prejudiced sides of the Natural/Coordinator conflict (which plan to wipe the other side out for being what they are), and to Rau's belief in his worthiness to judge all of humanity with a sentence of death.
    • Muruta Azrael is named for the Angel of Death.
    • And his successor Lord Djibril continues the theme: "Djibril" is a variant of "Jibril", the Arabic name for the Archangel Gabriel.
    • Also, according to a 2003 interview with Mitsuo Fukuda, Kira was a derivative of the word "killer". It's derived from a Hindi word (Kiran) meaning "beam of light". It's also a given name in Russia (albeit a female name) meaning "ruler" or "the one the people look to". Additionally, his surname, Yamato, stands for the historic Yamato period.
    • Athrun is Arabic, derived from the Greek erythron, which means red. He is a CHAR after all.
  • A number of characters in the MSV sidestories have interesting nicknames. For instance, Edward Harrison is known as "Ed the Ripper", both a play on Jack the Ripper and the fact that, when he goes out into battle with the Sword Calamity, he comes back with the suit covered in oil.
  • In Gundam SEED Destiny: Neo Roanoke is actually Mu La Flaga with amnesia. Roanoke was an island that was the first American English colony where everyone disappeared; Neo means new.
  • Lacus Clyne isn't very meaningful, but the spelling is close to Lac des Cygnes (French for Swan Lake), and "Lacus" is Latin for "lake".
    • Her Body Double is named "Meer," which is also a word for "lake" (more commonly spelled "mere"). Also, Meer is the phonetic spelling of the English word "mirror", to enforce that she is Lacus's body double.
    • The specific meanings of their names are not too important, but Shinn has two important (living) girls — Stella and Lunamaria — whose names have a similar theme. As Shinn is someone who ascended from Earth to live in space, and Stella and Luna mean "star" and "moon", there can be said that there is meaning there. Specifically, Stella, the stars, are not in reach, and so she dies. Luna, the moon, is, and she becomes his girlfriend.
    • Shinn himself has the last name "Asuka", like the historic Asuka period. This ties back to the name of Kira Yamato from Gundam SEED, as Kira was the first protagonist, followed by Shinn, much like the Yamato period was followed by the Asuka period.
  • All the characters in Gundam Wing:
    • The five pilots Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei names are derived from the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively in various languages.
    • Heero, pronounced as "hiiro", can also be a pun for hero. It has been said that his name is spelled this way to avoid the sort of mispronunciation that made Shiro, the hero of X-Bomber, get called "Shire-O" in the English dub instead of "sheero".
    • There is also Noin (9), Lady Une (1), Treize (13) and Zechs (6)/Milliardo (1,000,000,000).
    • Additionally, the Peacecraft line were pacifists. After she learns she's a Peacecraft, Relena adopts the philosophy as well.
  • Lockon Stratos from Gundam 00 is said to be an expert marksman. This is Justified, by the fact that all the original Gundam Meisters' names are Code Names.
    • Well, except for Tieria and Allelujah, who use the first names they were ever given, as opposed to designations.
    • Setsuna's first and last names in Japanese mean "Moment" and "Holy Eternity". The F in the middle stands for "From", put it all together (Setsuna F Seiei) and you get "A Moment from the Holy Eternity", which refers to times of great revolution.
    • Setsuna's real name, however, Soran Ibrahim has some very interesting connotations. Specifically, his first name, "Soran" could be taken from the Danish name meaning "Stern, severe" or in some cases "extreme," which Setsuna certainly is in everything he does or believes. And "Ibrahim" is the Arabic version of a Hebrew name meaning "father of many nations".
    • Marina Ismail's surname, too, has quite the poignant meaning relating to her role in the story, "God will listen."
  • G Gundam has Schwarz Bruder, whose name is ungrammatical German for "black brother" and thus a dead giveaway to his true identity. This is played with a bit in the series, as although it is indeed an alias used by the main character's seemingly rogue older brother, it was also the name of a real person who's body and identity said brother jacked in a spur of the moment thing — meaning, although its the most blatantly obvious alias since "Darth Vader", its also a complete coincidence
  • Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn has Full Frontal, whose name refers to "full frontal assault", a Shout-Out to the missing-in-action Char Aznable's combat style.
    • The Neo Zeon remnants are called "the Sleeves" due to the decorative patterns on the forearms of their mobile suits, on the other end the ECOAS are referred to as the "Manhunter unit" due to their stated mission of hunting down the Neo Zeon remnants.
    • The Unicorn is named after the mythical creature, who's name means The Beast of Possibilities (something that Banagher does comment on).
    • The Kshatriya is named for the military and ruling order of one of the four social classes of Hinduism.
    • The Sinanju is named for a fictional style of martial arts from a paperback book series known as The Destroyer.
    • The Banshee is named after a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.
  • In ∀ Gundam, Dianna Soreil's name comes from the following: Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon, while "Soreil" is a derivative of "Soleil", the French word for "sun".
  • Both Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam and a sidestory for Mobile Suit Victory Gundam feature an old man named Grey Stoke aka, Judau Ashta , which is a direct reference to Tarzan's "Lord Greystoke" persona from Edgar Rice Burrough's books. Not only does the name mirror Tarzan's attempts to conceal his true identity, but similarly with Tarzan's disillusionment with civilization, Judau is shown as being tired of the Crapsack World the Universal Century turned out to be. Driving his decades-long gambit to leave the Earth Sphere and the rest of mankind forever with a colony's worth of Newtypes.

H

• In Haibane Renmei, every Haibane is given a Meaningful Name based on their dreams (which may or may not represent how they died) when they first appear.
• Haikyuu!! has a slew of characters with names fitting their appearance, personality, positions, and themes.
  • The Protagonist Hinata's family name can be translated as "sunny place". His first name Shouyou means "flying sun." Hinata has a fiery, passionate, and sunny personality along with his bright orange hair. He also jumps very high despite his short stature, often referred to as him "flying" on the court.
  • The Deuteragonist Kageyama has Opposites Theme Naming with Hinata. His family name translates to "shadow mountain". He has colder demeanour in contrast to Hinata. While he is as passionate about the game he is not as expressive with his positive emotions and he is not as socially adept. He also has jet black hair.
    • Kageyama's first name, Tobio, however, matches Shouyou, as it is translated as "flying hero". He is crucial to Hinata's "flying" on the court as he is the team setter and sets high, quick, and crazy tosses for Hinata to jump and spike.
    • Flying theme is taken a step further as the first characters in Tobio and Shouyou put together gets you "hishou" which means "to soar" or "flight". Kageyema and Hinata duo is a big reason that Karasuno volleyball team advances leaps and beyond after their downfall. School name Karasuno is also meaningful as it has the kanji "crow" in it – Kageyama and Hinata bring back flight to the crows.
  • The kanji "hina" in Hinata's name can also be translated to baby chick, referring to him being a new Karasuno member and still learning the ins-and-outs of the sport for the big chunk of the series.
  • Hinata also has Opposites Theme Naming with Tsukishima. Hinata has the kanji "sun" in it while Tsukishima has the kanji "moon". Tsukishima plays the same position with Hinata, but he contrasts him in nearly every aspect. He is the tallest member of the team and has a snarky and abrasive personality. He also does not share Hinata's single-minded passion for volleyball, often complains about it just being a high school club. Later, it is revealed that his cynical attitude towards volleyball is self-preserving, namely he refuses to care so much to not be hurt (as his brother had been before him). Due to this he somehow feels inferior to Hinata but later finds his own love for the sport. Their opposite names are pointed-out by Yachi in the show.
    • Tsukishima's first name is Kei which means "firefly". It is stated by the creator of the series that he picked this name because while Tsukki is moon, he can also emit light on his own.
  • Yamaguchi Tadashi is the Sidekick to Tsukishima for the most part of the series. They've been friends for a long time since Tsukishima was Because You Were Nice to Me to him in grade school. While Yamaguchi later finds courage to oppose Tsukishima and call him out on his negative behaviour, he still has Undying Loyalty to him. Tadashi has the same kanji with famous loyal Japanese dog Hachiko.
  • Another duo who has meaningful names that are opposite are Asahi and Nishinoya. Asahi's full name, Azumane Asahi, translates to Eastern Peak Morning Sun. He is a Gentle Giant who has the physical stature but also a glass-heart. Nishinoya's full name Nishinoya Yuu, on the contrary, translates to Western Valley Evening. He is the shortest person on the team but has a loud, blunt, and wild personality. Their names are also meaningful with their positions in the team. Asahi is a wing spiker who is deemed The Ace of the team, he jumps above (peak) and attacks. Whereas Nishinoya is the libero. He is often on the ground (valley) as his job is to keep the ball from touching the floor. He receives the ball and is the backbone of team's defense.
  • The Captain and Team Dad Daichi is often called the basis for the team, acting as the “ground” that supports them. Daichi means "ground" or "earth".
  • To a lesser degree vice-captain and Team Mom Sugawara Koushi's name also reflects his personality. Nearly every character in the series call him Suga and he is sweet as sugar - always nurturing and gentle to his teammates. While his nomenclature is not as direct, the kanji for Koushi may also reflect his positions as vice-captain and secondary setter, as it means supporting one's elders (even though he is the oldest member of the team, including Daichi who is half a year younger than him.)
  • Karasuno's coach Ukai has the same kanji for crow as Karasuno. It also has the kanji nurturing, making Ukai essentially mean "crow dad". His first name Keishin means "connecting hearts" which perfectly reflects his nature.
  • The Nekoma high school's setter Kozume Kenma also has a meaningful name. Nekoma team is known as "the cats" (the kanji Neko means cat) and kanji for Kozume means "lone claw". Kenma had/has hard time making friends due to his introverted and composed personality. However, he is supported wholly by his team and is referred as the brain and heart of the team. He also looks very much like a cat.
    • Kenma's teammate Lev also has a catlike appearance, and his name means "lion" in Russian. He is a big cat as he is the tallest Nekoma player.
    • Another player who is named after a cat is Yamamoto Taketora as Taketora means "fierce tiger". He also has Opposites Theme Naming with Karasuno's Tanaka Ryuunosuke. They are similar to each other both in personality and appearance and initially clash and try to intimidate each other, later becoming friends. Taketora is referred as Tora (tiger) by his close friends while Tanaka is called Ryuu (dragon) by closest to him. Ryuu and Tora are the kanjis for "dragon" and "tiger" respectively, two animal motifs often seen together (and opposite) in Asian cultures.
    • Nekoma's libero Yaku's first name Morisuke means "protecting help" which is fitting as liberos' main responsibility is to protect their team from losing points on the back row, keeping the ball in the play.
  • Fukurodani Academy volleyball team is often referred to as “the owls” as the word Fukurodani has the kanji "owl" in it. The team captain Bokuto's name translates to "horned owl". Bokuto sports a spiky and streaked hairdo, making him look like he has horns.
    • His teammate Akaashi's name is probably a reference to akaashi-mori-fukurou known as the refous-legged owl in English. However, it is written with a different kanji.
  • Shiratorizawa's middle blocker is called Tendo Satori, Satori referring to a mythical creature that can read minds. He is an extremely skilled blocker who blocks based on his intuition even before the opposite team makes a move. It is known as his ability to "guess block".
  • Johzenji High's team captain Terushima Yuuji's first name translates to "playful child". Johzenji as a team is often referred to as the "party team" as they prioritize having fun while playing, making them unorthodox and unpredictable.
• Haruhi Suzumiya:
  • Whether it's accidental or not, Kyon's name may actually be a good nickname for a Deadpan Snarker. Quoting The Other Wiki's entry about the Cynics: "Their name is thought to be derived either from the building in Athens called Cynosarges, the earliest home of the school, or from the Greek word for a dog, cyon (κύων,kýōn)". (Considering how Tanigawa Nagaru has referenced ancient Greece (amongst several other things) he might be fully aware of the multiple possible meanings.)
  • Haruhi loves the Tanabata festival, the myth behind which involves two lovers separated and only allowed to meet once a year. The Korean name for the man can be romanized as "Kyonu", which is pretty darn close.
  • The Kanji for "Mikuru" can also be read as "Mirai" — "future", while the kanji for "Asahina" can be translated as "time periods comparing" or "time periods race/competition" (in the latter case, it's giant foreshadowing for the last book and the events concerning Fujiwara.)
  • "Yuki" can be written with the kanji for "Has Hope" or "Snow" — appropriately enough, Yuki herself states that she took her name from one of the first things she saw when she assumed human form (falling snowflakes), and there are hints that she hopes to develop normal emotions at some point.
• In Hayate the Combat Butler:
  • Hayate's name means "hurricane." His employer Nagi means "windless."
  • Hinagiku also falls under this, she was born on March 3th, the day of the Hinamatsuri festival.
  • Athena as well, as her favorite phrase states.
• Hell Girl's Enma Ai looks like a beautiful young girl but sends people to hell, and she has a name to match that dual nature. Enma is the Buddhist god who rules the underworld. Ai is that word for love again — probably. It's deliberately always written in kana, so we can't be sure which meaning of ai her parents had in mind. Ai can also mean both sorrow and indigo. There are hints that the "indigo" meaning is significant: the second season finale is called "Aizome" ("dyed in indigo"), as is the end theme, which Mamiko Noto herself sings.
  • Two more kana-only first names in the series: Tsugumi and Yuzuki, who are both protagonists and foils for Ai. Yuzuki's family name is Mikage, which means "spirit of the dead"... and once you know why, you'll wish you didn't.
• From Hellsing, there's Schrödinger, the catboy, and Alucard, which is likely a little more obvious. And there's also the Scottish priest Alexander Anderson, whose first name means "Protector of Men" while his last name is likely a reference to St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.
• In Hetalia: Axis Powers, a few of the "human names" are significant. Feliciano (North Italy) means "joyful," Ludwig (Germany) means "glorious victories," Arthur (England) and Heracles (Greece) are obvious mythological references (Greece has also been implied a few times to have a strength fitting his namesake), Kiku (Japan) means "chrysanthemum," the emblem of Japanese royalty (his Nyotalia name is Sakura, another well-known Japanese flower symbol), North Italy is also called Veniciano, a surname that meant the person was from Venice (located in North Italy). On the other hand, Romano is for someone from Rome, located in South Italy.
  • "Romania" literally means "Land of Romans." He's a huge fan of Ancient Rome and his culture, has lots of Roman ruins left over in his country, and considers himself to be one of Rome's descendants (and thus an Italy brother). At one point, he tries to get acknowledged as such, only for South Italy to shoot him down immediately.
• Almost every character in Hitoribocchi no OO Seikatsu has a name like this. Names will be kept surname-first to preserve the pun.
  • Hitori Bocchi: from hitoribocchi (独りぼっち, meaning "all alone")
  • Sunao Nako: from sunao na ko (honest child)
  • Honshou Aru: from honshou aru (having a hidden nature), alluding to her being "unfortunate"
  • Sotoka Rakita: from soto kara kita (came from afar), alluding to her being a foreigner
  • Kurai Kako: from kurai kako (dark past), though all that's known at the moment is that she refuses to make friends after losing contact with someone at some point
  • Oshie Teruyo: from oshieteru yo (I'm teaching)
  • Ojōsa Mayo: from ojō-sama yo (is a rich young lady)
  • Yawara Kai: from yawarakai (soft)
• Husky and Medley: Both of the main characters' "names" are chosen by the 2ch anons following the story, mostly for ease of reference. "Medley" likely refers to the fact that the text messages she sends to Husky are often randomly selected from among the anons' suggestions, making her part of the conversation a medley of various forum users.
• Hyakunichikan!!: Shuuto names the rabbit Fukumen, meaning "mask", since its markings make it look like it's wearing one.

