92 Japanese Names That Mean Death and Their Meanings

Names carry deep meanings, shaping how we see ourselves and others. In Japan, names often reflect nature, emotions, or even the mysteries of life and death. While most parents avoid dark meanings, some names hold connections to shadows, spirits, or the afterlife.

Whether you’re curious about folklore, writing a story, or just love unique names, exploring Japanese names that mean death can be fascinating. Some of these names hint at darkness, while others carry a quiet, ghostly beauty. Let’s dive into the meanings behind these haunting yet intriguing names.

Japanese Male Names That Mean Death

Names given to men in Japan often symbolize strength, wisdom, or nature. However, some male names carry deeper, darker meanings, hinting at death, the afterlife, or shadows. While rare, these names offer a glimpse into the cultural and linguistic connections between names and mortality.

Shigeru (茂) – Primarily meaning “luxuriant” or “overgrown,” this name can be symbolically linked to decay when seen in the context of uncontrolled growth leading to ruin.
Shin (死ん) – Resembling shi (死, “death”) and the verb shinu (死ぬ, “to die”), this name carries an eerie phonetic connection to mortality.
Kuragari (暗がり) – Meaning “darkness” or “gloom,” this name evokes images of shadowy places, often associated with mystery or the unknown.
Tomo (友冥) – A combination of tomo (友, “friend”) and mei (冥, “darkness” or “afterlife”), this name suggests companionship in the underworld.
Roku (禄終) – Roku (禄, “fortune”) and shuu (終, “end”) together can imply “the end of fortune,” a poetic way to suggest misfortune or death.
Kage (影) – Meaning “shadow” or “reflection,” this name is deeply tied to the idea of a ghostly presence or a lingering soul.
Mikage (御影) – Mikage translates to “honorable shadow” and is often associated with spirits or ancestral guardians in Shinto beliefs.
Hazuki (葉月, 葬月) – While Hazuki typically refers to the eighth lunar month (葉月), when written as 葬月 (meaning “funeral moon”), it takes on a death-related meaning.
Takashi (孝死) – Combining Takashi (孝, “filial piety”) and shi (死, “death”), this name can imply devotion even in death.
Kaoru (薫冥) – Kaoru means “fragrance,” but when paired with 冥 (mei, “darkness” or “afterlife”), it suggests an ephemeral presence, like a ghostly scent.
Jin (迅死) – Jin (迅, “swift”) and shi (死, “death”) form a name meaning “swift death,” which carries a dramatic and ominous tone.
Shou (昇魂) – Shou (昇, “rise”) and kon (魂, “soul”) together mean “ascending soul,” suggesting a spirit rising to the afterlife.
Kuro (黒) – Meaning “black,” Kuro symbolizes mourning and death in Japanese tradition.
Renji (蓮死) – Ren (蓮, “lotus”) is a Buddhist symbol of reincarnation, and shi (死, “death”) makes this name evoke death and rebirth.
Gaku (学冥) – Gaku (学, “learning”) and mei (冥, “darkness”) together create a name that suggests “learning from darkness,” possibly implying wisdom gained from suffering.
Souma (蒼魔) – Sou (蒼, “blue” or “pale”) and ma (魔, “demon”) suggest an eerie, ghostly presence.
Rei (霊) – Meaning “spirit” or “ghost,” this name is closely associated with the supernatural and the afterlife.
Daiki (大鬼) – Dai (大, “great”) and ki (鬼, “demon” or “spirit”) create a name meaning “great demon,” commonly linked to folklore.
Tsubasa (翼冥) – Tsubasa (翼, “wings”) and 冥 (mei, “darkness”) together suggest “wings of darkness” or a creature of the underworld.
Raito (雷冥) – Rai (雷, “thunder”) and 冥 (mei, “darkness”) form a name meaning “thunder of the underworld,” reminiscent of deathly storms.
Itsuki (樹影) – Itsuki (樹, “tree”) and kage (影, “shadow”) together imply “shadow of the trees,” evoking the image of spirits lurking in forests.
Shun (瞬命) – Shun (瞬, “moment”) and mei (命, “life”) combine to suggest “a fleeting life” or mortality.
Ryou (涼影) – Ryou (涼, “cool”) and kage (影, “shadow”) create a name that hints at a cold, ghostly presence.
Souta (蒼魂) – Sou (蒼, “pale”) and kon (魂, “soul”) together imply “a pale soul,” reminiscent of spirits or the recently deceased.
Haruto (陽影) – Haru (陽, “sun”) and kage (影, “shadow”) create a paradoxical name, suggesting the coexistence of light and darkness, life and death.
Takeru (猛霊) – Takeru (猛, “fierce”) and rei (霊, “spirit”) mean “fierce ghost” or a restless soul.
Minato (湊影) – Minato (湊, “harbor”) and kage (影, “shadow”) create a name meaning “shadowy harbor,” evoking an eerie coastal setting.
Eiji (影司) – Eiji (影, “shadow”) and shi (司, “ruler”) together suggest “ruler of shadows,” giving the name an ominous presence.
Naoto (尚冥) – Nao (尚, “esteem”) and mei (冥, “darkness”) mean “honored darkness,” possibly referring to an ancestral spirit.
Ryuu (龍冥) – Ryuu (龍, “dragon”) and 冥 (mei, “underworld”) together form “underworld dragon,” associated with mythical beasts guarding the dead.
Kaito (海影) – Kai (海, “ocean”) and kage (影, “shadow”) form a name meaning “ocean shadow,” evoking mystery and deep unknowns.
Hikaru (光幽) – Hikaru (光, “light”) and yuu (幽, “dim” or “spirit”) create a name meaning “dim light,” resembling a ghostly glow.
Masaki (正鬼) – Masa (正, “righteous”) and ki (鬼, “demon”) create a name that could mean “righteous demon,” possibly referencing spirits of vengeance.
Kazuki (一冥) – Kazu (一, “one”) and mei (冥, “darkness”) create a name meaning “one darkness,” hinting at loneliness in the afterlife.
Shougo (昇影) – Shou (昇, “rise”) and kage (影, “shadow”) form “rising shadow,” possibly suggesting a spirit ascending to another realm.

