400 Japanese Names That Mean Death: Real Kanji, Afterlife & Meanings

Japanese names that mean death are a quiet, poetic corner of Japanese culture. The kanji for death is 死 (shi), but real families almost never use it. Instead, the language is full of words for spirits, the afterlife and fleeting beauty. This guide sorts them clearly so you can tell real from fictional.

Here are 400 Japanese names that mean death, with real kanji, easy pronunciation and honest meanings. You will find boy, girl and unisex names, surnames, Yomi and Obon words, and gods, with every invented name marked (creative). Use them for characters and stories, and pick real names carefully. Say each name aloud and check the kanji twice.

Death Meaning In Japanese Names

Japanese names that mean death borrow their kanji from spirits, the underworld and fading beauty, because 死 (shi) itself is almost never used for a child. Learn the kanji below and you can read, judge and build any name with confidence.

💀 死 (shi): death
⚰️ 亡 (bō / nai): departed, deceased
🌑 冥 (mei / myō): dark, the netherworld
👻 幽 (yū): faint, secluded, ghostly
🕯️ 霊 (rei / tama): spirit
🔥 魂 (kon / tamashii): soul
🌫️ 黄泉 (yomi): the land of the dead
🌅 彼岸 (higan): the far shore, the afterlife
🪦 墓 (haka / bo): grave
🍂 無常 (mujō): impermanence
🏁 終 (shū / owari): end

Good to know:

In Japanese, death is written 死 and read shi, but the same sound means “four,” which is why it feels unlucky.
霊, 幽, 冥 and 魂 are real kanji, but they are almost never used in baby names, so names built from them are marked (creative).
The same sound can be written with different kanji, so always confirm the characters before choosing a name.
If you plan to register a child’s name in Japan, the kanji must come from the official approved lists.

Quick pronunciation guide:

Vowels: a = “ah”, i = “ee”, u = “oo”, e = “eh”, o = “oh”.
Rei is “ray,” Yū is “yoo” and Mei is “may.”
A line over a vowel (ō, ū) means hold it twice as long, so Tōya is “toh-yah.”
“Tsu” sounds like the “ts” in “cats” plus “oo.”
Give every syllable equal weight, with no heavy English-style stress.

Japanese Names That Mean Death For Boys

Japanese names that mean death for boys are really names of night, stillness and spirits, because real families avoid the kanji 死. Of the 22 below, 8 are real and 14 modern combinations are marked (creative).

1 🌑 Byakuya (byah-koo-yah) 白夜 white night
2 🌑 Tōya (toh-yah) 冬夜 winter night
3 🌑 Kūya (koo-yah) 空也 emptiness, also a 10th-century monk who spread the nembutsu prayer
4 🌑 Yoru (yoh-roo) 夜 night
5 🌑 Shizuya (shee-zoo-yah) 静也 stillness
6 🌑 Kuro (koo-roh) 黒 black, a color of mourning
7 🌑 Shiro (shee-roh) 白 white, the color of funeral clothes
8 🌑 Ren (ren) 蓮 lotus, the Buddhist flower of rebirth
9 🌑 Reiji (ray-jee) 霊児 spirit child (creative)
10 🌑 Reisuke (ray-soo-keh) 霊介 spirit helper (creative)
11 🌑 Reigo (ray-goh) 霊吾 spirit self (creative)
12 🌑 Yūma (yoo-mah) 幽真 faint, truth (creative)
13 🌑 Yūya (yoo-yah) 幽也 faint, quiet (creative)
14 🌑 Yūto (yoo-toh) 幽斗 faint Big Dipper (creative)
15 🌑 Meiya (may-yah) 冥也 underworld (creative)
16 🌑 Meito (may-toh) 冥斗 underworld Big Dipper (creative)
17 🌑 Konta (kohn-tah) 魂太 soul, sturdy (creative)
18 🌑 Tamaya (tah-mah-yah) 魂也 soul (creative)
19 🌑 Yomihiko (yoh-mee-hee-koh) 黄泉彦 underworld boy (creative)
20 🌑 Kuroya (koo-roh-yah) 黒夜 black night (creative)
21 🌑 Bōya (boh-yah) 亡夜 departed night (creative)
22 🌑 Shūya (shoo-yah) 終夜 night’s end (creative)

Japanese Names That Mean Death For Girls

Japanese names that mean death for girls turn the same ideas softer, with flowers, dew and falling blossoms, so they feel wistful rather than dark. Of the 22 below, 13 are real and 9 modern combinations are marked (creative).