I-J

• If Her Flag Breaks: Most characters have a last name (or middle name in Nanami's case) that shows what role they have in the story.
  • The "Hata"(旗) in Souta Hatate's last name means "flag''.
  • Nanami Knight Bladefield is well... a knight.
  • Akane's last name, Mahougasawa, has "mahou"(魔), which means magic. It's indicative of her role as a magician.
  • Megumu's last name, Touzokuyama, contains "touzoku"(盗賊) which means thief.
  • Ruri Ninjabayashi is the shinobi of the group.
  • The "Eiyuu" (英雄) in Rin Eiyuuzaki's last name means hero.
  • And the same thing holds for a number of other characters.
• Characters from Ikki Tousen are named after historical figures, mostly from the Chinese Three Kingdoms period. There are a few supporting Japanese-themed characters here and there.
  • Chinese-themed cast: most of their names come in two parts: first is the full name (family name and given name) of the Chinese figure, second is their courtesy name (a coming-of-age name for feudal East Asians). The names are formatted as if the first part was supposed to be the family name and the second part the given name. However, there's evidence that only the actual family names of the historical figures are the family names of the characters, given that, (A) there are siblings such as Son Saku-Son Ken and Shokatsu Ryō-Shokatsu Kin, (B) certain characters, such as Kan U, are addressed with the real family names alone (Kan-san, for instance), and (C) school uniform only displays the real family names (Shokatsu Kin's gym uniform has "Shokatsu", not "Shokatsu Kin"). Additionally, the Chinese-themed characters come from schools named after Chinese places from the Three Kingdoms period, and they're all from the Kantō region.
    • Nan'yō (Nanyang) Academy: Son Saku Hakufu (Sun Ce Bofu) and younger sister Son Ken Chūbō (Sun Quan Zhongmou); Shū Yu Kōkin (Zhou Yu Gongjin); Sa Ji Genpō (Zuo Ci Yuanfang); Ryo Mō Shimei (Lü Meng Ziming); Gaku Shū (Yue Jiu); Kan Nei Kōha (Gan Ning Xingba); Tei Fu Tokubō (Cheng Pu Demou); En Jutsu Kōro (Yuen Shu Konglu); Ro Shuku Shikei (Lu Su Zijing); Riku Son Hakugen (Lu Xun Boyan); Shokatsu Ryō's elder sister Shokatsu Kin Shiyu (Zhuge Jin Ziyu).
    • Rakuyō (Luoyang) High: Tō Taku Chūei (Dong Zhuo Zhongyin); Ryo Fu Hōsen (Lü Bu Fengxian); Chin Kyū Kōdai (Chen Gong Gontai).
    • Kyoshō (Xuchang) Academy: Kakō Ton Genjō (Xiahou Dun Yuanrang); Sō Sō Mōtoku (Cao Cao Mengde); Ka Ku Bunwa (Jia Xu Wenhe); Kakō En Myōsai (Xiahou Yuan Miaocai); Kaku Ka Hōkō (Guo Jia Fengxiao); Shiba I Chūtatsu (Sima Yi Zhongda); Chō Ryō Bun'en (Zhang Liao Wenyuan); Ten I (Dian Wei); Jun Yū Kōtatsu (Xun You Gongda); Jo Kō Kōmei (Xu Huang Gongming); Kyo Cho Chūkō (Xu Chu Zhongkang); Sō Jin Shikō (Cao Ren Zixiao); Gaku Shin Bunken (Yue Jin Wenqian); Chō Kō Shungai (Zhang He Junyi).
    • Yōshū (Yangzhou) School: Taishi Ji Shigi (Taishi Ci Ziyi).
    • Gogun (Wu Commandery) High: U Kitsu (Yu Ji).
    • Seito (Chengdu) Academy: Kan U Unchō (Guan Yu Yunchang); Ryū Bi Gentoku (Liu Bei Xuande); Chō Hi Ekitoku (Zhang Fei Yide); Chō Un Shiryū (Zhao Yun Zilong).
    • Tōgen (Taoyuan) Temple: Shokatsu Ryō Kōmei (Zhuge Liang Kongming); Kō Chū Kanshō (Huang Zhong Hansheng); Hō Tō Shigen (Pang Tong Shiyuan); Ba Shoku Yōjō (Ma Su Youchang).
    • Yūshū (You Prefecture) High: Ken Tei (Emperor Xian)
  • Japanese-themed cast: they are from the Kansai region and are named after various Japanese historical figures in no particular period, and their schools are named after various Japanese place names, such as the old Yamato Province.
    • Yamato Academy: Yagyū Mitsuyoshi; Himiko; Ashiya Dōman; Shinmen Takezō.
    • Yamashiro Academy High: Minamoto Kurō Yoshitsune (Minamoto no Yoshitsune); Musashibō Benkei.
    • Kōfukuji School: Hōzōin Inshun.
    • Rokuhara High: Yamada Asaemon.
• I Want to Eat Your Pancreas:
  • "Sakura", or cherry blossoms, are known for being extremely beautiful flower that only lasts for a week in April. Sakura is extremely energetic and optimistic, only to be revealed that she has pancreatic cancer and has a limited time to live, which gets cut short due to her murder.
  • The protagonist, when his name is revealed at the end, has one of these. "Haruki" takes its first kanji from the word "haru", or spring, the season where cherry blossoms bloom. Our protagonist "blooms" Sakura into becoming the person she wants to be, and he does the same. She even remarks on the coincidence of their names matching so well in her will.
  • In the sequel novel, Fuyumi, the protagonist's daughter. Fuyu, or Winter, comes after Spring.
• In episode 34 of Jewelpet Twinkle☆, Headmaster Moldavite orders an item through the magic mail-order that is a floating scale with two little girls flying on it who help people make decisions. The girls are named Ten-chan and Pin-chan, whose names combine to form "tenpin" (Japanese for "scale").
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
  • Phantom Blood:
    • Jonathan Joestar shares a first name with another man who hunts down a vampire in 1800s England.
    • Tattoo, one of Speedwagon's friends on the street, has a rather appropriate name, given the large tattoo on his face.
    • Dio Brando's first name is the Italian word for "God". A rather fitting name for someone with a god complex.
  • Stardust Crusaders:
    • The "-taro" in Jotaro Kujo's name can be seen as a reference to the Tarot Motifs.
    • Mannish Boy is a rather fitting name for an infant with adult intelligence.
    • Nukesaku is Japanese for "Idiot", a fitting name for a Too Dumb to Live Butt-Monkey.
  • Diamond is Unbreakable:
    • Akira Otoishi is a rock guitarist whose last name means "sound of rock".
    • Shizuka Joestar has two examples involving her first name. For one, her name is Japanese for "Quiet", and her Stand, Achtung Baby, grants her invisibility. Also, her first name can be read as "Jo", technically making her a JoJo.
    • As explained in the spin-off manga, Rohan at the Louvre, Rohan Kishibe's first name comes from the Japanese characters for "tied to" and "the ephemeral", fitting his tendency to attract spirits.
    • The "Rei" in Reimi Sugimoto means "Spirit".
    • Yoshikage Kira is a Born Lucky Serial Killer, and his first name is Japanese for "lucky shadow", while his last name takes from the English word "killer". Also of note, the ability and appearance of Yoshikage's Stand, Killer Queen, makes references to its namesake: "Gunpowder, gelatin/Dynamite with a laser beam/Guaranteed to blow your mind"; "Playful as a pussy cat".
  • Golden Wind:
    • The name of Abbacchio's Stand, Moody Blues, may refer to his constantly grumpy attitude.
    • Guido Mista's first name was a derogatory term in the United States for male Italian immigrants who behaved socially unsophisticated , fitting well with Mista's simple lifestyle before joining Passione. It can also be translated as "to steer", which is exactly what his Stand, Sex Pistols, does to his bullets.
    • Pericolo is Italian for "Peril". Fittingly, he's the one who orders Team Bucciarati to protect Trish, a mission that result in the death of most of the Part's cast.
    • Illuso sounds similar to "Illusion", rather fitting given the ability of his Stand, Man in the Mirror. Also, its actual meaning is "Deluded", fitting how Team Bucciarati manages to beat him.
    • Pesci is Italian for "Fishes", and his Stand, Beach Boy, is a fishing rod. Also, after he's killed, his remains are thrown into a lake, leaving him to "sleep with the fishes".
    • Prosciutto is named after a type of aged ham, and his Stand, The Grateful Dead, has the ability to cause Rapid Aging.
    • Ghiaccio is Italian for "Ice", and his Stand, White Album, is a suit that rapidly lowers the temperature of the surrounding area. Though, given his personality, it might also be an Ironic Name.
    • Squalo is Italian for "Shark", and his Stand, Clash, is, well, a shark.
    • Carne is Italian for "Meat", as in "dead meat", which is exactly what he is.
    • Vinegar Doppio's last name is Italian for "Double", fitting him being Diavolo's Split Personality.
    • Risotto Nero's last name is Italian for "Black", fitting both his outfit and his Black Eyes of Evil.
    • Secco is Italian for both "Skinny" and "Dry", the former fitting Secco's appearance, and the latter fitting his Stand, Oasis, and its ability to liquify dry soil.
    • The boss of Passione's name, Diavolo, is Italian for "Devil", acting as a counter to Dio's "God", while also fitting him being a Satanic Archetype. Also of note, the boss' character makes many references to multiple songs from the namesake of his Stand, King Crimson, the most obvious being "21st Century Schizoid Man", with Diavolo having Schizoid Personality Disorder while currently living in the 21st century.
  • Stone Ocean:
    • Jolyne Cujoh's Stand, Stone Free, is named for Jolyne's desire to escape prison, which she refers to as a "stone ocean"
    • Emporio Alniño's first name is Italian for "Warehouse", which is usually what he uses his Stand for, while his last name, which comes from the Spanish words "el niño", has a double meaning, as not only does "el niño" mean "the boy", fitting him being the Tagalong Kid character of the Part, it also refers to a type of climate pattern characterized by warmer weather, foreshadowing him getting Weather Report in the Part's climax. On another note, his Stand, Burning Down the House, is modeled after a room that, well, burned down.
  • Steel Ball Run:
    • Gyro Zeppeli's first name means "Revolve", fitting his ability to use the Spin. Also, his real name, Iulius Caesar, connects him back to Caesar Zeppeli, who has a similar role to Gyro in his own Part.
    • According to the (non-canon) spin-off novel, Jorge Joestar, Pocoloco's last name is Tripleseven, fitting him being Born Lucky.
  • JoJolion:
    • The Iwa in Iwasuke means "Rock", fitting him being a Rock Animal, and the -suke is taken from Josuke and Norisuke's names.
    • Josefumi Kujo contains the Japanese spelling of Joseph, referring to Joseph Joestar. It's also noted that the "Jo" in his name is the same kanji as Part 4's Josuke.
    • Rai Mamezuku means "polite pig-iron bean", and he is polite to guests, tough as nails, and his job is to appraise crops.
  • The JoJoLands: Jodio's name is an obvious portmanteau of JoJo and Dio. While he hasn't been confirmed to actually have any ties to Dio or Diego, it's a Call-Back to Giorno, while also symbolizing his ruthless nature.
• Jubei-chan:
  • Bantarou, whose name comes from "Taro" (a common male name in Japanese) and "Banchou" (which means "boss" or "ringleader").
  • Bantarou's simian-like sidekicks Oozaru and Kozaru, whose names translate as "Big Monkey" and "Little Monkey" respectively.
  • Jiyu's name means "Spiritual Freedom" which is exactly the effect her sword has on the undead. (In fact, it brings them back to life.)
  • Her mother's name is "Makoto", which means "Truth". In the second series, it turns out that her previous incarnation was married to a woman named "Truesia" and had a daughter named "Freesia".

