Which Japanese names are actually dated and/or weird for a young adult to have by todays standards? Especially ones that are commonly (mis)used in American media?

5 comments

1. For boys, names that end in -taro 太郎 , -ro 郎

   Single kanji names are old-school too.

2. >Especially ones that are commonly (mis)used in American media?

   I sometimes find this in western books, but naming a Japanese character in a modern story after a historical character like Ieyasu.

   Names that end in 衛門 or 平 would sound like they are straight out of an Edo-period story and are non-existent now.

   ​

   >Additionally, is there a resource for name popularity in Japan by year from the 1900s to now?

   [https://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/enjoy/ranking/year_men/boy.html](https://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/enjoy/ranking/year_men/boy.html)

3. My wife told me that Naomi is outdated

4. Not sure if this is particularly used in US media, but for women, names beginning in o- are very outdated, like Edo period, like ‘o-matsu’, ‘o-gin’, ‘o-haru’. I think the stereotype might fall with geisha or sex workers in particular.

5. Female names that end with -ko are becoming dated. Everyone I know thinks it sounds like a middle-aged woman’s name.