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1 🥀 Sakura (sah-koo-rah) 桜 cherry blossom, the classic symbol of fleeting life
2 🥀 Sakuya (sah-koo-yah) 咲夜 blooming night
3 🥀 Sayo (sah-yoh) 小夜 little night
4 🥀 Sayoko (sah-yoh-koh) 小夜子 little night child
5 🥀 Yūgao (yoo-gah-oh) 夕顔 moonflower, also a doomed lady in The Tale of Genji
6 🥀 Aoi (ah-oh-ee) 葵 hollyhock, also Lady Aoi in The Tale of Genji, who dies after a spirit possesses her
7 🥀 Tsuyuko (tsoo-yoo-koh) 露子 dewdrop child
8 🥀 Tsubaki (tsoo-bah-kee) 椿 camellia, a flower that falls whole
9 🥀 Renka (ren-kah) 蓮花 lotus flower, the Buddhist symbol of rebirth
10 🥀 Hasumi (hah-soo-mee) 蓮美 lotus beauty
11 🥀 Fuyuka (foo-yoo-kah) 冬花 winter flower
12 🥀 Kikyō (kee-kyoh) 桔梗 balloon flower, an autumn flower
13 🥀 Shion (shee-ohn) 紫苑 aster, a flower of remembrance
14 🥀 Reika (ray-kah) 霊香 spirit fragrance (creative)
15 🥀 Yūka (yoo-kah) 幽花 faint flower (creative)
16 🥀 Meika (may-kah) 冥花 underworld flower (creative)
17 🥀 Tamako (tah-mah-koh) 魂子 soul child (creative)
18 🥀 Hakana (hah-kah-nah) 儚奈 fleeting grace (creative)
19 🥀 Yoruka (yoh-roo-kah) 夜花 night flower (creative)
20 🥀 Tsuyuka (tsoo-yoo-kah) 露花 dew flower (creative)
21 🥀 Kuroha (koo-roh-hah) 黒羽 black feather (creative)
22 🥀 Yomika (yoh-mee-kah) 黄泉花 underworld flower (creative)

Unisex Japanese Names That Mean Death

Unisex Japanese names that mean death are short single words about quiet, dew and fleeting time that suit any gender. Of the 16 below, 10 are real names and words, and 6 are marked (creative).

1 ⚖️ Hotaru (hoh-tah-roo) 蛍 firefly, a folk symbol of souls
2 ⚖️ Tsuyu (tsoo-yoo) 露 dew, a symbol of life’s brevity
3 ⚖️ Shinobu (shee-noh-boo) 偲 to remember someone who is gone
4 ⚖️ Towa (toh-wah) 永遠 eternity
5 ⚖️ Toki (toh-kee) 時 time
6 ⚖️ Sabi (sah-bee) 寂 lonely, faded beauty
7 ⚖️ Shizuka (shee-zoo-kah) 静 still, quiet
8 ⚖️ Yoi (yoh-ee) 宵 early evening
9 ⚖️ Tamayura (tah-mah-yoo-rah) 玉響 a fleeting moment
10 ⚖️ Maboroshi (mah-boh-roh-shee) 幻 phantom, illusion
11 ⚖️ Rei (ray) 霊 spirit (creative)
12 ⚖️ Yū (yoo) 幽 faint, quiet (creative)
13 ⚖️ Mei (may) 冥 dark, deep (creative)
14 ⚖️ Kon (kohn) 魂 soul (creative)
15 ⚖️ Mu (moo) 無 nothingness (creative)
16 ⚖️ Tama (tah-mah) 魂 soul, read as tama (creative)

Japanese Last Names That Mean Death

Among Japanese names that mean death, surnames are the most realistic, because real family names never use 死 but do come from burial mounds, temples and mourning colors. All 40 below are real surnames, and none of them literally means death.

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1 🏯 Tsukamoto (tsoo-kah-moh-toh) 塚本 base of the mound
2 🏯 Tsukada (tsoo-kah-dah) 塚田 mound field
3 🏯 Tsukahara (tsoo-kah-hah-rah) 塚原 mound plain
4 🏯 Tsukagoshi (tsoo-kah-goh-shee) 塚越 beyond the mound
5 🏯 Tsukazaki (tsoo-kah-zah-kee) 塚崎 mound cape
6 🏯 Ōtsuka (oh-tsoo-kah) 大塚 great mound
7 🏯 Hiratsuka (hee-rah-tsoo-kah) 平塚 flat mound
8 🏯 Ishizuka (ee-shee-zoo-kah) 石塚 stone mound
9 🏯 Kozuka (koh-zoo-kah) 小塚 small mound
10 🏯 Nakatsuka (nah-kah-tsoo-kah) 中塚 middle mound
11 🏯 Shinozuka (shee-noh-zoo-kah) 篠塚 bamboo mound
12 🏯 Takatsuka (tah-kah-tsoo-kah) 高塚 high mound
13 🏯 Kaizuka (kye-zoo-kah) 貝塚 shell mound
14 🏯 Onizuka (oh-nee-zoo-kah) 鬼塚 demon mound
15 🏯 Terada (teh-rah-dah) 寺田 temple field
16 🏯 Teramoto (teh-rah-moh-toh) 寺本 temple base
17 🏯 Terashima (teh-rah-shee-mah) 寺島 temple island
18 🏯 Terao (teh-rah-oh) 寺尾 temple tail
19 🏯 Terasawa (teh-rah-sah-wah) 寺沢 temple stream
20 🏯 Teraoka (teh-rah-oh-kah) 寺岡 temple hill
21 🏯 Terauchi (teh-rah-oo-chee) 寺内 inside the temple
22 🏯 Teranishi (teh-rah-nee-shee) 寺西 temple west
23 🏯 Teramura (teh-rah-moo-rah) 寺村 temple village
24 🏯 Terasaki (teh-rah-sah-kee) 寺崎 temple cape
25 🏯 Terayama (teh-rah-yah-mah) 寺山 temple mountain
26 🏯 Terai (teh-rah-ee) 寺井 temple well
27 🏯 Teratani (teh-rah-tah-nee) 寺谷 temple valley
28 🏯 Kurokawa (koo-roh-kah-wah) 黒川 black river
29 🏯 Kuroda (koo-roh-dah) 黒田 black field
30 🏯 Kurosawa (koo-roh-sah-wah) 黒沢 black stream
31 🏯 Kuroki (koo-roh-kee) 黒木 black tree
32 🏯 Kurosaki (koo-roh-sah-kee) 黒崎 black cape
33 🏯 Kuroiwa (koo-roh-ee-wah) 黒岩 black rock
34 🏯 Shiraishi (shee-rah-ee-shee) 白石 white stone
35 🏯 Shirakawa (shee-rah-kah-wah) 白川 white river
36 🏯 Shirai (shee-rah-ee) 白井 white well
37 🏯 Shiraki (shee-rah-kee) 白木 plain white wood, the unfinished wood used for funeral tablets
38 🏯 Shirasawa (shee-rah-sah-wah) 白沢 white stream
39 🏯 Shirayama (shee-rah-yah-mah) 白山 white mountain
40 🏯 Shirahama (shee-rah-hah-mah) 白浜 white beach