K-L

• Kaguya-sama: Love Is War:
  • Almost all the major characters have Theme Naming relating to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, and their personalities are based off of the author's interpretation of the story (as the author has admitted to liking princess stories). For example, Fujiwara (who always gets caught cheating whenever the Student Council has a competition) was named after the suitor who attempted to cheat Princess Kaguya by presenting a fake copy of what they had been tasked to find.
  • Kashiwagi's first name (Nagisa) translates to shoreline, an appropriate name for someone whose family runs a shipbuiding company.
  • Karen and Eria (a writer and photogropher for the Mass Media club) are respectively named after a real life poet and painter from the Heian era.
• Miko and Matsuri's names in Kamichu! mean "shrine maiden" and "festival" respectively
• Samatarou's mother Venus from Kamisama Kazoku is the Love Goddess.
• In Kekkaishi, the ghostly dog and cat servants of the Sumimuras and Yukimuras all have meaningful names that describe their most prominent features: Madarao (spotted tail), Hakubi (white tail), Shimano (stripes), and Mikeno (calico).
• Tokita Ohma, the protagonist from Kengan Ashura, can be translated as “Witching Hour”, his mangager Kazuo remarks that even Ohma’s name is strong and links to the fact that before the Kengan Matches Ohma wandered the in the late nights looking for a challenge, he the demon “Ashura” was most active late at night.
• The all-time queen of this trope is Ryuko from Kill la Kill. According to Word of God (see this Tumblr post), her name has no less than EIGHT different meanings, all thematically appropriate, such as "hero", "fashion", "two rivals" and "abandoned child", the true meaning of Ryuko's name from two kanjis that formed it. Her name alone will reveal most of the series' plot.
• Another famous Yagami is The King of Fighters's Iori Yagami, whose name (again written 八神) means "Eight Gods Retreat". His family serves the eight-headed snake, Orochi.
• "Akai" from Kite (1998) means "red" in Japanese, and Sawa's flashback sequences of him often involve red (and sometimes blood-related) imagery.
• Koi Koi 7 has Otome Chouno, a Sugar and Ice loli whose surname Otome means 'female virgin.'
• In Kure-nai, Murasaki Kuhouin is believed to have been named after Murasaki from The Tale of Genji. Both characters are kidnapped as little girls and develop a relationship of sorts with their caretaker. However, Kure-nai sports inverted Wife Husbandry.
• The name of the titular protagonist of Kuroko's Basketball is a real word. Literally meaning "black child", it refers to people who dress in black to assist kabuki actors on stage, by helping them change costumes or scenes, or moving props around, which is kind of analogous to the assisting role Kuroko assumes.
• In Kurosagi, Kurosaki's choice of 'Kurosagi' for his swindling alias is a pun on his real name mixed with the japanese word for swindler, so it translates to "Black Swindler"
• The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer:
  • The names of the mage Animus and his sister Anima are a reference to Karl Jung's theory of "Animus and Anima", Animus being the masculine self of the body and Anima being the feminine side.
  • The Owl Knight Loki is named after Loki, the Norse god of mischief and a known backstabber. Along with his Master, Loki the Owl is working for Animus. He also picked up at least two masters who switched sides in the previous iterations of the game.
• Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow:
  • Arthur means "bear", and he's a Papa Wolf.
  • Mr. Pettywell is certainly a petty asshole.
• Lyrical Nanoha:
  • By contrast to Light, another Yagami with a little black book Of Doom is the Anti-Villain of the series, whose book is called the "Tome of the Night Sky". She uses the standard spelling of Eight Gods (八神), rather than Night God.
  • The Big Bad of StrikerS and Mad Scientist Jail Scaglietti. Naturally, he was eventually defeated and imprisoned. Also, Scaglietti was a coachbuilder for Ferrari with a namesake car... just like Fate Testarossa and Erio Mondial — products of Project F (a project that was based off of his research).
  • Fate Testarossa is named after the project that created her in the first place. That, and being an expendable clone designed for the singular purpose of reviving your original without even being aware of it.
  • Subaru is a model-0 combat cyborg, the first of what was going to be a mass produced model. Most of the cast is named after cars, but Subaru? Named after a company (more specifically, a company that markets towards lesbians). Her family name, Nakajima, is seemingly based off of the former name of the company that makes Subaru automobiles.
  • The Mariage are an in-universe example, being named after an Ancient Belkan word for "puppet". However, there is no such word in modern German (which is otherwise identical with Belkan) and the closest-sounding word, "Marionette", is of French origin.
  • Iris is named after the Greek Goddess of rainbows, fitting with the fact that she's introduced as a Hard Light hologram.
  • Sieglinde's name comes from the German words "Sieg" (victory) and "lind" (soft/mild/gentle).