Japanese Female Names That Mean Death

Japanese female names are typically associated with beauty, grace, or natural elements, but some names hold eerie undertones. Whether tied to darkness, spirits, or the underworld, these names evoke a sense of mystery and quiet melancholy.

Yami (闇) – Meaning “darkness,” this name represents mystery, the unknown, and shadowy forces, often associated with death and the supernatural.
Mei (冥) – Meaning “dark” or “obscure,” Mei is linked to the afterlife through the term Meikai (冥界), which refers to the underworld in Japanese folklore.
Satsuki (殺気) – While Satsuki is traditionally a name for the fifth lunar month, when written as 殺気, it means “murderous aura” or “killing intent,” giving it a chilling association with death.
Shizuka (静冥) – Shizuka (静, “silent”) and Mei (冥, “darkness” or “afterlife”) combine to mean “silent darkness,” symbolizing death as eternal stillness.
Kuroko (黒子) – Kuro (黒, “black”) and ko (子, “child”) create a name meaning “child of blackness,” evoking mystery and mourning.
Nozomi (望死) – Typically meaning “hope,” when written as 望死, Nozomi takes on a dark meaning: “longing for death” or “wish for death.”
Rika (理冥) – Rika (理, “logic”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) create a name that means “the reason for darkness,” suggesting deep understanding of death.
Hikari (光幽) – Hikari (光, “light”) and Yuu (幽, “dim” or “spirit”) create “dim light,” reminiscent of a ghostly glow.
Mizuki (水冥) – Mizu (水, “water”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form “water of the underworld,” suggesting the mythological Sanzu River, which spirits cross in death.
Hotaru (蛍影) – Hotaru (蛍, “firefly”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “firefly shadow,” symbolizing fleeting life and the souls of the departed.
Reika (霊華) – Rei (霊, “spirit”) and Ka (華, “flower”) together mean “spirit flower,” referencing the idea of ghostly beauty.
Kagome (籠目) – A reference to a hexagonal pattern used in protective spells, Kagome can also symbolize entrapment, fate, or the unseen world.
Saya (沙冥) – Sa (沙, “sand”) and Mei (冥, “afterlife”) form “sand of the afterlife,” possibly referencing the shifting nature of existence.
Akane (茜影) – Akane (茜, “deep red”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) together mean “red shadow,” evoking twilight and blood, both linked to death.
Yoru (夜命) – Yoru (夜, “night”) and Mei (命, “life”) mean “night life,” symbolizing the transition from life to death.
Chiyo (千夜) – Chi (千, “thousand”) and Yo (夜, “night”) create “thousand nights,” often associated with the afterlife and eternal darkness.
Ayame (菖蒲冥) – Ayame (菖蒲, “iris flower”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) together suggest “iris of the underworld,” as the flower is linked to both protection and mourning.
Nana (七冥) – Nana (七, “seven”) and Mei (冥, “underworld”) form “seven underworlds,” referencing Buddhist beliefs about reincarnation and the journey after death.
Fuyuko (冬冥) – Fuyu (冬, “winter”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) create “winter darkness,” evoking cold, lifeless landscapes and the end of life.
Mikoto (命冥) – Mikoto (命, “life”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form “life and darkness,” symbolizing mortality and the afterlife.
Eri (恵霊) – Eri (恵, “blessing”) and Rei (霊, “spirit”) create “blessed spirit,” suggesting a soul at peace in the afterlife.
Haruna (春亡) – Haru (春, “spring”) and Bo (亡, “death”) create “spring death,” referencing the fleeting nature of life and beauty.
Tsukiko (月影) – Tsuki (月, “moon”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “moon shadow,” symbolizing loneliness, mystery, and the supernatural.
Sumire (菫影) – Sumire (菫, “violet flower”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) together mean “violet shadow,” a poetic reference to quiet sorrow.
Aoi (蒼魂) – Aoi (蒼, “pale”) and Kon (魂, “soul”) form “pale soul,” resembling ghostly apparitions.
Kanon (花冥) – Kanon (花, “flower”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) together mean “flower of darkness,” symbolizing beauty in the midst of sorrow.
Yukari (幽華里) – Yuka (幽華, “ghostly flower”) and Ri (里, “village”) together suggest a “village of ghostly flowers,” an ethereal and haunting name.
Mai (舞冥) – Mai (舞, “dance”) and Mei (冥, “underworld”) form “dance of the underworld,” possibly referencing spirits moving between realms.
Kohaku (琥珀影) – Kohaku (琥珀, “amber”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “amber shadow,” suggesting a frozen moment in time, like death.
Misaki (美冥咲) – Mi (美, “beautiful”), Mei (冥, “darkness”), and Saki (咲, “blossom”) together mean “beautiful blossom of darkness.”
Hinata (陽影冥) – Hina (陽, “sun”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) combined with Mei (冥, “underworld”) create a paradoxical name suggesting “sunlit darkness.”
Sayuri (小百合冥) – Sayuri (小百合, “little lily”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form “lily of the underworld,” as lilies are associated with funerals.
Nao (尚影) – Nao (尚, “esteem”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “honored shadow,” possibly referring to revered spirits or ancestors.
Umi (海影) – Umi (海, “ocean”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) together mean “ocean shadow,” hinting at deep, unknown waters where spirits may reside.
Kasumi (霞影) – Kasumi (霞, “mist”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “misty shadow,” resembling a ghostly figure fading in and out of existence.

