reviewedmale

湊

Minato Japanese Name

みなと · ミナト

The exact 湊・みなと combination appears at no. 2 in Tamahiyo’s 2025 boys’ top 100 sample. JMnedict independently records the spelling and reading in its proper-name data.

Meaning overview

These interpretations belong to this reviewed name record. Variant-specific explanations appear separately below.

  • 湊 has the dictionary glosses “port” and “harbor”; these are literal character glosses.
waterharbortravelsingle-kanji

Name facts

This record has passed the site's publication quality gate.

Hiragana
みなと
Katakana
ミナト
Pronunciation
mee-nah-toh
Gender association
Masculine
Usage status
Common
Origin
Japanese given name; this record covers 湊 read みなと.
Mora count
3
Record status
Reviewed
Last reviewed
July 25, 2026

Naturalness note

The exact 湊・みなと combination appears at no. 2 in Tamahiyo’s 2025 boys’ top 100 sample. JMnedict independently records the spelling and reading in its proper-name data.

Kanji variants

Each spelling is documented separately so its gloss and usage note are not mixed with another variant.

湊

みなと

high confidence

Documented interpretation

  • port
  • harbor

Usage note

JMnedict records 湊 read みなと among proper-name categories; the exact spelling and reading ranked second in the 2025 Tamahiyo boys' sample.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Editorial notes

Cultural context

  • 湊 is used in more than one proper-name category. This page covers its current male given-name use evidenced by the ranking sample.

Pronunciation notes

  • Minato has three mora, み・な・と; the English guide is approximate.

Common misunderstandings

  • Dictionary classification and a single-year sample answer different questions; neither is a nationwide census.

Explore by meaning

These links are based on the exact reviewed kanji spelling on this page, not on romanization alone.

Water names

Related names

Continue with other reviewed records connected by the editorial data.

Related nameMio澪 · みおRelated nameKaito海斗 · かいとRelated nameRiku陸 · りく

Sources and evidence limits

Sources support specific fields, not every possible claim about the name. Their limitations remain visible here.

  1. ENAMDICT/JMnedict Japanese Proper Names Dictionary

    Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · JA,EN · accessed Jul 25, 2026

    Fields supported on this page

    Hiragana, Romaji, Kanji Variants 0 reading, Is Real Name, Origin

    The exact 湊 [みなと] headword was checked in JMnedict/ENAMDICT.

    Source limitation

    Dictionary inclusion does not measure current frequency, guarantee a reading for every bearer, or establish legal acceptance of a new registration.

  2. KANJIDIC Project

    Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · JA,EN · accessed Jul 25, 2026

    Fields supported on this page

    Kanji Variants 0 meanings, Meanings, Themes

    Only the individual character glosses are used.

    Source limitation

    Character glosses are not whole-name translations and do not prove a parent's intended meaning.

  3. 2025年 男の子赤ちゃんの名前ランキング100

    Benesse Corporation (たまひよ) · JA · accessed Jul 25, 2026

    Fields supported on this page

    Usage Status, Genders, Naturalness Note

    The exact spelling 湊 with reading みなと appears at no. 2 in the stated 2025 boys’ sample.

    Source limitation

    The ranking covers names submitted through Benesse products and services for births from January 1 to September 15, 2025; it is not a census of all births in Japan.