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• Alto Saotome in Macross Frontier, particularly his first name, as Alto is derived from the latin for 'high', and he always has his head up in the clouds and goes on about how much he likes the sky and wants to fly. Further, Alto is the low range for female singing, and he's constantly mocked for it. Saotome itself is also a name meaningful in Kabuki, which Alto used to do, and, driving the point home, Alto played female roles in Kabuki. Oddly his voice is actually relatively manly, presumably because of puberty. His name becomes a bit prophetic when he actually does become a pilot and turns out to be quite good at it.
• Aiko, the gynoid from Magical Pokaan, has her name spelled 鉄子 which would normally be read as Tetsuko or "Iron child".
• Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi has Mune-Mune. Mune means "chest" in Japanese.
• Magic Knight Rayearth — CLAMP makes it too obvious which of the three protagonists go with which Rune God, and which element obviously, from moment one (at least for those who are Japanese natives).
  • Shidou Hikaru means "Light of the Lion Shrine" (Hikaru = light, Shi = lion, Dou is kanji for hall or, in this case, shrine).
  • Ryuuzaki Umi means "Dragon of the Sea" (Umi = sea, Ryuu = dragon)
  • Hououji Fuu is more complicated but equally glaring really — "Wind of the Phoenix King Shrine" (Fuu = wind, Hou = phoenix, Ou = king and Ji = temple/shrine)
  • Add that every other character in this manga (sans Mokona who is named after Mokona Appapa) takes his/her name from one car or another and you end up with a show chock-full of Meaningful Names.
• A Man and His Cat: "Fuku" means luck/happiness, and the old man names the cat Fukumaru accordingly because meeting him has given him happiness.
• Chifusa from Manyu Hikencho is notable for having a name one accent away from "Chibusa" (udders).
• Maria no Danzai
  • Mari's name's first and second kanji (真里) means "truth, reality, genuine" and "family home of a wife", respectively. She is a stay-at-home mother and wife whose love for her son is genuine. Even after she changed her name to Maria, her "Mari" persona is still present when she takes time to help other students to talk about their problems and her fellow teacher to drink water instead of alcohol out of the principal's sight. However, she believes that side of her to be fake.
  • Kiritaka's name has the first kanji (桐) that means "strength" and the second (崇), "adore". It describes him perfectly: he has saved a classmate from being strangled to death and endures the inhumane bullying Okaya's gang subjects him to in order to gather evidence to expose them, and his parents love him, especially his mother who openly expresses it.
  • While Nozomu Okaya can count as an Ironic Name due to the kanji's meaning of his given name (望) being "hope" while he goes crushing other people's hopes, it also means "desire", "resent", and "popularity." These reflect his resentment towards Kiritaka's defiance and his desire to break it, plus being a popular model student.
  • Kowase's last name's three kanjis (小和瀬) mean small, blend, and shallow, respectively. When you go with a sentence with these meanings that may describe this guy, it's basically "insignificant person who blends himself into superficial relationships." His first name is written with the kanji (翼) for "help", as him willing to assist Okaya.
  • Shikimi is homonymous for a highly poisonous tree that has a pleasant appearance and fragrance (Japanese star anise). On the outside, that girl is an innocent, cute student; on the inside, she is extremely toxic.
  • Kinugawa's last name has the kanji for "demon" (鬼) and "anger" (怒), reflecting how he turns into a berserker when he's angered. His first name is written with the kanji for "strength" (強); he's a brute who relies on his physical strength to overpower his victims.
• The Mazinger trilogy (Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger and UFO Robo Grendizer):
  • Professor Kabuto describes the titular mecha as being powerful enough to make its pilot a devil — "Ma" in Japanese — or a god — "Jin". This is also the first line in Mazinkaiser's first theme song.
  • Also, "Kabuto" means "helmet" in Japanese, alluding to the way Koji activates Mazinger by landing his Jet Pilder on it's head like a helmet.
  • Also, Baron Ashura is named after a group of multiple-faced gods of Hindu and Buddhist Myths, alluding the fact of Ashura is Two-Faced.
  • Marquis Janus is a Two-Faced witch is named after a Roman deity with two faces.
  • Julius Caesar, general of one of the seven Mykene armies (the Superhuman Battle Beasts division) is obviously named after Julius Caesar.
• Medaka Box:
  • The protagonist's surname Kurokami(黑神） means black god, which reflects the powerful and fear-inducing nature of her abilities. Her given name Medaka(killfish) also produce theme-naming with her siblings Kujira(whale) and Maguro(tuna). In addition， her name can be read as 目(me) 高(daka) or "tall eyes" which can reflect her status of looking from above.
  • Several other characters have names which are fairly indicative of their personalities. Hitoyoshi (人吉）meaning "good person"， Kouki（高貴） means "noble，high class" which certainly fits Akune, Oudo (王土） meaning "king's earth".
• Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch:
  • Luchia Nanami's surname means "Seven Seas."
  • Many of the character's names contain the kanji for "sea," including Kaito's first name, Mitsuki-sensei's last name, and Luchia's surname (as mentioned above).
  • Mikaru's surname means "heavenly castle," which is significant when you consider the fact that she was possessed by Mikeru, an angel of sorts.
  • Nagisa's first name means "shoreline" or "water's edge."
  • Masahiro's surname means "beach coastline."
  • Sara's first name contains the kanji for "sand."
  • Seira's first name contains the kanji for "star," as she was born from a wish and one of her signature songs is about wishing.
  • Lanfa's first name means "orchid flower." Her signature song is called "The Serenade of Butterflies and Flowers," and she wears a dress with a flower on it.
  • Michel is named for the angel Michael. The alteration in the name, other than playing up his connection to Michal, is the first clue that there's something a bit off with his supposed Mission from God.
• Monster:
  • The perpetually calm Grimmer's name comes from the Czech name Jaromir which means "fierceness and peace". This reflects that Grimmer has a brutally violent alternate personality called Steiner (which happens to mean peace). Come to think of it, the name Grimmer is quite ironic as well.
  • Big Bad Johann's name means "God is gracious" and he survives being shot in the head, twice. Though the second time might have left him brain dead. Maybe.
• Several characters from Mr. Fullswing are named after animals, especially those that represent the Eastern Zodiac, and plants. Heck, Amakuni just flat out goes to Juunishi High (十二支高校), the "Twelve Branches High School", which goes to show that this manga has no subtlety at all. Only some that are named after animals are listed here.
  • Amakuni Saruno (猿野天国) after the Monkey (猿 saru). His girlfriend's brother prefers saying his given name funnily as Tengoku (literally "heaven"), which probably also references Sun Wukong who's said to have wreaked havoc on heaven.
  • Nagi Torii (鳥居凪), Amakuni's girlfriend and the team's chief manager, and Kenbishi Torii (鳥居剣菱), her older brother, both after the Rooster (鶏 (niwa)tori). Torii is also a type of gate to Shinto shrines.
  • Mei Inukai (犬飼冥) after the Dog (犬 inu). His given name, meaning "dark", also suits his skin tone and gloomy personality.
  • Pino Tomaru (兎丸比乃) after the Rabbit (兎 usagi, to). He's also the shortest (shorter than Nezu who, despite his name, is just average), fastest, most childish and most cheerful member of the team.
  • Aoi Shiba (司馬葵) after the Horse (馬 uma, ba). His given name, homophonous with the word for "blue", also suits his hair color. Shiba is one of the select Japanese given names that used to be legit Chinese name, starting out as a governmental position in feudal China.
  • Chuunosuke Nezu (子津忠之介) after the Rat (鼠 nezumi).
  • Shinji Tatsuragawa (辰羅川信二) after the Dragon (竜 tatsu; also 辰 shin, tatsu).
  • Taiga Kotetsu (虎鉄大河) after the Tiger (虎 tora, ko), also the English word "tiger". He has two stripes on each of his cheeks, a prominent canine tooth, and a striped bandanna.
  • Takeomi Inori (猪里猛臣) after the Boar (猪 i, inoshishi). He's a farm boy.
  • Mikado Ushio (牛尾御門) after the Ox (牛 ushi). His given name sounds like the word for "(Japanese) emperor", and he's the senior captain of the team.
  • Mikoto Hebigami (蛇神尊) after the Snake (蛇 hebi). His name is very divine, containing the words for "god", kami and mikoto, and he's a Buddhist who rarely opens his eyes.
  • Yuujin Hitsujitani (羊谷遊人), the coach of the team, after the Sheep (羊 hitsuji). His given name means "laid-back person" which he is.
  • Bun Shishikawa (獅子川文) after the lion (獅子 shishi).
  • Tsutsura Shikame (鹿目筒良) after the deer (鹿 shika).
  • Danho Mizou (三象男歩) after the elephant (象 zō).
  • Momiji Kiyokuma (清熊もみじ) after the bear (熊 kuma). Momiji also means "autumn leaves". She's quite well-endowed and strong.
  • Hinoki Nekoko (猫湖檜) after the cat (猫 neko; also a zodiac animal in Vietnam in place of the Rabbit). She's a Kawaiiko who always holds her stuffed cat.
  • Tsugumi Kakieda (柿枝鶫) after the dusky thrush (鶫 tsugumi).
  • Nadeshiko Yamako (夜摩狐撫子) after the fox (狐 kitsune, ko). Of course, Nadeshiko as mentioned elsewhere on this page, means pink/carnation.
  • Issen Kurohyou's family name (黒豹一銭) means "black leopard". His given name means "one hundredth of a yen", and he is a sucker for money to help his friend Hakuou.
  • Kiyosumi Hakuou's family name (白鴎清澄) means "white seagull". He used to be in the same battery with Kurohyou. He gets paralyzed after a traffic accident.
• In Mythic Quest, John's name illustrates just how bland and normal he is. On the other hand, his more common alias, Tragic, is completely unsymbolic. He's not inclined to emo, perfectly aware he's much better off than many people, and despite a touch of Honor Before Reason flaw is definitely not a tragic hero.
• My Bride is a Mermaid has some fun with this. Seeing as how it involves mermaids and yakuza, there's bound to be some.
  • The title of the series is Seto no Hanayome which can be read two ways. The first way is the literal title "The Inland Sea Bride" while reading it regularly is "The Bride of Seto" both of which are describing the female lead.
  • Sun Seto is the female lead and her first name should be obvious. In regards to this, Sun can also be seen as the "sun" in way since many of the characters "orbit" around her most notably Mikawa, Luna, Akeno, a good chunk of the male student body, her mother and father and Nagasumi. Her last name Seto refers to the place where she first met Nagasumi and her yakuza group.
  • Luna Edomae's first name is also obvious, being the opposite to Sun and using Lunar as her stage name. Her last name Edomae refers to Tokyo Bay since Tokyo was called Edo before the Meiji Restoration.
  • Mawari Zenigata is a member of the Disciplinary Committee. Her first name when read as "Omawari" is a polite term for a police officer which she aspires to become since her father is police chief. Her last name Zenigata is a reference to Heiji Zenigata the famous fictional police officer who Mawari claims to be related to. Or perhaps Koichi Zenigata.
  • Ren Seto's first name is a reference to the Siren which is sometimes depicted as similar to mermaids.
  • Sarutobi Hideyoshi is nicknamed Saru which is Japanese for monkey. The dub keeps this intact by calling him Chimp. In addition, his name also refrences Sarutobi Sasuke a ninja and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
  • Akeno Shiranui has ties to the Shiranui Sea.
  • Kai Mikawa's first name is a reference to the planet Neptune which in Japanese is Kaiosei and his last name is a refrence to Mikawa Bay.
  • Sun's bodyguard Maki and her sister Fuki who appears later in the manga both have references in their names as well. Maki is known as Spiral Shell Maki and the word Uzumaki is Japanese for whirlpool. Fuki uses a fuki leaf as her weapon of choice.
• My Hero Academia has this in spades, in general, every character has a name that in some way relates to their power, personality or role in the story. (Many of these can be Justified since Quirks run in families — parents likely know what their kids' powers will be when they name them.)
  • Class 1A:
    • Midoriya mostly avoids this, fitting his initial quirkless status. Still, "midori" means "green", which is his primary color, and the "ku" in Izuku is homophonous to the number nine in Japanese fitting with him being the ninth user for One for All.
    • Bakugo's name means "strong explosion" in Japanese. Given his explosive powers, and his explosive personality, it is certainly fitting. Meanwhile, "Katsuki" contains Japanese characters for "win" and "self" in it.
    • "Uraraka" means "bright". "Ochaco" can be derived from the expression "ocha no ko" (roughly meaning "piece of cake!") or "ochappii" (a chatterbox girl). This all illustrates her bright, cheerful, Nice Girl personality.
    • Iida's first and last name put together form the word "Iidaten", which is the Japanese term meaning "fast runner", fitting considering his Super-Speed abilities.
    • Todoroki is both An Ice Person and Playing with Fire. The Japanese characters that compose his first name, "Shoto", mean "freezing" and "heating", respectively.
    • Aoyama is a Narcissist. His given name, "Yuga", means "elegance".
    • "Toru" means "transparent", and her surname, Hagakure, incorporates the kanji for "hidden". Her power is Invisibility.
    • "Kirishima" has the character for the verb "cut". Likewise, "Eijiro" has the character for "sharp".
    • Tsuyu Asui's surname has the character for "frog" in it — fitting for the class's resident frog person. In addition, her given name is the Japanese term for the rainy season, and her hero title is "the Rainy Season Hero".
    • Minoru Mineta' sticky balls resemble grapes and his name means "producing fruit".
    • Denki Kaminari's first name means "electricity", and his surname is a homonym for "kaminari" which means "thunder" (it's also written with kanji that together mean "ringing from above"). Guess what his power is.
    • "Jiro" contains the character for "ear". "Kyoka" contains the character for the verb "echo". She has a sound-related quirk.
    • "Yaoyorozu" is a traditional word that means "eight million" or, more appropriately, a really high number, and her first name means "hundred". This relates to the amount of stuff she can create with her Quirk.
    • Fumikage Tokoyami's quirk becomes stronger in the dark. His name means "eternal darkness".
    • Mina Ashido can produce acid from her hands and feet. Her surname sounds like "acid", and the first character in her given name can also be read "san", a homonym for the kanji for "acid".
    • "Mashirao" is a common Japanese name. It also includes the kanji for "tail".
    • Rikido Sato's name can literally be translated to "Strength Sugar".
    • Sero Hanta has an English one. "Sero" is the Japanese pronunciation of "cello" as in "cellophane" or "sellotape", matching his cellophane tape quirk.
  • Pro Heroes:
    • All Might's surname contains the Kanji for "eight", referring to him being the 8th wielder of One For All. It also has the character "tree/wood" in it, which likely refers to him being the pillar that currently upholds society as it is now.
    • Endeavor's given name Enji has the characters for "flame" and "boss", fitting to the number one hero with fire powers. Enji is also the name of the fire god in Albanian mythology.
    • Hawks' given name Keigo contains the kanji for "kei", roughly translating to "disclose, open, say" and "go" which means "enlightenment, understanding". Highly fitting to Hawks (in a subversive way) as he is one of the most mysterious characters in the show, both with his secret past and his double agent work in the League of Villains. His family name is also meaningful as it contains the kanji of "taka" which means "hawk" and "mi" which means "visible, to see, idea".
    • Eraser Head's given name Shota has the kanji meaning "erase". The "Ai" in his family name Aizawa can be translated as "councilor", and he is the homeroom teacher of Class 1A.
    • Fiber Hero Best Jeanist's given name Tsunagu is homophones with the verb "to tie or fasten".
    • Midnight's name Nemuri Kayama contains the kanji for "fragrance" (香 ka?) and "sleep" (睡 nemuri?). She exudes sleep-inducing aroma.
    • Rabbit Hero Mirko's family name Usagiyama has the kanji for "rabbit" (usagi).
    • Shimura Nana's given name "Nana" is the Japanese word for "seven", referring to her being the seventh user of One For All. It is also an endearing term used for grandmothers, referring to her relation to Tomura Shigaraki's grandmother and also her being two generations behind Izuku in using One For All.
    • Sir Nighteye's Quirk allows him to see the future. The databooks reveal that his given name is Mirai, which means "future" in Japanese.
    • Present Mic’s first name, Hizashi, is a variant of “Hisashi” which means “Sunshine”. It matches his boisterous personality and bright yellow hair.
  • Other Characters:
    • Togata Mirio's family name has the kanji for "through" and "form". His quirk allows him to pass through any tangible matter.
    • Amajiki Tamaki's family name has the kanji for "eating". His quirk grants him the ability to manifest the physical characteristics of anything he's eaten.
    • Eri's name is composed of two characters: "break" and "reason, logic". Her quirk allows her to reverse a living individual's body back to a previous state, allowing her to make her target physically younger, heal injuries, undo bodily modifications, and even rewind someone's body to a point before they existed.
    • Ibara's given name means "thorns".
    • Monoma's name comes from "monomane", the Japanese word for "mimicry", and incorporates the kanji for "time/interval", referring to the period of time a copied quirk lasts.
    • Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's has a Repetitive Name, reflecting his roll as a Kirishima copy, and "tetsu" is a japanese word meaning "iron", reflecting his ability to turn his skin to iron.
    • Hitoshi Shinso, who possesses a Mind Control quirk, has a surname that means "manipulating heart" and a given name that means "playing with people". Really subtle.
    • Mei Hatsume's name comes from "hatsumei", the Japanese word for "invention". She is, of course, an inventor.
    • Nezu’s name is from "Nezumi", which means "rat". He’s a very rat-like creature.
    • Major villain Tomura Shigaraki has kanji meaning "death" in his adopted last name and "Tomura" literally means "mourning". His quirk lets him decay and disintegrate anything he touches with all five fingers.
• My Lady Just Wants to Relax: Ronia names her café "Mattari", the Japanese word for "laid-back" or "relax", which references her goal to lead a relaxing life.
• Maria Graceburt from My-Otome tries to hold herself and her students up to a high standard of discipline and dignity. She herself comments that all she wanted to do after retiring from her old life as a Lady of War was to age gracefully. Also, most of the Childs' names, as well as some of the Himes' are chosen for their symbolism in various myths. This video contains quite a bit of information on them.