Unique Japanese Names That Mean Death

Unique Japanese names that mean death are poetic words about fading, mourning and memory, so almost nobody else will have them. All 62 below are real words from Japanese aesthetics, funerals, festivals and flowers.

1 ✨ Utakata (oo-tah-kah-tah) 泡沫 foam, something fleeting
2 ✨ Nagori (nah-goh-ree) 名残 the lingering trace of something gone
3 ✨ Mujō (moo-joh) 無常 impermanence
4 ✨ Yūgen (yoo-gen) 幽玄 deep, mysterious beauty
5 ✨ Utsusemi (oot-soo-seh-mee) 空蝉 cast-off cicada shell, also a Genji chapter
6 ✨ Ukiyo (oo-kee-yoh) 浮世 the floating, fleeting world
7 ✨ Kagerō (kah-geh-roh) 陽炎 heat haze
8 ✨ Namida (nah-mee-dah) 涙 tears
9 ✨ Nokoriga (noh-koh-ree-gah) 残り香 lingering scent
10 ✨ Wabi (wah-bee) 侘 quiet, rustic loneliness
11 ✨ Mono no Aware (moh-noh noh ah-wah-reh) 物の哀れ the gentle sadness of passing things
12 ✨ Hakanasa (hah-kah-nah-sah) 儚さ the quality of being fleeting
13 ✨ Ochiba (oh-chee-bah) 落葉 fallen leaves
14 ✨ Kareha (kah-reh-hah) 枯葉 withered leaf
15 ✨ Hanafubuki (hah-nah-foo-boo-kee) 花吹雪 blizzard of petals
16 ✨ Sakurafubuki (sah-koo-rah-foo-boo-kee) 桜吹雪 a storm of falling cherry petals
17 ✨ Rakka (rahk-kah) 落花 falling flowers
18 ✨ Shigure (shee-goo-reh) 時雨 late-autumn drizzle
19 ✨ Yuzuriha (yoo-zoo-ree-hah) 譲葉 the leaf that makes way for the next generation
20 ✨ Higurashi (hee-goo-rah-shee) 日暮 sundown
21 ✨ Tasogare (tah-soh-gah-reh) 黄昏 twilight
22 ✨ Higanbana (hee-gahn-bah-nah) 彼岸花 spider lily, the flower of graves and the equinox
23 ✨ Manjushage (mahn-joo-shah-geh) 曼珠沙華 the Buddhist name of the spider lily
24 ✨ Tsuioku (tsoo-ee-oh-koo) 追憶 remembrance
25 ✨ Omokage (oh-moh-kah-geh) 面影 the faint trace of a face from the past
26 ✨ Katami (kah-tah-mee) 形見 a keepsake left by someone who has died
27 ✨ Tomurai (toh-moo-rye) 弔い mourning, remembering the dead
28 ✨ Jisei (jee-say) 辞世 a farewell poem written before death
29 ✨ Okuribito (oh-koo-ree-bee-toh) おくりびと “one who sends off,” the title of the film Departures
30 ✨ Nōkanshi (noh-kahn-shee) 納棺師 the ceremonial encoffiner shown in Departures
31 ✨ Sōshiki (soh-shee-kee) 葬式 funeral
32 ✨ Tsuya (tsoo-yah) 通夜 the wake held through the night
33 ✨ Kotsuage (koh-tsoo-ah-geh) 骨上げ the bone-picking rite after cremation
34 ✨ Kasō (kah-soh) 火葬 cremation
35 ✨ Mofuku (moh-foo-koo) 喪服 mourning clothes
36 ✨ Mochū (moh-choo) 喪中 the period of mourning
37 ✨ Kōden (koh-den) 香典 money offered with incense at a funeral
38 ✨ Ohakamairi (oh-hah-kah-mye-ree) お墓参り visiting the family grave
39 ✨ Tamamatsuri (tah-mah-mah-tsoo-ree) 魂祭り the old name for the rite honoring souls at Obon
40 ✨ Nenbutsu (nen-boo-tsoo) 念仏 the chant said for the dead
41 ✨ Sotoba (soh-toh-bah) 卒塔婆 the wooden grave tablet
42 ✨ Senkō (sen-koh) 線香 incense stick burned for the dead
43 ✨ Shōkō (shoh-koh) 焼香 offering incense
44 ✨ Butsuma (boo-tsoo-mah) 仏間 the room of the family altar
45 ✨ Hōji (hoh-jee) 法事 a memorial service
46 ✨ Isshūki (ees-shoo-kee) 一周忌 the first anniversary of a death
47 ✨ Rinjū (reen-joo) 臨終 the final moments of life
48 ✨ Higan-e (hee-gahn-eh) 彼岸会 Buddhist services held around the equinox
49 ✨ Kiku (kee-koo) 菊 chrysanthemum, the white flower placed at funerals
50 ✨ Shikimi (shee-kee-mee) 樒 a fragrant evergreen branch placed on graves and altars
51 ✨ Hōzuki (hoh-zoo-kee) 鬼灯 Chinese lantern plant, whose pods decorate Obon altars
52 ✨ Shōryōuma (shoh-ryoh-oo-mah) 精霊馬 the cucumber horse and eggplant cow made for Obon
53 ✨ Hotarubi (hoh-tah-roo-bee) 蛍火 the glow of a firefly
54 ✨ Kegare (keh-gah-reh) 穢れ ritual impurity, including that of death
55 ✨ Mono-imi (moh-noh-ee-mee) 物忌み a period of staying home to avoid ritual impurity
56 ✨ Imi-kotoba (ee-mee-koh-toh-bah) 忌み言葉 words avoided as unlucky, like shi for death
57 ✨ Sōrei (soh-ray) 葬礼 funeral rites
58 ✨ Kotsutsubo (koh-tsoo-tsoo-boh) 骨壺 an urn for cremated bones
59 ✨ Ikotsu (ee-koh-tsoo) 遺骨 cremated remains
60 ✨ Ihin (ee-heen) 遺品 belongings left by the dead
61 ✨ Yuigon (yoo-ee-gohn) 遺言 last words or will
62 ✨ Ikō (ee-koh) 遺稿 writings left behind after death