Japanese Unisex Names That Mean Death

Certain names in Japan are not strictly male or female but instead carry universal meanings. Some of these unisex names reflect spiritual connections, ghostly presences, or the deep unknown, making them especially haunting choices.

Yoru (夜冥) – Yoru (夜, “night”) and Mei (冥, “underworld”) create “night of the underworld,” symbolizing eternal darkness or death.
Rin (凛冥) – Rin (凛, “cold” or “severe”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) together suggest an icy, ghostly presence.
Sora (空亡) – Sora (空, “sky”) and Bou (亡, “death”) form “empty death,” reflecting void or loss.
Kai (海影) – Kai (海, “ocean”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “ocean shadow,” symbolizing deep mysteries and the unknown.
Ren (蓮冥) – Ren (蓮, “lotus”) is a Buddhist symbol of reincarnation, and Mei (冥, “underworld”) links it to the afterlife.
Haku (白影) – Haku (白, “white”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) together suggest a ghostly white apparition.
Nao (尚冥) – Nao (尚, “esteem”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) mean “honored darkness,” possibly referring to spirits of ancestors.
Mika (深冥) – Mika (深, “deep”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form “deep underworld,” referencing the mysterious depths of the afterlife.
Haruki (春鬼) – Haru (春, “spring”) and Ki (鬼, “demon”) form “spring demon,” hinting at a spirit of renewal with a dark side.
Akira (明冥) – Akira (明, “bright”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form a paradoxical name meaning “light in darkness.”
Ritsu (律霊) – Ritsu (律, “law”) and Rei (霊, “spirit”) together mean “spiritual law,” referencing divine judgment in the afterlife.
Tomoe (巴冥) – Tomoe (巴, a swirling shape) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form “swirling darkness,” hinting at spirits or vortexes in folklore.
Nagisa (渚冥) – Nagisa (渚, “shore”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) create “shore of the underworld,” possibly referencing mythological riverbanks where spirits dwell.
Makoto (真影) – Makoto (真, “truth”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) form “true shadow,” symbolizing an inescapable destiny.
Tsukasa (司霊) – Tsukasa (司, “govern”) and Rei (霊, “spirit”) form “ruler of spirits,” a name suited for a medium or guardian of the dead.
Hinata (陽影) – Hina (陽, “sun”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) create “sunlit shadow,” balancing light and darkness.
Fuyuki (冬影) – Fuyu (冬, “winter”) and Kage (影, “shadow”) form “winter shadow,” symbolizing the cold hand of death.
Ayumu (歩冥) – Ayumu (歩, “walk”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) create “walking darkness,” a name symbolizing a journey into the unknown.
Misora (美空冥) – Misora (美空, “beautiful sky”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) create a name that paradoxically blends the heavens and the underworld.
Subaru (昴霊) – Subaru (昴, “Pleiades”) and Rei (霊, “spirit”) form “spirit of the stars,” evoking celestial guidance for the dead.
Seiji (誠冥) – Sei (誠, “sincerity”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) form “sincere darkness,” possibly referencing someone at peace with death.
Toki (時冥) – Toki (時, “time”) and Mei (冥, “darkness”) together mean “dark time,” representing the end of life or an eternal night.