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• Love Martyr Electra from Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, whose namesake from both Greek myth and Freudian theory sums up her backstory.
• Most of the characters from Naruto have this:
  • Team 7:
    • Naruto Uzumaki: Uzumaki means "spiral" or "whirlpool". There is a famous whirlpool in Japan near the city of Naruto. "Naruto" is also the name for those spirally pink toppings in ramen, Naruto's favorite food (they are called naruto kamaboko, and if you are wondering, they are made of processed fish.) The spiral motif is all over the manga, especially where Naruto himself is concerned. The Konoha symbol, the seal on Naruto's chest, his graffiti stylings... just look at the first page! Further compounding this is the fact that his signature attack is called "Rasengan", which means "Helix Circle". Given that Naruto can mean both "Maelstrom" and "Fishcake", his full name can be translated as Maelstrom Whirlpool. Finally, Naruto's ancestral homeland is called Uzushiogakure (Hidden Whirlpools Village) located in the Land of Whirlpools (Uzu no Kuni).
    • Sasuke Uchiha: "Uchiha" being a type of Japanese fan and the clan symbol, and "Sasuke" being a stock name for a ninja character. The third Hokage's family name is Sarutobi, which sets up the name Sarutobi Sasuke, which is the name of a popular fictional ninja. They also gave said Hiruzen Sarutobi (no personal name given until well after his death) the ability to summon monkeys and a perpetually-expanding rod that can transform into the monkey king Enma, a clear reference to Son Goku. It is later revealed that Sasuke is indeed named after one Sasuke Sarutobi, which in Narutoverse is the name of Hiruzen's father.
    • Sakura Haruno: "Sakura" being a reference to her hair colour, and the phrase "Haru no sakura" meaning "spring's cherry blossoms". This works only if you say her name out loud, though. Sakura's last name is actually written with the kanji for "spring" and "field" (not the possessive "no") so her full name translates out to "spring field's cherry blossoms".
    • Kakashi Hatake: "Scarecrow in the Field" doesn't immediately sound very flattering — until you realize a scarecrow's purpose is literally to protect things that cannot protect themselves. Suddenly Kakashi's role as team 7's protector at the start of the manga and his role as the Sixth Hokage start to make sense. An omake also once takes his name as a pun, when he fools Sakura by transforming into a scarecrow.
  • Team 8:
    • Hinata Hyuuga: Her name forming a pun around the sun, linked to the Hyuuga clan symbol. The pun being that her first and last name can both be read as the same thing, "into the sun", or "facing the sun". The Hyuuga as a whole have names themed around the sun (except for Neji, see below). She also happens to have a massive crush on the sunny personality and blond hair that is Naruto, who eventually gets lit up like the sun when he uses his controlled Nine Tails Mode. Her name suits her well, because she managed to help out Naruto during some of the darkest moments of his life in the series.
    • Kiba Inuzuka: As a dog ninja, his first name means fang, also a reference to his Facial Markings, while "Inu" means dog. Furthermore, his mother is named Tsume which means claw, and his big sister is named Hana which means nose (this too is a double pun as it also means flower and she is the most civilized of the family). The Inuzuka historically were a clan of samurai who trained dogs.
    • Shino Aburame: In Japan, the last name comes first, so "Aburame Shino" resembles "Aburamashi", the Japanese word for cockroach.
    • Additionally Kiba and Shino's names play off of each other: the main character of the early 19th century epic novel Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (which you might remember for being adapted into the OVA series The Hakkenden) had "Shino" and "Inuzuka" as part of his name.
  • Team 10:
    • Chouji Akimichi: "Chouji" referring both to the butterfly-form of his chakra, and his caterpillar-like eating habits.
    • Shikamaru Nara: A reference to his clan's deer-rearing, "shika" meaning deer and Nara being a city known for its free-roaming deer.
    • Ino Yamanaka: "Ino" is short for "inoshishi", which means "boar". Sakura nicknames Ino as "ino-pig" (ino-buta).
    • These characters names form Ino-Shika-Cho, a combo in a card game, in much the same way as their techniques mesh together for a combo. Their parents share these name similarities, and they are in fact the second Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
  • A fairly subtle instance of this is in the Immortals Arc, in which shogi is a recurring theme (especially when Asuma initially thinks the "king" is the Hokage, but realizes that it is the next generation). As such, the antagonists of the arc, Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu, have the kanji for the rook and bishop in their names, respectively, and a panel near the end of Chapter 332 shows a knight (representing Shikamaru's fighting style) prepared to capture an enemy rook and bishop.
  • Team Guy:
    • Neji means "screw". While it doesn't mean anything by itself, it does relate to his status as an odd member of the Hyuuga clan's branch family, as most Hyuuga have sun-related names. Near the end of the manga, it also neatly ties in with Naruto's spiral/whirlpool motif. Naruto and Hinata indirectly name their son, Boruto, in honor of the late Neji: "Boruto" is a transliteration of "bolt", a type of screw.
    • Might Guy speaks for itself. And his father is called "Might Duy", which of course is a homonym for "Might Die". Sure enough, Duy sacrificed himself to save Guy and ended up dying.
  • Iruka Umino's name is a pun. If you read it the Japanese way, "umi no iruka" means "sea dolphin." In the non-canon anime fillers, he has the ability to use echolocation.
  • Thanks to the subtleties and complexities of the Japanese language, Gaara's name is actually a mutated acronym. It's short for "a self-loving carnage" (我を愛する修羅, Ware wo ai suru shura). Gaara (我愛羅) The kanji taken from the phrase mean self, love, and the second half of carnage or demon. His title Sabaku is a double pun as well. Sabaku 砂瀑 means Sand Waterfall, but the pronunciation also means desert which is also accurate.
  • The Legendary Sannin:
    • Jiraiya's name means "comes and goes as he pleases", which is just as accurate if not more than Ero-sennin ("Perverted Hermit", or Pervy Sage). According to him, the only reason he was in the village in the month between the preliminaries and final round of the Chunin Exam was "research".
    • Orochimaru is an obvious reference to his serpentine abilities and mannerism. "Orochi" is the name of a monstrous serpent in Japanese mythology, while "maru" is a dated suffix for boys' names.
    • The Sannin as a whole are named after ninja in a famous folktale called Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari.
  • Kabuto Yakushi's surname is a reference to Bhaisajyaguru (Yakushi Nyorai in Japanese), the Buddha of medicine. Fittingly, Kabuto is an extremely skilled medic-nin.
  • The Akatsuki:
    • Itachi's name means weasel, which is considered a bad omen. This sums up Itachi until Part II. On that note, weasels are also famed for being utterly vicious Mama Bears.
    • Kisame Hoshigaki's first name means Demon Shark. His sword Samehada means Shark Skin, but for his last name it goes a little deeper. It means dried persimmon. Kisame is a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, whose members all have names related to fruits: Momochi ("peach ground"), Hoshigaki ("dried persimmons"), Hozuki ("demon lantern"), and Chōjūrō "Asian Pear"). Meanwhile, the "shark" part goes deeper when you consider his backstory. He killed all his squadmates to prevent them from being captured and interrogated, then killed Samehada's former wielder. Upon being paired with Itachi, he comments that they were likely paired together because they killed their comrades like how sharks devour the others they were born with.
    • Sasori's name means scorpion, referring to the scorpion-like tail on the puppet he always wears and the poison he puts on his weapons. He even has a red scorpion logo on the puppets he makes.
    • Nagato's nickname is "Pain", which he took along with his mission to educate the world about the pain war brings to people. His individual bodies are named after the places people can reincarnate to in Buddhism, with their abilities corresponding somewhat to their names.
    • In Japanese, Tobi is more or less "Obito" with the syllables reversed, minus the extra "o" (you have to reverse the syllables, rather than simply letters, so "o-bi-to" becomes "to-bi-o" when reversed). The once idealistic Obito became the nihilistic Tobi after witnessing the death of his beloved friend Rin. Tobi is literally the reverse of everything Obito used to be.
  • Naruto's parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, have names that refer to the legend of Susanoo's slaying of Orochi. Kushina is short for Kushinada, a girl whose fated sacrifice to Orochi was the impetus for Susanoo to pursue the monster and whom he married after the beast was slayed. Namikaze means "wave and wind", the features of a storm, of which Susanoo is a god. In the story, Minato and Kushina fell in love after the former saved the latter from a kidnapping.
  • The Ootsutsuki clan:
    • Kaguya Ootsutsuki has multilayered meanings. "Kaguya" is the name of the moon princess from Japan's oldest folktale, Taketori Monogatari ("The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter"). In-series, Kaguya came from the heavens, was the first person on Earth to utilize chakra, and was sealed into the moon after her first defeat. Ootsutsuki has the "tsuki" part, which means moon, and "tsutsuki", which means bamboo tree, but the name is actually a reference to an obscure passage in the semi-mythological book Kojiki. Suinin, the 11th emperor, had a consort named Kaguya, the daughter of King Otsutsukitarine. Finally, the moon is associated with rabbits in Japan; Kaguya's nickname is "Rabbit Goddess" and the true form of the Ten Tails is a rabbit.
    • Meanwhile, Kaguya's son, Hagoromo, the Sage of the Six Paths, is named after the robe that Princess Kaguya used to travel back to the moon in Taketori Monogatari.
    • Hagoromo's children, Indra and Asura, are named after the king of the gods and a race of wrathful gods in Hinduism, respectively. In a reverse of the usual portrayal, Asura was the hero, while Indra was the villain.
• Negima! Magister Negi Magi:
  • The eponymous Negi, Japanese for "Spring Onion", is a reference to the Welsh Onion, Negi's home being Wales. Interestingly, his nickname "bozu" (roughly translated to "kid" or "brat") in context with the word "Negi" means "onion-head".
  • The series also has Chachamaru with at least two: her first name is written with the Kanji for "Tea", a reference to her main function as a tea-serving robot. Her last name, "Karakuri", refers to the karakuri ningyō (traditional Japanese dolls) used in 18th and 19th century Japan as automated puppets for entertainment and at festivals, referring to Chachamaru's funtion as Evangeline's "Doll" of sorts (the vampire goes by the title "Doll/Puppet Master"). Powered by a mechanism of gears and springs (Chachamaru herself is "wound" this way by a magic-user), these dolls modernly are used as a more traditional means of serving tea to guests; they move/walk in a straight path for a set distance when a cup of tea is placed in their hands/plate, afterwhich bowing deeply. This again refers to Chachamaru's function as a tea-serving robot while also referring to her polite mannerisms. Just for reference, karakuri itself means "mechanical device to take someone by surprise".
  • Then, there is Asuna's full name: Asuna Vesperina Theothanasia Enteofushia. Her third name could be roughly translated as either "god of death" or "godslayer", with the rest of the story hinting for the latter.
    • "Vesperina" also is related to her nickname, "Twilight Imperial Princess".
  • Nodoka's name fits her to perfectly, given how the name is a Japanese term for "quiet", and she herself is a shy library girl (and usually one of the tamer students in Negi's class).
  • Kotarou's family name, Inugami, is Japanese for "dog spirits", thus reflecting how he's part dog demon.
  • Most of the aliases used by Fate's Ministra are references to the abilities that they have:
    • Shirabe = tune (her artifact is a fiddle that emits sound waves that can destroy building)
    • Homura = flame (she is capable of using fire-based attacks)
    • Shiori = bookmark (when she reverts to her regular body after being disguised as someone, the disguise turns into a bookmark)
    • Koyomi = calendar (her artifact is a hourglass that affects time and space)
  • Fate himself; aside from the whole Fate/predestined purpose thing, his last name, Averruncus, is the Roman god of Disaster Aversion. Fitting, given that Fate's stated goal is supposedly to save the people of Mundus Magicus...
  • Eva's middle name "Athanasia" means "the quality of being deathless; immortality".
• In Neon Genesis Evangelion, there's Rei Ayanami, whose given name is written in katakana (as is everyone else's given names), leaving it a mystery as to what it could mean. One possible meaning is the number zero; the kanji for zero can be pronounced as "rei," and she pilots Evangelion Unit-00. It puns on the Japanese word for "bow," as in, "bow down," mirroring her generally self-effacing attitude towards life. However, the Japanese word for soul is also pronounced rei. Make of that what you will.
  • It also could be read 'cold'. Given that she's a Sugar-and-Ice Personality...
  • "Gratitude" (which is something she learns about in the course of her character arc) is also a possibility.
  • The widely-used 麗 kanji is also spelled rei and means 'lovely, beautiful'.
  • Also, her surname has the character 'nami' meaning 'wave' (as in tsunami). In Rebuild, there's Asuka's name changed to Shikinami, and new pilot Mari Makinami. Shinji's family name, Ikari, means 'anchor', but one different spelling is 'wrath'. Kinda appropriate.
  • Kaworu Nagisa means "Kaworu of the seashore".
  • Shinji means "Divine Child"
  • In the English dub of episode 1, Ritsuko referred to Unit 01 as the "Oni system" for two reasons: the chance of it activating for a random person (0.000000001%, that's nine zeroes over there) and it's appearance (the Oni is a demon in Japanese mythology). She took her time to explain it in detail.
• Ninja Nonsense has a couple of these. Shinobu is a joke on shinobi, which means ninja. Onsokumaru's name means "speed-of-sound ball", and he's a madcap shapeshifter whose usual form is spherical.

O-Q

• Ojamajo Doremi:
  • Many characters have names that represent some aspect of their existence. In fact, the title itself gives a clear indicator of its musical theme.
  • The titular character's own name translates as "Spring Breeze Doremi", marking her as gentle and the best representative of the show itself.
  • Hana got her name due to having been born from a large flower. Justified as it was Doremi who named her.
• Ojojojo:
  • Haru's last name, Jigokumeguri, translates to "Tour of Hells". It's a reference to the Hells of Beppu, hotsprings that are used for viewing rather than bathing due to their intense heat. Just like the hells, people refused to interact with Haru because of her harsh personality.
  • Tsurezure basically translates to "lost in thought" or "idleness", which sums up his personality perfectly.
• One Piece author Eiichiro Oda does this all the time.
  • Some obvious ones are Zoro (a swordsman) and Usopp (playing off Aesop and the Japanese "Uso" meaning "to lie"). There’s also Nami whose name means "wave" in Japanese (perfectly fitting for her association with navigation and weather) and Sanji whose name can mean "three o'clock" or "three o'clock snack" (which ties into a number 3 theme around Sanji and cooking) we learn later Sanji’s brothers are Ichiji "one", Niji "two" and Yonji "four". An accidental with Luffy, as there’s Maritime term known as “Luff”, Oda only found out later and claimed it wasn’t intentional but was delighted anyway.
  • Played with in the case of Donquixote Doflamingo, named after (duh) Don Quixote, who is famous for being a dreamer oblivious to the fact that his dreams are nothing but his own madness, while Doflamingo believes in a world with no dreams, oblivious to the fact that the One Piece world doesn't work like that.
  • Kyoshiro's name contains the kanji for "madness" and "death". His real identity is Denjiro, one of the Nine Red Scabbards who became so consumed with rage towards Orochi that he briefly went mad. By the time he recovered his lucidity his facial structure and overall appearance changed drastically to the point that no one could recognize him anymore. In other words, his former identity as Denjiro had died in his madness.
  • The Greater-Scope Villain’s name Im is a twofold reference. Im is the name of a mighty and wise Giant in Norse Mythology and written in katakana, Im's name is composed of the two radicals comprising the character 仏, which means "Buddha".
  • The final island on which Gol D. Roger found and left his treasure, the titular One Piece, is called "Laugh Tale" because he and his crew laughed out loud when they saw it.
• In Ouran High School Host Club:
  • Tamaki is engaged to Eclair Tonnerre, a girl whose name means "lightning thunder" in French. Not only is that mind-blowingly heavy-handed, thunder and lightning are the only fears of the protagonist.
  • St. Lobelia Academy, home of the Zuka Club, may or may not be another intentional case. The lobelia flower is traditionally used medically as an emetic or purgative, and it can be dangerous in large doses. In floriography, lobelia also means malevolence.
• In PandoraHearts, Lacie is an anagram of Alice, which later makes sense because she is Alice’s mother.
  • Echo, the more quiet and submissive, is named Echo, while her Split Personality, the more aggressive and violent, is named Noise.
• Mashiro Shiina, the female protagonist of The Pet Girl of Sakurasou. "Mashiro" means "pure white." Not only she has a fairer skin than the rest of the cast, it is pretty clear that Sorata eventually thought she is "pure to a fault," being an Idiot Savant.
• Planetes: Hachimaki's surname, Hoshino, means of the stars, and sure enough, he's an astronaut who aspires to own his own ship. Tanabe's given name means love, and she believes that love can solve everything.
• Aside from the stuff mentioned in the Video Games area, Pokémon: The Series does it in the anime as well. One really blatant example was Madam Muchmoney, the rich woman with the Snubbull from the Johto portion of the series.
  • A two-part episode involves a Princess Classic named Sarah. Her name is Hebrew for "princess".
• Princess Mononoke has Lady Eboshi, who commands her troops with ruthless efficiency. Her name refers to the high hats traditionally worn by Japanese military commanders and nobility.
• Almost every character in Princess Tutu has a name that means something:
  • Ahiru means "duck" in Japanese (and was translated in the dub), which makes sense because she is a duck. Most of the animals in the series follow suit.
  • Mytho's name comes from the greek word "Mythos" which means "story" — a fitting name for a prince from a Story. His true name, Siegfried, is also the name of the prince from Swan Lake.
  • A fakir is a type of mystic, so given Fakir's story-spinning powers it makes sense. One of the last episodes of season 1 uses music from ''Scheherazade'', and Fakir features prominently in the "Kalendar Prince" sequence. The Kalendar Prince is a fakir who turns out to be more than he appears...
  • Rue has quite a few things going for her. "Rue" means "to regret" or "bitter", which give the negative connotations needed for The Rival. It's also the herb of grace, which suits her position as "best dancer in the school".
  • Her other name, "Kraehe", on the other hand, is the German word for crow (Krähe).
  • "Autor" is the German word for "author" and the character with the name is a scholar and wannabe Story-Spinner.
  • Femio may or may not be a subversion — in one of the series DVD's special features, it was stated that they just wanted a "femmy-sounding name" for him.
  • Even the minor characters have pretty meaningful names — "Karon" is very close to "Charon", the ferryman of the afterlife in Greek mythology, which is fitting since Karon is the guardian of Fakir, who is supposedly fated to die protecting the Prince. Fakir's childhood friend's name, Raetsel, is the German word for "puzzle", which is fitting since she's confused about her feelings and is desperately trying to find someone she "fits" with. Hermia and Lysander come from A Midsummer Night's Dream, the theme of their episode. And so on.
• Psycho-Pass: The kanji used to write inspector Akane Tsunemori's family name (常守) can be read to roughly mean "protector of the usual state of things," reflecting not only her role as a law enforcement officer but also her acceptance that, despite the Sibyl System's evils, it is still necessary to keep order in contrast to Makishima and Kogami's rebellion against it.
• Kyubey in Puella Magi Madoka Magica is short for InCUBAtor.
  • The final witch of the series is named "Walpurgisnacht", which is the name of an Eastern European festival during which it is said that witches gather together. Walpurgisnacht is a combination of many different witches, hence her extreme power.
  • Kyubey also points out a double meaning in the words "magical girl" and "witch". In Japanese, "witch" is "majo", while "magical girl" is "mahou shoujo".
  • The series' English name ("Puella Magi" as opposed to "Magical Girl") also has a significant double meaning. "Puella Magi" can be translated as "Magical Girl", but it can also be translated as "Young Slave of the Deceiver".
  • 'Madoka' can mean 'wish' or 'circle'. As in the cyclical nature of the time loops around her and the witch-incubator relationship. 'Kaname', meanwhile, can mean 'necessity' or 'pivotal point' - which is apt to say the least due to Homura's time-meddling making Madoka the pivotal point of every timeline she enters.
  • 'Homura', on the other hand, means 'flame'. As in 'flame of desire' but also as in 'Lucifer' (light-bringer), and in the fact that people that were supposedly witches were burnt on the stake.
  • 'Mami Tomoe' is essentially two references in one: to Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel and to Tomoe Gozen, one of the most famous female warriors known to the world. Both serve to illustrate her prowess as a magical girl.
  • 'Kyoko Sakura' is a double Flower Motifs name that combines 'apricot' (also complementing her sister Momo, 'peach') and 'cherry blossom'.
  • 'Sayaka Miki' is a more hidden form: The first character in her last name (美) means "beauty". The last character (樹) means "tree". Her name could also be written (幹) "tree trunk" or (神酒) "sake offered to the gods." The word sayaka (さやか (明か／清か), usually written in hiragana) can mean "clear", "fresh", or "bright" in Japanese. Trees are generally associated with witches in the series, especially the aforementioned Walpurgisnacht, and an offering to the gods is a sacrifice. So, Sayaka Miki is a "fresh sacrifice" whose very name foreshadows her becoming a witch.
• Queen Millennia: In Lametalian, "La-Metal" means "Eternal Traveler", fitting for a Rogue Planet.
• The Nakano quintuplets of The Quintessential Quintuplets are named after their order of birth: Ichika ("ichi" for "first"), Nino ("ni" for "second"), Miku ("mi" for "third"), Yotsuba ("yotsu" for fourth) and Itsuki ("itsu" for "fifth").