Cool Japanese Names That Mean Death

Cool death names borrow from ghost stories, shadows, demons and the vocabulary of the dead, so use the real words as creative picks. The first 32 are real words, and the last 6 are labeled (creative).

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1 🗡️ Meiō (may-oh) 冥王 king of the underworld
2 🗡️ Karasu (kah-rah-soo) 烏 crow, a traditional omen bird
3 🗡️ Shiranui (shee-rah-noo-ee) 不知火 mysterious fire seen over the sea
4 🗡️ Ōmagatoki (oh-mah-gah-toh-kee) 逢魔時 the hour when demons are said to appear at dusk
5 🗡️ Hyakki Yagyō (hyah-kkee yah-gyoh) 百鬼夜行 the night parade of a hundred demons
6 🗡️ Kurayami (koo-rah-yah-mee) 暗闇 darkness
7 🗡️ Yami (yah-mee) 闇 darkness, the dark
8 🗡️ Kage (kah-geh) 影 shadow
9 🗡️ Kagebōshi (kah-geh-boh-shee) 影法師 a shadow figure
10 🗡️ Kuroneko (koo-roh-neh-koh) 黒猫 black cat
11 🗡️ Mōja (moh-jah) 亡者 a departed soul
12 🗡️ Bōrei (boh-ray) 亡霊 the ghost of someone dead
13 🗡️ Bōkon (boh-kohn) 亡魂 a wandering soul of the dead
14 🗡️ Shisha (shee-shah) 死者 the dead
15 🗡️ Shinin (shee-neen) 死人 a dead person
16 🗡️ Shikabane (shee-kah-bah-neh) 屍 a corpse
17 🗡️ Nakigara (nah-kee-gah-rah) 亡骸 mortal remains
18 🗡️ Mukuro (moo-koo-roh) 骸 remains, bones
19 🗡️ Dokuro (doh-koo-roh) 髑髏 skull
20 🗡️ Hitsugi (hee-tsoo-gee) 棺 coffin
21 🗡️ Zan’ei (zahn-ay) 残影 afterimage
22 🗡️ Shūmatsu (shoo-mah-tsoo) 終末 the end of the world
23 🗡️ Metsu (meh-tsoo) 滅 destruction, extinction
24 🗡️ Zetsumei (zeh-tsoo-may) 絶命 breathing one’s last
25 🗡️ Ashura (ah-shoo-rah) 阿修羅 a fierce guardian figure of Buddhist tales
26 🗡️ Kuchiba (koo-chee-bah) 朽ち葉 decayed leaves
27 🗡️ Shōji (shoh-jee) 生死 life and death
28 🗡️ Kaidan (kye-dahn) 怪談 a ghost story
29 🗡️ Yotsuya Kaidan (yoh-tsoo-yah kye-dahn) 四谷怪談 the most famous Japanese ghost play
30 🗡️ Banchō Sarayashiki (bahn-choh sah-rah-yah-shee-kee) 番町皿屋敷 the tale of the plate-counting ghost
31 🗡️ Botan Dōrō (boh-tahn doh-roh) 牡丹燈籠 the tale of the peony lantern
32 🗡️ Hōmuri (hoh-moo-ree) 葬り burial, laying to rest
33 🗡️ Reiga (ray-gah) 霊牙 spirit fang (creative)
34 🗡️ Reiryū (ray-ryoo) 霊龍 spirit dragon (creative)
35 🗡️ Reiken (ray-ken) 霊剣 spirit sword (creative)
36 🗡️ Meiga (may-gah) 冥牙 underworld fang (creative)
37 🗡️ Meiryū (may-ryoo) 冥龍 underworld dragon (creative)
38 🗡️ Yamiō (yah-mee-oh) 闇王 dark king (creative)

Japanese Names Meaning Afterlife & Underworld

These are real Japanese words for the world beyond, from the Shinto land of the dead to the Buddhist hells and the Pure Land. Most are ideas rather than baby names, so they suit fiction, places and pen names, and all 72 are real.

