Supports
The narrow fields or claims for which the source may be cited.
Evidence catalog
Sources & Evidence
Every source is stored with a defined evidence scope, limitation, language, publisher, and access date. Inclusion in this catalog does not mean a source supports every claim on the site.
Catalog reviewed: July 26, 2026
How to read this catalog
Limitations
What the source cannot establish and how its sample or scope must be qualified.
Accessed
The date the editorial record was checked, not the publication date of the source.
See the Editorial Methodology for the rules that connect this evidence to a published field.
Official government
2 sources
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Whether a kanji appears in the official categories permitted for a child's registered name in Japan
Source limitations
Does not establish that a proposed reading or full name is common, natural, or actually used.
Official government
常用漢字表（平成22年内閣告示第2号）
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan · Language: ja
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Standard jōyō kanji forms and listed general on/kun readings
Source limitations
General-language readings do not by themselves verify nanori readings or real-world name usage.
Dictionary
2 sources
Dictionary
ENAMDICT/JMnedict Japanese Proper Names Dictionary
Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group · Language: ja,en
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Dictionary-attested Japanese proper-name spellings and readings
- JMnedict name-classification codes, including surname, place, and personal-name categories
Source limitations
Dictionary inclusion does not measure current frequency, guarantee a reading for every bearer, or establish legal acceptance of a new registration.
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Individual kanji readings and English character glosses
Source limitations
Character glosses are not whole-name translations and do not establish an intended whole-name meaning or family etymology.
Survey or ranking
4 sources
Survey or ranking
2018 Meiji Yasuda Life Nationwide Surname Survey
Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company · Language: ja
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Nationwide surname rankings, sample counts, sample shares, and estimated populations in the 2018 survey
- Regional and prefectural patterns reported for the survey sample
Source limitations
The survey covers approximately 6.558 million Meiji Yasuda individual life-insurance and annuity policyholders as of May 2018; it is a large company sample, not a census of all residents of Japan. Estimated populations extrapolate sample shares to the national population.
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Exact spellings and principal readings observed in the 2025 boys' top 100
- Boys' reading and kanji rankings for the stated survey sample
Source limitations
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.
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Exact spellings and principal readings observed in the 2025 girls' top 100
- Girls' reading and kanji rankings for the stated survey sample
Source limitations
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.
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- Cross-gender reading rankings in the stated 2025 survey sample
Source limitations
The cross-gender list is about readings across multiple spellings; it does not establish that every kanji spelling is used across genders.
Editorial or other
3 sources
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- 匠 read たくみ as a documented boys' name example
- Japanese-language character meanings for 匠
Source limitations
An editorial example is not a population-frequency estimate.
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- 誠 read まこと as a documented boys' name example
- Japanese-language character meanings for 誠
Source limitations
An editorial example is not a population-frequency estimate; some examples on the page are reader-submitted.
Accessed 2026-07-25
Supports
- 光 read ひかる as a documented boys' name example
- Japanese-language character meanings for 光
Source limitations
An editorial example is not a population-frequency estimate.
Editorial transparency
These pages describe what the site checks, what its sources can support, and how readers can challenge a published claim.
Editorial Methodology
How JapanNames separates sourced facts, editorial interpretation, and randomized suggestions.
Sources & Evidence Current page
The source catalog, evidence scope, limitations, and access dates used by published records.
Content Review Policy
Publication gates, review statuses, update triggers, and unpublishing rules.
Corrections & Feedback
Prepare, copy, or download a structured correction report without sending form data.
Source catalog version reviewed 2026-07-26.