R

• In Read or Die, superpowered bibliomaniac Yomiko Readman's name contains a double whammy. Immediately obvious to English speakers is her last name, but the kanji used for her first name mean "reading child". Unusually, her name is at least partially explained by the fact that she comes from a family of bibliomaniacs, which is also essentially the origin of her paper-related powers.
• There's a family of this in Reborn! (2004): The Founder of the Vongola, Giotto, whose Japanese name is Ieyatsu, the prominent father Iemitsu, and the young successor Tsunayoshi. Replace their collective last name 'Sawada' with 'Tokugawa', and you have the historical Japanese Shogunate line.
• Rosario + Vampire has a couple. Kurumu Kurono and her mother Ageha are both succubi. If you place "A" in front of Kurumu's name and drop the "ru" you get the word "Akumu" which is Japanese for "Nightmare". Succubi were known for invading the dreams of sleeping men and giving them nightmares. Similarly, Mizore and Tsurara Shirayuki are both Yuki-Onna or Snow Women. Mizore means Sleet and Tsurara means Icicle while their family name Shirayuki means Snow White. Also, Word of God says that the names Moka, Kokoa, and Kahlua all sound like things that are both sweet and bitter (mocha, cocoa, kahlua), symbolic of the three vampire sisters' split personalities.
• Frequently seen in Rumiko Takahashi's works. Takahashi is perhaps the master of the name with multiple levels of meaning. Very often her characters have ordinary-seeming names, but she uses kanji other than the usual ones to write them, setting up a punning conflict between what is heard and what is read.
  • The annoying holy man in Urusei Yatsura has a name that is pronounced "Sakuranbou" (the Japanese word for the cherry fruit), but is spelled the with the characters meaning "deranged priest". Just to add to the confusion, he usually goes by the nickname "Cherry" (in English). Moroboshi Ataru's name means "struck by a falling star", which not only describes his fate rather accurately, but is often visually punned on in the commercial bumpers (a star falls out of the show's logo and hits him in the head). Mendou's name is a fairly common surname, but here it's written with kanji that mean "annoying bastard". And "Lum" was Rumiko Takahashi's own nickname as a child; it was also the last name of Japan's first major bikini model, Agnes Lum, whose looks Lum was modeled after.
  • In Maison Ikkoku, every major character's last name begins with a number. The main character, Yusaku Godai, lives in Room 5, and his neighbors consist of the Ichinose family in Room 1, Yotsuya in Room 4, and Akemi Roppongi in Room 6. Kyoko Otonashi's last name means "no sound", which refers to the fact that, as manager, she has no room number. However, it is also a pun on otto-nashi, which means "without a husband", referring to her widow status.
  • Characters in her most famous work, Ranma ½, frequently have names that are puns in three or more languages including English and Chinese. The emotionally unstable patriarch of the Tendō family, Sōun, has a name that means "Fast Road to Heaven", but which can also be read as "weeping man" — describing him perfectly. There is also Ranma Saotome himself. His given name Ranma means "wild horse". Fitting, since the main plot is about several women attempting to "break" him and "saddle" him with marriage. His surname Saotome is written with kanji meaning "quick maiden/virgin," a rather apt description of his female form. On top of that, in his female form he sometimes uses the alias Ranko. It uses the same kanji ran, meaning "wild/rebellious," as his real name, followed by ko, meaning "child." Interestingly, ko, while a popular suffix for girls' names, actually carries masculine connotations (because Japanese word construction tends to presume masculinity when a gender-neutral kanji is used in a word). So, the name Ranko technically means "wild BOY." Finally (and this may be entirely coincidental), Ranko rhymes with bronco, an American (by way of Spanish) term for... a wild horse.
  • She goes all out in Maison Ikkoku, which takes place at a boarding house with numbered rooms... and everyone living there has their room's number in their name. For example, Yotsuya's name translates as "four valleys" and it's the name of a famous district in Tokyo. Kyoko, the boarding house manager, has the character for "zero" in her name, and the non-boarder characters have number-themed names.
  • A couple of examples can be found in Inuyasha. The "inu" of the eponymous character's name means "dog," while "yasha" is generally accepted to mean a type of friendly demon or forest spirit. "Naraku" is an archaic word for "hell."
  • A particularly strange case is the Shichinintai, all of whose names end in the character 骨 (kotsu), meanining bone, remains, or skeleton. Bankotsu's name can thus be translated as "barbarian bone" or "barbarian remains"; Jakotsu is "snake bone" (and his Whip Sword, the Jakotsu-to, is thus the "snake bone sword"); Renkotsu means "metalworking bone"; the name of Suikotsu, who has suppressed his Superpowered Evil Side, means "sleeping bone"; the cyborg Ginkotsu's name means "silver bone"; the poisoner Mukotsu's name means "fog/mist bone"; and the cannibal Kyokotsu's name means "misfortune/disaster/evil bone." The use of the "bone" character is appropriate given that all seven characters are undead, artificially restored to life by the Shikon Jewel, but their names were established prior to their deaths.
    • This is actually a common misconception, as kotsu is better translated as "skill". Incredibly, both are still equally viable interpretations, as "skill" can refer to the fact that they are a group of legendary strength.
  • Rinne Rokudo, the main character of RIN-NE, has his first name written entirely in hiragana, thus being one of the few rare Takahashi characters whose name does not have hidden meanings. However, his first name is Japanese shorthand for "reincarnation", and his last name refers to the six paths of reincarnation in Buddhism, all tying into his job as a Shinigami.
• Himura Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin. Written in kanji, his name is read as 剣心, with the character 剣 (ken) meaning "sword" and 心 (shin) meaning "heart." So his name literally means "heart of the sword." Furthermore, Kenshin's last name of Himura is written as 緋村, which can be potentially be interpreted as "red village" or even "bloody village," which carries significant meaning considering his former status as an assassin and the fact that the slave traders he was sold to when he was a child all get slaughtered by bandits.
  • One of the ending songs to the anime was even titled "Heart of Sword."
  • As for his assassin name of Battousai (抜刀済), it literally means "one that has mastered Battoujutsu." Battoujutsu is a technique in which one draws his sword from its sheath fast enough to strike his opponent first, and Kenshin demonstrates his mastry of this technique several times in the manga and anime.