Lands Of The Dead

1 🌌 Yomi (yoh-mee) 黄泉 the land of the dead in Shinto myth
2 🌌 Yomi no Kuni (yoh-mee noh koo-nee) 黄泉の国 the country of Yomi
3 🌌 Yomotsu Hirasaka (yoh-moh-tsoo hee-rah-sah-kah) 黄泉比良坂 the slope between the living and the dead
4 🌌 Chibiki no Iwa (chee-bee-kee noh ee-wah) 千引の岩 the huge boulder that sealed the way out of Yomi
5 🌌 Yomotsu-hegui (yoh-moh-tsoo-heh-goo-ee) 黄泉戸喫 eating the food of Yomi, which binds you there
6 🌌 Yomigaeri (yoh-mee-gah-eh-ree) 黄泉返り returning from death
7 🌌 Ne no Kuni (neh noh koo-nee) 根の国 the Land of Roots, an underworld of myth
8 🌌 Tokoyo no Kuni (toh-koh-yoh noh koo-nee) 常世の国 the eternal land beyond the sea
9 🌌 Takamagahara (tah-kah-mah-gah-hah-rah) 高天原 the High Plain of Heaven
10 🌌 Meido (may-doh) 冥土 the underworld
11 🌌 Meifu (may-foo) 冥府 the realm of the dead
12 🌌 Meikai (may-kye) 冥界 the netherworld

Rivers, Shores And Paradise

1 🌌 Sanzu no Kawa (sahn-zoo noh kah-wah) 三途の川 the river of three crossings
2 🌌 Higan (hee-gahn) 彼岸 the far shore, the afterlife
3 🌌 Shigan (shee-gahn) 此岸 this shore, the world of the living
4 🌌 Jōdo (joh-doh) 浄土 the Pure Land
5 🌌 Saihō Jōdo (sye-hoh joh-doh) 西方浄土 the Western Pure Land
6 🌌 Gokuraku (goh-koo-rah-koo) 極楽 paradise
7 🌌 Rakuen (rah-koo-en) 楽園 a garden of paradise
8 🌌 Nehan (neh-hahn) 涅槃 nirvana
9 🌌 Tenjō (ten-joh) 天上 heaven above
10 🌌 Tendō (ten-doh) 天道 the heavenly realm
11 🌌 Tosotsuten (toh-soh-tsoo-ten) 兜率天 the heaven of the future Buddha
12 🌌 Hōrai (hoh-rye) 蓬莱 the mythical island of immortals
13 🌌 Amida Nyorai (ah-mee-dah nyoh-rye) 阿弥陀如来 Amida Buddha, who welcomes souls to the Pure Land
14 🌌 Raigō (rye-goh) 来迎 the coming of Amida to welcome the dying

Hells And The Six Realms

1 🌌 Jigoku (jee-goh-koo) 地獄 hell
2 🌌 Rokudō (roh-koo-doh) 六道 the six realms of rebirth
3 🌌 Rinne (reen-neh) 輪廻 the wheel of rebirth
4 🌌 Gakidō (gah-kee-doh) 餓鬼道 the realm of hungry ghosts
5 🌌 Chikushōdō (chee-koo-shoh-doh) 畜生道 the realm of animals
6 🌌 Shuradō (shoo-rah-doh) 修羅道 the realm of fighting spirits
7 🌌 Ningendō (neen-gen-doh) 人間道 the human realm
8 🌌 Tōkatsu (toh-kah-tsoo) 等活 the hell of repeated revival
9 🌌 Kokujō (koh-koo-joh) 黒縄 the black rope hell
10 🌌 Shugō (shoo-goh) 衆合 the crushing hell
11 🌌 Kyōkan (kyoh-kahn) 叫喚 the screaming hell
12 🌌 Daikyōkan (dye-kyoh-kahn) 大叫喚 the great screaming hell
13 🌌 Shonetsu (shoh-neh-tsoo) 焦熱 the burning hell
14 🌌 Daishonetsu (dye-shoh-neh-tsoo) 大焦熱 the great burning hell
15 🌌 Muken (moo-ken) 無間 the hell without pause
16 🌌 Gose (goh-seh) 後世 the next world
17 🌌 Raise (rye-seh) 来世 the next life
18 🌌 Zense (zen-seh) 前世 a past life
19 🌌 Ōjō (oh-joh) 往生 rebirth in the Pure Land
20 🌌 Jōbutsu (joh-boo-tsoo) 成仏 becoming a Buddha, a peaceful passing

Rites, Graves And Remembrance

1 🌌 Shijūkunichi (shee-joo-koo-nee-chee) 四十九日 the forty-nine days after death
2 🌌 Kaimyō (kye-myoh) 戒名 the Buddhist name given after death
3 🌌 Ihai (ee-hye) 位牌 the memorial tablet
4 🌌 Haka (hah-kah) 墓 a grave
5 🌌 Bochi (boh-chee) 墓地 a cemetery
6 🌌 Butsudan (boo-tsoo-dahn) 仏壇 the household Buddhist altar
7 🌌 Obon (oh-bohn) お盆 the summer festival for the spirits of ancestors
8 🌌 Okuribi (oh-koo-ree-bee) 送り火 the fire that sends spirits home
9 🌌 Mukaebi (moo-kye-bee) 迎え火 the fire that welcomes spirits
10 🌌 Shōryō-nagashi (shoh-ryoh nah-gah-shee) 精霊流し floating lanterns for the spirits of the dead
11 🌌 Tōrō-nagashi (toh-roh nah-gah-shee) 灯籠流し lanterns floated down a river
12 🌌 Meifuku (may-foo-koo) 冥福 a prayer for rest in the afterlife
13 🌌 Kuyō (koo-yoh) 供養 a memorial offering
14 🌌 Senzo (sen-zoh) 先祖 ancestors
15 🌌 Osorezan (oh-soh-reh-zahn) 恐山 Mount Osore, a mountain of the dead in Aomori
16 🌌 Itako (ee-tah-koh) イタコ mediums who speak for the dead at Mount Osore
17 🌌 Kōyasan (koh-yah-sahn) 高野山 Mount Kōya, the holy mountain of Shingon Buddhism
18 🌌 Okunoin (oh-koo-noh-een) 奥之院 the vast cemetery at Mount Kōya
19 🌌 Yasuraka (yah-soo-rah-kah) 安らか peaceful rest
20 🌌 Chinkon (cheen-kohn) 鎮魂 calming the souls of the dead
21 🌌 Chinkonka (cheen-kohn-kah) 鎮魂歌 a requiem
22 🌌 Reien (ray-en) 霊園 a cemetery park
23 🌌 Kofun (koh-foon) 古墳 an ancient burial mound
24 🌌 Misasagi (mee-sah-sah-gee) 陵 an imperial tomb
25 🌌 Hakaishi (hah-kah-ee-shee) 墓石 a gravestone
26 🌌 Bohyō (boh-hyoh) 墓標 a grave marker

Japanese Death Gods & Spirits

These come from Shinto myth, Buddhist hell, famous ghost tales and yōkai folklore. They are characters and concepts, not baby names, but they are excellent for fiction, games and usernames, and all 60 are real.

See also 300+ Best Japanese Names That Mean Lightning (Boys, Girls & Surnames)

Gods And Judges Of The Underworld

1 🕯️ Izanami (ee-zah-nah-mee) 伊邪那美 the goddess who died giving birth to fire and rules Yomi
2 🕯️ Izanagi (ee-zah-nah-gee) 伊邪那岐 the god who followed her to the land of the dead
3 🕯️ Yomotsu-ōkami (yoh-moh-tsoo oh-kah-mee) 黄泉津大神 the title of Izanami as ruler of Yomi
4 🕯️ Yomotsu-shikome (yoh-moh-tsoo shee-koh-meh) 黄泉醜女 the hags of Yomi who chased Izanagi
5 🕯️ Yakusa no Ikazuchi (yah-koo-sah noh ee-kah-zoo-chee) 八雷神 the eight thunder gods born from Izanami’s body
6 🕯️ Kagutsuchi (kah-goo-tsoo-chee) 迦具土 the fire god whose birth killed Izanami
7 🕯️ Susanoo (soo-sah-noh-oh) 須佐之男 the storm god who longed for the Land of Roots
8 🕯️ Enma (en-mah) 閻魔 king and judge of the dead, the fifth of the Ten Kings
9 🕯️ Jizō (jee-zoh) 地蔵 guardian of the dead and of children
10 🕯️ Gozu (goh-zoo) 牛頭 ox-headed guardian of hell
11 🕯️ Mezu (meh-zoo) 馬頭 horse-headed guardian of hell
12 🕯️ Datsue-ba (dah-tsoo-eh-bah) 奪衣婆 the old woman who strips clothes at the Sanzu River
13 🕯️ Keneō (keh-neh-oh) 懸衣翁 the old man who hangs the stripped clothes
14 🕯️ Shinigami (shee-nee-gah-mee) 死神 death god, a character more common in fiction than in old myth
15 🕯️ Jūō (joo-oh) 十王 the Ten Kings who judge the dead in turn
16 🕯️ Shinkō-ō (sheen-koh oh) 秦広王 the first king
17 🕯️ Shokō-ō (shoh-koh oh) 初江王 the second king
18 🕯️ Sōtei-ō (soh-tay oh) 宋帝王 the third king
19 🕯️ Gokan-ō (goh-kahn oh) 五官王 the fourth king
20 🕯️ Henjō-ō (hen-joh oh) 変成王 the sixth king
21 🕯️ Taizan-ō (tie-zahn oh) 泰山王 the seventh king
22 🕯️ Byōdō-ō (byoh-doh oh) 平等王 the eighth king
23 🕯️ Toshi-ō (toh-shee oh) 都市王 the ninth king
24 🕯️ Godō Tenrin-ō (goh-doh ten-reen oh) 五道転輪王 the tenth king