S

• Saint Seiya:
  • Some characters original names fall into this trope. Ikki means " one sparkle", for example. Others are based in mythology, such as Capricorn Shura, which comes from the Indian god of violence, Ashura.
  • The Italian dub had almost all of the original Japanese names replaced with names that fit this trope. Seiya was renamed "Pegasus (knight of Pegasus, incidentally)", Shun was "Andromeda" (knight of Andromeda, go figure) and Ikki was "Phoenix". Considering that the training location for each child is shown to be chosen randomly, it's funny that no one in the show notices that, say, the child named Pegasus gets to go to Greece to compete for the Pegasus cloth, etc. Also, none of the Gold Saints but Aiolia and Aiolos seemed to have a name at all: they were just called "The Knight of...", or they were simply referred to with the name of their constellation.
• The title character of Saki. Her name means "to bloom". Her favorite Finishing Move, the Rinshan Kaihou, means "a flower blooms on a ridge". This was specifically pointed out in the series.
• Mokuzu's name from Satou Kashi no Dangan wa Uchinukenai stands out from the moment she transfers. To quote the Light Novel: "It was a name no one would give to someone with the last name Umino. I mean, I wouldn't want to be named it no matter what my last name." Her first name refers to death by the sea and her full name essentially means "scraps of seaweed from the sea". Mokuzu insists she's a mermaid who will die if she doesn't make human friends by the next major storm. Umino's father also sung a One-Hit Wonder about a man who falls for a mermaid, kills her, and eats her all sung in a pleasant tune. An abusive dad like Mokuzu's is also the type to give their kid such an unfortunate name. Mokuzu is killed by him in the end.
• Everyone in Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, in particular, the main character, Itoshiki Nozomu. When his name is compressed together, it resembles the kanji for zetsubou, or despair. Fitting, as the character is constantly in despair, sometimes over his own name. Ironically, his whole family has this issue but apart from the eponymous hero they don't always have the traits (his older brother (a doctor) is "death" and his younger sister is "(sexually) peerless"). However, the mentioned three make no small hint that they hate their names.
• Lots of characters in Sgt. Frog have meaningful names:
  • Keroro comes from "kerokero", the Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound a frog makes.
  • Tamama comes from "otamajakushi", which is Japanese for "tadpole". It can also be linked to "tamatama", which means "unexpected" (referring to his fierce mood swings).
  • Giroro comes from "girogiro", which means "sharp-eyed".
  • Kururu comes from "kurukuru", which means "spinning" or "wound up" (referring to his whorl mark and the spirals on his Opaque Nerd Glasses). It can also be linked to "kuru", which means "hunchback" (referring to Kururu's stooped posture). The "Ku" in his "ku,ku,ku" laughs is also another way of saying "9", which is considered unlucky as it's a synonym for "suffering", referring to his lack of concern for the well-being of his test subjects.
  • Dororo comes from "doron", which is onomatopoeia for a Ninja vanishing. It can also be linked to "dorodoro", which means "syrupy" (which describes Dororo's sentimental and emotional tendencies).
  • The Hinatas are named after seasons: Aki and Akina ("autumn"), Natsumi ("summer"), Fuyuki ("winter") and Haru ("spring").
  • Four characters are named after cardinal directions (and even positioned as such on the character intro page): Natsumi Houjou ("north"), Alisa Southerncross, Momoka Nishizawa ("west") and Koyuki Azumaya ("east").
• One of the guardian spirits in Shaman King is Tokagero. His mother named him after Tokage, the Japanese word for "lizard", so that he would inherit a lizard's powerful survival instinct in the hope that he would live no matter what.
• One character's name in Shanghai Youma Kikai is "Kuo". However, the kanji used can also mean "Kyubi," a nine-tailed fox demon of Japanese mythology (they could also change to a human form). Though not techincally conformed yet, it seems obvious that since everyone working at Demon Taoist Corperation (other than Su-An) is a demon, Kuo is a Kyubi demon. Main character, Jack, also has a Meaningful Name.
• The superheroes in Shy tend to have these:
  • The main characters superhero identity is named Shy. You have three guesses why and the first two don't count.
  • The Russian heroine Spirits is best known for always drinking alcohol. You could say that she is always in high spirits
  • The swiss heroine Lady Black's civilian name is Pilse Dunant after the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant. She also possesses healing powers and is currently studying to become a nurse.
• Simoun features a war between three countries: the Holy Land ("kyuukoku") of Simulacrum, the Argentum Archipelago ("shoukoku"), and the Plumbum Highlands ("reikoku"). Kyuukoku ("Holy Land" or "shrine nation"), written with different kanji, means "a patriot who saves her country." Shoukoku also means "one's own country" (i.e. Japan, an industrialized archipelago), and reikoku also means "cold-hearted ruthlessness." Simulacrum is the home of the series' protagonists, Argentum is an industrialized country with high technology, and Plumbum is a nation of ruthless religious fanatics. "Argentum" and "Plumbum" also mean "silver" and "lead" respectively in Latin, and "Simulacrum" means "an image, likeness or portrait", but in modern usage generally means a copy or simulation.
• Soul Eater:
  • Maka is an anagram of kama, the Japanese name for a scythe. It also means "earth" or "soil" in Lakota, possibly a reflection of her down-to-earth personality.
  • Then there's the aptly-named Eruka Frog, who can turn into a frog. In addition, her given name is an anagram of kaeru, which means frog.
  • Among the other witches are the snake-themed Medusa, her sister and fellow Greek Mythology-named Arachne, the mouse-themed Mizune sisters (mouse is "nezumi" in Japanese), the chameleon-themed Angela Leon, and the head of the witches, Mabaa ("old witch lady" in Japanese). And Blair, who was only thought to be a witch. All the witches are theme named.
  • Dr. Franken Stein, who is covered all over with stitches.
  • An awful lot of the Weapons have names relating to their form or attributes: Jackie is a flamethrowing lantern, for example.
    • Her full name is Jacqueline O. Lantern.
    • Marie Mjolnir transforms into a hammer.
    • Azusa Yumi is named after a sacred bow in Shinto, and her name literally means "bow made of cherry birch". Guess what she transforms into.
  • Crona's Japanese name is Kurona, which translates into "dark one". S/he's extremely depressed and lonely in personality, goes by the nickname "Demon Swordmaster" and Medusa filled his/her body with black blood, and tempts his/her insanity with her magic so s/he'll slaughter people for the sake of their souls.
  • The eponymous character eats souls. Corrupted, evil souls, but still. And then it's revealed that is a name he choose, as they can register with any name they want in the academy. His name is actually Soul Evans.
  • Black☆Star, has a huge ego and believes the world revolves around him, like how the earth revolves around its own star the sun. He also calls himself "the star of the show." This also extends to his powers, all of which end with the word "Star". It counts double time when he and Tsubaki receive the Shadow Star.
  • Death the Kid is the son of Lord Death. Effectively, it's like calling him "Death Jr." His name is also meant to be a homage to "Billy the Kid", hence the bolo tie and his weapons' cowgirl-like outfits.
  • Kid's weapons, Demon Pistol sisters Liz and Patty, have the last name Thompson, coming from John T. Thompson- the inventor of the Tommy Submachine Gun. Their name could also be a reference to the 80s band Thompson Twins (who weren't actually twins, just like Liz and Patty), which fits with the many musical references of the series.
  • Badass Bookworm Ox Ford is named after Oxford University. His weapon, Harvar, is named for Harvard, another very prestigious school.
  • Kirikou Rung (Kilik in the English dub) is named after the main character from Kirikou and the Sorceress, a West African folk tale about a boy who battles a beautiful witch. Fitting given that witches are the primary enemies of most of the students.
• Speed Racer. Just Speed Racer!
  • His original Japanese name was Mifune Gou (Hibiki Gou in the '80s remake), with the given name being a pun on the English word "go." Go is also Japanese for 'five,' so the Mach 5 (and the title of the series, Mach Go Go Go) are the same pun again. The Masked Racer X, however, didn't get a pun.
  • Just to make matters worse, there is his older brother Rex. Who is believed dead in a racing accident and then comes back as (wait for it)... Racer X.
• It's a minor example, but in Chapter 94 of Spy X Family, all of the throwaway characters have names that fit this trope. Guess the defining features of Ahdrahma Queen, Shorton Kreditz, and the Hostman couple.
• Strawberry Marshmallow: Chika's name is said in the manga to mean "a thousand good things" or "honorable mention" or even "the sound a light switch makes", but another couple of more fitting meanings is "wisdom" or "intelligence". She's certainly one of the more studious and sensible of the group, and less likely to fall for Miu's claims than, say, Matsuri. Speaking of Miu, the manga says her name means "beautiful wings", but another meaning is "beautiful feather"... which is interesting considering that the example she gives of something that makes her happy is "making Chika collapse from laughter."
• Remember the flower garden that's so important to Shizuma in Strawberry Panic!? Her last name, Hanazono, means exactly that.
• Strike Witches:
  • The characters in this alternate history based series are real world military pilots twisted into magical lolis. Their names are gender-reversed versions of the originals (Erich Hartmann — Erica Hartmann, Pierre Clostermann — Perrine Clostermann etc.).
  • A particularly clever touch is Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, the gender-swapped version of the Finnish WW2 pilot Eino Ilmari Juutilainen. Ilmatar is the name of an ancient Finnish sky goddess. "Ilmari" is in 'modern' Finnic folklore a cultural hero/smith god, but he used to be the sky god. The names Ilmari and Ilmatar are both derived from ilma 'air'.
• Summer Time Rendering:
  • Ushio's name is spelled with the kanji for "tide" (潮). After falling unconscious when her memories were erased by Shadow Shiori, her Shadow drifted along with the ocean currents until the high tide washes her up on the beach on the night of July 24th.
  • The four armed shadow, Shide. As Hizuru mentions, it is written in a similar way to "4 arms" ("Shi" is a pronunciation for the kanji for four, 四; "de" is a pronunciation for the kanji for arm, 手). Shide's name also gives a clue as to his true identity, as 'shide' are a type of paper streamer that are commonly used as a tool for Shinto rituals, indicating Shide's true identity as Shidehiko Hishigata/Masahito Karikiri.
• Suzy's Zoo: Daisuki! Witzy has Ellie Funt, who is a plush elephant, and Lulla, who is a plush musical white bunny.

T-V

• Miraitchi from Tamagotchi. "Mirai" is the Japanese word for "future", and in the show's Miracle Friends arc Miraitchi and her twin sister Clulutchi (Kururutchi) are both sent to the past by accident. Both twins' names have a dual Theme Twin Naming convention going on as well; "mirai kururu" means "the future arriving", and "mirai" and "clulu" put together also sound like the English word "miracle".
• Talentless Nana has two examples:
  • The first is Michiru Inukai. The first Kanji of her family name can be read as "Dog", the latter half as "raising a pet", and she's basically a human puppy, friendly, cheerful, kind-to-a-fault, and ferociously loyal to her Only Friend, Nana.
  • The second is Fuuko Sorano. The first Kanji of her family name means "air" or "sky" and she has wind-based superpowers.
• Tamako Market:
  • Dera Mochimazzui, meaning 'mochi tastes horrible'. Tamako's dad keeps insisting he change it to Mochiunmai, 'mochi tastes awesome'.
  • Tamako is named after the name of the family business — "-ya" is a business suffix and "-ko" is a feminine name suffix. Her sister Anko is named after the red bean paste filling.
  • As for Mochizou Ooji — his given name is a case of His Name Really Is "Barkeep" (mochi-maker), while his surname is most typically means "prince", though the name is actually spelled 'large road' ^note hence 'ouji' for 'prince' and 'ooji' for the name.
• Tekkonkinkreet:
  • The protagonists of are known as Kuro and Shiro — "Black" and "White". "White" is innocent and untouched by the evil that surrounds him, while "Black" is malicious and violent. Because this is a Taoist fable, Black and White complement and complete each other (à la Yin and Yang).
  • Also significant in the story are Rat, an old yakuza, and Serpent, who may or may not be an alien. Kuro and Shiro call themselves "Neko", or the Cats. There are many cats, snakes and rats that feature prominently in the background in the manga. The Minotaur, who knows the labyrinth.
• Every proper noun in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. The show's nature being what it is, a lot of it is just for kicks rather than thoughtful.
  • The human cast is named after directions/relative positions or their main characteristic. If most characters seemed simple enough to sum up in a single word, now you know why.
    • Kamina. "Kami" in this case means "up". His very first line in the show is, "Keep your head up when you walk, Simon." He has a signature pose pointing in this direction, carries ambitions of reaching the heavens, and embodies the show's theme of endlessly upping the scales to insane heights. While his age isn't mentioned in the show itself, he's among the tallest of the human protagonists. His father's name has been revealed to be Joe or Jou, which has the same meaning.
    • Simon. "Shimo" meaning "under", works better with the Japanese pronunciation of his name. He starts the show as Kamina's foil, being short, depressive, and having a reflexive need to dig a hole and hide below ground level. A turning point occurs when he makes his oft mistranslated speech, "It doesn't matter whether I dig my own grave. So long as I break through, I'm the one on top!" His being taller than Kamina by the end of the story is an indicator of how far he's come in the opposite direction.
    • Rossiu is "ushiro", or "back". He represents the characters who don't believe in blindly charging forwards and is ultimately shackled by his origins.
    • "Yoko" is "side" while Nia is "near." Gimmy and Darry are "migi" and "hidari," or "right" and "left" respectively. These are probably just to be cute.
  • The second season is essentially a massive Passing of the Torch to Gimmy and Darry.
    • Dayakka. "Odayaka," for "gentle."
    • Leeron is either "riron" for "theory," or "ronri" for "logic".
    • Kittan would be "tanki," or "short-tempered."
    • Kiyoh is "youki," or "cheerful."
    • Kinon is "nonki," or "carefree."
    • Kiyal is "yaruki" or "eager."
    • Boota. "Buta" means "pig," and "buu" is Japanese for "oink." Real mystery here.
  • Lordgenome's four generals take their names from a mix of nucleobases and elementals.
    • Lordgenome himself. According to That Other Wiki, the genome of an organism is its hereditary information encoded in DNA. Mix that with Lord, since he's the Spiral King.
    • Thymilph is mix of thymine and sylph, despite being more fire-themed. His Gunmen, Byakou, can fly at least.
    • Adiane is adenine and undine.
    • Guame is guanine and gnome.
    • Cytomander is cytosine and salamander. Him being a flashy peacock parodying Japanese glam rock has more to do with his mecha's theme.
  • Locations are named for their bare bones roles. Think quest progression in cliche RPGs.
    • Jiha Village is "the starting village" ("hajimari" = "begining")
    • Littner Village is "the next village" ("tonari" = "next one over")
    • The never-shown Bachika Village is a convenient "nearby village" the Black Siblings showed up from (chikaba = "nearby place")
    • Adai Village fills the role of "some village along the way" ("aida" = "interval")
    • Teppelin is "the very top" where the journey ends ("teppen" = "summit"). Or so you'd think.
    • Rinkane Jail. It may be based on "reincarnation", or the word "rinkan" which means "grand, splendid building". It is hopefully NOT based on the other, differently spelled "rinkan" which means "gangrape", or the cockblock jokes will never end◊.
• Tentomushi no Uta: The main characters are seven siblings with the surname "Isshuu", which is Japanese for one week (referencing how there are as many Isshuu siblings as there are days in a week). The youngest of the siblings happens to be named Hiyoko, which is Japanese for "chick" (as in, baby chicken).
• The eponymous characters of Tiger & Bunny.
  • Kotetsu's first name contains the kanji for "tiger" (which inspired his superhero name) and "thorough," "relentless," or "complete." Kotetsu is often described as being persistent in his duties as a hero.
  • While Barnaby's name doesn't seem to have much direct significance, in America it is often associated with the higher-class business scene (which makes sense when you know his background). Of course, "Barnaby" is also the only American male name that sounds even remotely close to "bunny," so that could be another reason.
  • A more obvious (at least to the english speaking audience) is Sky High's civilian name, with a name like Keith Goodman it's no surprise he'd be a kindhearted and admirable hero.
• The manga Tista is set in the urban U.S., and the male lead is a young aspiring artist named Artie Drawer.
• Torture Princess: Fremd Torturchen:
  • The name of title character Elisabeth Le Fanu appears to be formed from a portmanteau of historical female Serial Killer Elizabeth Báthory and 19th century Irish horror novelist Sheridan Le Fanu.
  • Viewpoint character Kaito names Hina after a dog he knew in his previous life. "Hina" means "light" or "sun" in Japanese, and the puppy is one of his few happy memories.
  • Jeanne de Rais seems to be another portmanteau, this time of Jeanne d'Arc and Gilles de Rais: the latter another historical Serial Killer to fit being a Torture Princess, the former reflecting her messianic attitude and relative innocence compared to Elisabeth (Jeanne's victims were volunteers).
• Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE- has Tsubasa and Tsubasa as the real names of Sakura and Syaoran. Tsubasa means wing, and wings come in pairs. The "wings come in pairs" thing is complicated somewhat by "Kimihiro Watanuki", who, as a time-travel duplicate of Tsubasa, was also technically named Tsubasa before his name was changed. His connection to the name "Tsubasa" does however still have a presence, as he selects the bird to be his symbol, with his signature in the shape of a wing. "Watanuki", made up of the characters for "April 1st" (his birthday), is a term that refers to the practice of creating a substitute (generally in the form of a doll) for a child that would theoretically take all of the sickness and misfortune in the child's place, which reflects Watanuki's unfortunate condition of being a Weirdness Magnet to malignant spirits.
• Tsukihime's badass Tohno Shiki becomes the Future Badass Satsujinki, whose mystic eyes have gone out of control, forcing him to cover them with bandages, and past physical limitations surpassed. Satsujinki means something around "bloodthirsty murderer" (quite ironic considering his personality, but somehow fitting) except it has part of his name replacing the kanji, making it roughly equivalent to "Shikiller." Fans prefer "Satsujinki."
• In Umi Monogatari, Sedna takes her name from an Inuit sea goddess, fitting the oceanic theme of the show.
• Undead Unluck: Fuuko's given name starts with the kanji meaning "kaze," or wind in English. Kaze-no-fuki-mawashi is a Japanese idiom that's used to describe a stroke of luck, referencing her power, Unluck.
• Manatsu and Ichika from Uta∽Kata both have names with the kanji for "summer" in them, the season in which they met.
• Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!: The protagonist's surname, Uzaki, derives from "uzai", meaning "annoying" in Japanese. And she certainly lives to annoy the hell out of her senpai.
• Vermeil in Gold: Vermeil is gilded metal. The character Vermeil is incredibly strong and her Battle Aura and magical energy is colored gold, which several characters note is an unusual color.
• Vinland Saga: Askeladd means 'boy born amongst ashes', kind of a male, Norse, macho version of Cinderella. Askeladd was the son of a slave, and worked a smithy as a child. Hence he was called Askeladd. Bjorn is a border-line example, it means Bear, and while he is a berserker, but it's also a rather common name, even in modern times. Also, Askeladd is also a protagonist in several Scandinavian folk tales, all of which have two similarities: Askeladd always starts out as The Un-Favourite and goes from Rags to Riches, and he always does so by being cleverer than his competitors and thinking outside the box — exactly as the manga character. As revealed later, Askeladd's not his real name. But his true name, Lucius Artorius Castus, holds meaning as well, being the name of the military commander now thought to be King Arthur's historical basis. As Askeladd is a descendent of Arthur, being named for his ancestor is a mark of his bloodline.
• Vividred Operation: In connection with the Colorful and Numerical Theme Naming:
  • Akane is red. Her family name has the kanji for 'one'. She's VividRed and the first Vivid System user.
  • Aoi Futaba is blue. Her family name has the kanji for 'two'. She's VividBlue and the second Vivid System user.
    • Wakaba Saegusa's given name means 'new leaf' (green). Her family name has the kanji for 'three'. She's VividGreen and the third Vivid System user.
    • Himawari Shinomiya's given name means 'sunflower' (yellow). Her family name has the kanji for 'four'. She's VividYellow and the second Vivid System user.
  • Rei Kuroki is black. Her given name can mean 'zero'. She's working for the enemy side and has powers that come from outside the Vivid System.
• Voltes V:
  • The protagonist's name, "Kenichi", means "strong first", which represents how he is the firstborn of the Go brothers and the Ace Pilot of the titular robot. And while he is the firstborn of the Go brothers, he is not the first child of Prince Gohl/Kentaro Go - that would be Prince Heinel, though none of them realize this until the Grand Finale.
  • His younger brother's name, "Daijirou", means "great second son", which represents how he is the secondborn of the Go brothers. In addition, "dai" (大) means "big, great", which is fitting since he's Kenichi's Big Little Brother.
  • The Go brother's surname means "strong".
  • "Ippei" means "deviate" (逸), which represents how he's aloof from the Voltes team in the earlier episodes and even tries to abandon them.
  • Heinel's name is derived from the form of address "Your highness", which reflects his status as the Boazanian Prince the true heir to the throne.