Ghosts, Vengeful Spirits And Famous Hauntings

1 🕯️ Yūrei (yoo-ray) 幽霊 ghost
2 🕯️ Onryō (ohn-ryoh) 怨霊 vengeful spirit
3 🕯️ Goryō (goh-ryoh) 御霊 restless noble spirit
4 🕯️ Shiryō (shee-ryoh) 死霊 spirit of the dead
5 🕯️ Ikiryō (ee-kee-ryoh) 生霊 spirit of a living person
6 🕯️ Jibakurei (jee-bah-koo-ray) 地縛霊 earthbound ghost
7 🕯️ Shōryō (shoh-ryoh) 精霊 ancestral spirit
8 🕯️ Hotoke (hoh-toh-keh) 仏 the dead, spoken of with respect
9 🕯️ Oiwa (oh-ee-wah) お岩 the ghost of Yotsuya Kaidan
10 🕯️ Okiku (oh-kee-koo) お菊 the ghost who counts plates
11 🕯️ Otsuyu (oh-tsoo-yoo) お露 the ghost of the peony lantern tale
12 🕯️ Hanako-san (hah-nah-koh-sahn) 花子さん a girl’s ghost said to haunt school toilets
13 🕯️ Sugawara no Michizane (soo-gah-wah-rah noh mee-chee-zah-neh) 菅原道真 the scholar whose angry spirit was later honored as the god Tenjin
14 🕯️ Taira no Masakado (tie-rah noh mah-sah-kah-doh) 平将門 the rebel whose spirit is still honored in Tokyo
15 🕯️ Sutoku-tennō (soo-toh-koo ten-noh) 崇徳天皇 the emperor said to have returned as a vengeful spirit
16 🕯️ Funayūrei (foo-nah-yoo-ray) 船幽霊 ghosts of the sea who sink ships
17 🕯️ Hitodama (hee-toh-dah-mah) 人魂 floating soul orb
18 🕯️ Onibi (oh-nee-bee) 鬼火 spirit fire
19 🕯️ Kitsunebi (kee-tsoo-neh-bee) 狐火 fox fire

Yōkai And Demons

1 🕯️ Gashadokuro (gah-shah-doh-koo-roh) 餓者髑髏 giant skeleton
2 🕯️ Tsukumogami (tsoo-koo-moh-gah-mee) 付喪神 spirit of an old object
3 🕯️ Mononoke (moh-noh-noh-keh) 物の怪 vengeful spirit or creature
4 🕯️ Obake (oh-bah-keh) お化け ghost, shape-shifter
5 🕯️ Bakemono (bah-keh-moh-noh) 化物 monster
6 🕯️ Yōkai (yoh-kye) 妖怪 supernatural being
7 🕯️ Hannya (hahn-nyah) 般若 the mask of a woman turned demon by jealousy
8 🕯️ Ubume (oo-boo-meh) 産女 the ghost of a woman who died in childbirth
9 🕯️ Kasha (kah-shah) 火車 the fiery cat demon that carries corpses to hell
10 🕯️ Hone-onna (hoh-neh ohn-nah) 骨女 the skeleton woman
11 🕯️ Yuki-onna (yoo-kee ohn-nah) 雪女 the snow woman
12 🕯️ Wanyūdō (wah-nyoo-doh) 輪入道 a flaming wheel with a face, said to steal souls
13 🕯️ Gaki (gah-kee) 餓鬼 hungry ghost
14 🕯️ Oni (oh-nee) 鬼 demon
15 🕯️ Yasha (yah-shah) 夜叉 a fierce spirit, a yaksha
16 🕯️ Rasetsu (rah-seh-tsoo) 羅刹 a fanged demon
17 🕯️ Mōryō (moh-ryoh) 魍魎 mountain and river spirits

Death Names In Anime & Fantasy

These names come from real Japanese words about fate and endings, plus famous death-themed characters and titles. All 47 below are real words, characters or titles, but they are for stories, not for baby names.