W-Z

• In Wasteful Days of High School Girls, Lily Someya's name alludes to Yuri Genre which is named after lilies, which fits in the fact that she's a lesbian. This is probably the reason Tanaka doesn't give her a nickname.
• The main characters of Wolf's Rain are all named after aspects of a wolf. Kiba = fang, Hige = whisker, Tsume = claw, and Toboe = howl. (Blue also has blue eyes.) Their powers correspond with their name as well. Kiba can bend steel with his jaws; Tsume is the second-best fighter and early on tends to "use" a switchblade while fighting; Toboe often howls to get help or find someone; and Hige has the best sense of smell. Cher Degré also has a meaningful name — cher is French for "dear," although the correct feminine form is chère. Her ex-husband Hubb Lebowski constantly tries to get back together with her, to the point of abandoning his job to find her when she goes off in search of Cheza and when she dies, she is quite painfully mourned by him.
• In X/1999, several of the Seals [and Angels] have names that nod to their powers:
  • Kamui's name means 'Power of God'.
  • Fuuma means 'true seal'.
  • Sorata's name reads 'selection of the sky'.
  • Karen's name means something like 'forge fire'.
  • Yuzuriha's first name is written 'protection sword.' Her family name, Nekoi, is a deliberate aversion — it references cats as a smokescreen for the fact that the family forms partnerships with spirit dogs.
  • Subaru means the Pleiades, a group of seven stars.
  • His sister Hokuto is another constellation of seven stars (the big dipper). The big dipper is the constellation used to represent the Seals.
  • Seishiro's first name is related to the belt of Orion, keeping up with the themednaming of Hokuto and Subaru in Tokyo Babylon. His last name, Sakurazuka, is also directly in his "harbinger" title - Sakurazukamori: the gaurdian of the cherry blossom burial mount.
• In Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Urara Shiraishi's first name means "lovely" or "beautiful" which is a quite fitting name for someone who's known for her good looks and with time develops a very sweet personality.
• Yona of the Dawn: Due to their fear and superstitions, the villagers don't bother to give a name to the newly born Seiryuu, and just call him by that title (and shun him and ostracize him) for 18 years. When Yona asks him to be her friend and join her group she gives him the name Shin-ah (Sinha), or moonlight because he was the gentle light that led her out of the darkness.
• The title character from the manga Yotsuba&!, who shares a name with her distinctive four-ponytail hairstyle (yotsuba is Japanese for "four-leaf" as in "Four-Leaf Clover").
• The four female members of the Miyamizu family in Your Name don't exactly have meaningful names per se, but their names were definitely chosen in a meaningful way: grandma Hitoha ("one leaf"), mother Futaba ("two leaves"), big sis Mitsuha ("three leaves") and little sis Yotsuha ("four leaves").
• Yu-Gi-Oh! is notorious for giving its one-off and non-friendly recurring characters names that Anviliciously reflect the type of deck they play. Its sequel, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, has all but weaned itself off of this trope, but it still pops up sometimes (most notably with the Pro Duelists that show up in the second half of Season 2).
  • The protagonist Yugi's name means game, and "Yu-Gi-Oh" means King of Games. Appropriate thing to shout (and to name the series with) when summoning the spirit of the greatest Card Gamer in history.
  • GX's Judai Yuki and 5D's Yusei Fudo have the same character in their names as Yugi — the one meaning "play". This is probably on purpose to keep with the series name relevant.
  • Speaking of GX itself, the name Judai means "teenager". To make matters distinct, the protagonist's name was one of the many to change, although few could complain. Dubbers merely changed his name from Judai to Jaden, keeping on the surname Yuki, which means "courage". Though Americanized, Jaden has a very similar feel to his original name, a fair compromise for the dub.
  • In 5D's itself, Yusei's name comes from the "planetary particle" (Yusei Ryushi) that his father discovered. Like the particle, which bound every other particle together, Professor Fudo wished his son to be someone who could connect people through bonds — which is exactly what he grew up to be. Additionally, the 'Sei' part of Yusei's name means 'star', which perfectly fits one of his titles as 'The Shooting Star of Satellite' and his ace monster 'Stardust Dragon'. His last name 'Fudo' can be translated as 'Not moving', or context-wise, 'Indomitable'. The literal sense is ironic given he duels on top of moving motorcycles.
  • Mai Kujaku (better known as Mai Valentine by the English-speaking fans), with Kujaku meaning "peahen" (or "peacock" for males), which fits her initially arrogant, self-obsessed personality. Having a bird name also fits her Harpie deck. (Ironically, the female peahen is a rather plain-looking bird; the male peacock is the beautiful one.) About her English name: "It's not a very subtle pun, but then again, nothing about me is subtle."
  • Seto Kaiba's name is full of them. The characters of his last name translate to 'Sea Horse', and then take into account an old Japanese Myth that says a sea horse will turn into a dragon if it lives for 100 years. His first name is the name of the Egyptian God 'Set' said in Japanese phonetics (i.e. with a vowel at the end, usually 'o'). (One monster he has been known to use is Kaiser Seahorse, which reflects this. It makes summoning his Blue-Eyes White Dragon easier; to emphasize this, "Kaiser" means "emperor', symbolizing majesty.)
  • Like his brother, the 'ba' part of Mokuba means 'horse' as well, and 'Moku' means wood, like the trademark rocking horse that young kids have played with at some point. It could also be for the Trojan Horse, since Mokuba is the storage keeper for all of their company's secrets.
  • The Pharaoh's real name Atem, is taken from one of the incarnations of Ra, the sun god Atem-Ra whose sole enemy was Set.
  • Pegasus's name is an oblique one, referring to a homonym of the Japanese translation. "Pegasus" translates into Japanese as "tenma", or "heavenly horse". The other "tenma" means "heavenly demon" — that is, "fallen angel".
  • Duelists with themed Decks all have names that reflect the theme in question in the Japanese or English version (or both): Insector Haga (haga literally means "winged moth"; in English, Weevil Underwood) uses an Insect Deck with a super moth monster; Dinosaur Ryuuzaki (ryuu means "dragon/lizard/dinosaur"; in English, Rex Raptor) uses a Dinosaur, Reptile and Dragon Deck, and also helped introduce the legendary "Red-Eyes B. Dragon"; Ryouta Kajiki (ryou means "fishing" and kajiki means "marlin"; in English, Mako Tsunami) uses a Fish, Sea Serpent, Aqua and WATER Deck; Esper Roba uses an ESP-esque Machine Deck (at this point the true Psychic Type didn't exist).
  • The Dragon for the Big Bad of Season 4 in GX calls himself "Trueman", as he claims he always speaks the truth. He actually names himself, as he states during his second appearance that he has no name, but needs to be called something.
  • From the manga version of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX there's Seika Kohinata. (Her name sounds like the Japanese word for "snake", and she uses a snake-themed deck.)
  • In the second season, Judai faced a duelist named X; in the dub, his full name was expanded to "Howard X. Miller". "Milling" is a term for deck destruction, his strategy.
  • Professor Cobra's name is fitting, given that he's a Card-Carrying Villain, but he does play a snake-themed deck. (Of course, "Cobra" is his real name, so he probably adapted his deck to fit, not the other way around.)
  • In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Mr. Heartland has two henchmen named Gauche and Droite. Their names are French for "left" and "right", respectively, with is fitting because Gauche is Heartland's "left hand" while Droite is his "right hand". It also reflects that they are opposite sides of the same coin; Gauche is fiery, energetic, and high-spirited, while Droite is calm, collected, and cold. Their dub names, Nistro and Dextra, also reflect this. "Nistro" is short for "sinistro", which is Italian for "left-handed", and "Dextra" comes from "dexter", means "female right-handed" in Portuguese.
  • Dr. Faker from ZEXAL, one of two Big Bads in the first season, is later revealed to be an Anti-Villain and Well-Intentioned Extremist and being Good All Along; he's nothing more than an Unwitting Pawn to Vector.
  • In the manga Yu-Gi-Oh! D Team ZEXAL one villain is named Syndy Chross. The first syllable of her first and last names form the word "Synchro", referencing the theme of her Deck.
• A lot of names in YuYu Hakusho are of this type.
  • "Yuusuke" means "ghost helper;" "Urameshi" is what Japanese ghosts who are haunting a house wail; "Kuwabara kuwabara" is a charm against lightning (Kuwabara himself actually chants this at one point); "Kurama" and "Hiei" are Japanese mountains said to be sites of high demon activity, though the kanji used are different (Hiei's means "flying shadow" for a double whammy, and the syllabe "hi" sounds like a word for fire, a reference to his fiery powers).
  • Ice Maiden Yukina's name means "snow flower", "Yukimura Keiko" means "snow village firefly child", and refers to a Chinese folk tale about a poor child who studied diligently by the light of fireflies reflected in the snow; all of the ferry girls have names associated with flowers and plants ("Botan"=peony; "Ayame"=iris; "Hinageshi"="poppy"). This plant naming even goes for Sensui (whose name is a kanji anagram of "suisen", "daffodil") and Itsuki ("flowering tree"), perhaps to note the severity of their Face–Heel Turn. Also, Sensui Shinobu's given name is written with the same kanji for 'hide, conceal' used in the synonymous words 'shinobi no mono' and 'ninja.'
  • Hiei was also the name of a battleship during World War II — fitting for The Big Guy.
• Zoids:
  • Zoids: Chaotic Century has a few Meaningful Names. Like a lot of anime, Zoids is fond of its Gratuitous German: examples include the hero, Ban Freiheit ("freedom"); his Organoid, Seig (Sieg "victory"); and Karl Schwarz ("black"), who has a fondness for black lilies. More notably, there's the Oracular Urchin Fine — Italian for "the end" — who has the power to destroy all Zoids in order to save the world. Unfortunately, the significance of these names is obscured by apparent mistranslation in the English dub: Freiheit becomes Flyheight, Seig becomes Zeke, Schwarz becomes Shubaltz, and Fine is renamed Fiona. This becomes somewhat awkward when a line is retained from the original script wherein another character remarks upon the fatalistic connotations of Fine's name, something that obviously doesn't apply to the name "Fiona" (Wikipedia: "white, pale or fair").
  • Zoids: New Century uses Gratuitous German in its names for the Liger Zero's three armor units, each designed for a specific purpose: Jaeger (Jäger "hunter"), for speed; Schneider ("tailor", "cutter"), equipped with numerous blades; and Panzer ("tank"), loaded with missiles and heavy artillery. Bit Cloud's surname may refer to his carefree, wandering nature; Vega Obscura's to the fact that little is known about him; Jamie Hemeros' surname may be derived from the Greek word for "tame" or "mild," particularly fitting in contrast with the nature of his alter-ego, Wild Eagle.

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