See also 300+ Japanese Names Meaning Poison: Venom & Toxin Picks

1 🐉 Reikon (ray-kohn) 霊魂 soul, spirit
2 🐉 Tamashii (tah-mah-shee) 魂 soul
3 🐉 Reikai (ray-kye) 霊界 the spirit world
4 🐉 Unmei (oon-may) 運命 fate
5 🐉 Shukumei (shoo-koo-may) 宿命 destiny
6 🐉 Kyomu (kyoh-moo) 虚無 void, nothingness
7 🐉 Metsubō (meh-tsoo-boh) 滅亡 downfall, ruin
8 🐉 Hametsu (hah-meh-tsoo) 破滅 ruin, destruction
9 🐉 Shōmetsu (shoh-meh-tsoo) 消滅 vanishing, extinction
10 🐉 Zankyō (zahn-kyoh) 残響 lingering echo
11 🐉 Zanshin (zahn-sheen) 残心 lingering awareness after a strike
12 🐉 Shūen (shoo-en) 終焉 the end, demise
13 🐉 Sōsō (soh-soh) 葬送 funeral procession, sending off the dead
14 🐉 Ryūku (ryoo-koo) リューク the death god of Death Note
15 🐉 Rem (reh-moo) レム another death god of Death Note
16 🐉 Yagami Raito (yah-gah-mee rye-toh) 夜神月 the student who finds the Death Note
17 🐉 Amane Misa (ah-mah-neh mee-sah) 弥海砂 the idol who trades half her life for death god eyes
18 🐉 Mikami Teru (mee-kah-mee teh-roo) 魅上照 Light’s devoted follower
19 🐉 Kuchiki Byakuya (koo-chee-kee byah-koo-yah) 朽木白哉 a noble soul reaper of Bleach
20 🐉 Kurosaki Ichigo (koo-roh-sah-kee ee-chee-goh) 黒崎一護 the substitute soul reaper
21 🐉 Kuchiki Rukia (koo-chee-kee roo-kee-ah) 朽木ルキア the soul reaper who gives Ichigo her powers
22 🐉 Zaraki Kenpachi (zah-rah-kee ken-pah-chee) 更木剣八 a soul reaper who lives for battle
23 🐉 Unohana Retsu (oo-noh-hah-nah reh-tsoo) 卯ノ花烈 the healer captain with a dark past
24 🐉 Aizen Sōsuke (eye-zen soh-soo-keh) 藍染惣右介 the captain who betrays the soul reapers
25 🐉 Ichimaru Gin (ee-chee-mah-roo geen) 市丸ギン the fox-like captain
26 🐉 Hitsugaya Tōshirō (hee-tsoo-gah-yah toh-shee-roh) 日番谷冬獅郎 the youngest captain, who wields an ice sword
27 🐉 Enma Ai (en-mah eye) 閻魔あい the Hell Girl, who sends souls to hell
28 🐉 Ichimoku Ren (ee-chee-moh-koo ren) 一目連 one of the Hell Girl’s helpers
29 🐉 Yamawaro (yah-mah-wah-roh) 山童 another of her helpers
30 🐉 Shinigami-sama (shee-nee-gah-mee-sah-mah) 死神様 the Death God of Soul Eater
31 🐉 Desu za Kiddo (deh-soo zah keed-doh) デス・ザ・キッド Death the Kid
32 🐉 Urameshi Yūsuke (oo-rah-meh-shee yoo-soo-keh) 浦飯幽助 the delinquent who returns from death as a spirit detective
33 🐉 Koenma (koh-en-mah) コエンマ the prince of the spirit world
34 🐉 Shiki Fūjin (shee-kee foo-jeen) 屍鬼封尽 the Dead Demon Consuming Seal of Naruto
35 🐉 Shishigami (shee-shee-gah-mee) シシ神 the Forest Spirit who gives and takes life
36 🐉 Tatarigami (tah-tah-ree-gah-mee) タタリ神 the cursed god of Princess Mononoke
37 🐉 Sōsō no Furīren (soh-soh noh foo-ree-ren) 葬送のフリーレン Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
38 🐉 Jigoku Shōjo (jee-goh-koo shoh-joh) 地獄少女 Hell Girl
39 🐉 Hotaru no Haka (hoh-tah-roo noh hah-kah) 火垂るの墓 Grave of the Fireflies
40 🐉 Shigurui (shee-goo-roo-ee) 死狂い Death Frenzy, a samurai tale
41 🐉 Shikabane Hime (shee-kah-bah-neh hee-meh) 屍姫 Corpse Princess
42 🐉 Jigokuraku (jee-goh-koo-rah-koo) 地獄楽 Hell’s Paradise
43 🐉 Gabimaru (gah-bee-mah-roo) 画眉丸 the ninja of Hell’s Paradise
44 🐉 Ryōmen Sukuna (ryoh-men soo-koo-nah) 両面宿儺 the King of Curses in Jujutsu Kaisen
45 🐉 Misaki Mei (mee-sah-kee may) 見崎鳴 the eyepatch girl of Another
46 🐉 Anazā (ah-nah-zah) アナザー the horror series where a dead student joins the class
47 🐉 Desu Parēdo (deh-soo pah-ray-doh) デス・パレード Death Parade, where the dead are judged

Why Real Japanese Names Avoid The Kanji 死

Almost no family uses 死 for a child, and the reasons are both cultural and practical. Knowing them keeps your fictional names accurate and respectful.

⚠️ The “four” taboo: shi also means four, so many hospitals and buildings skip the number 4.
⚠️ Registration rules: names must use approved kanji, and officials have refused names seen as harmful to a child, like the widely reported 1993 “Akuma” (devil) case.
⚠️ Social reality: a name like that would follow a child for life, so families choose gentle kanji for night, stillness and flowers instead.
⚠️ A better route: use 霊, 幽, 冥 or 魂 in fiction, and the gentle real names below if you want a name for a real child.

Gentle real alternatives:

1 🪷 Yasuko (yah-soo-koh) 安子 peaceful child
2 🪷 Yasuo (yah-soo-oh) 安雄 peaceful man
3 🪷 Yasuaki (yah-soo-ah-kee) 安明 peaceful and bright
4 🪷 Yasushi (yah-soo-shee) 靖 calm, settled
5 🪷 Shizuko (shee-zoo-koh) 静子 quiet child
6 🪷 Shizue (shee-zoo-eh) 静江 quiet inlet
7 🪷 Shizuo (shee-zoo-oh) 静雄 quiet man
8 🪷 Eiko (ay-koh) 永子 eternal child
9 🪷 Eiji (ay-jee) 永二 eternal, second son
10 🪷 Hisako (hee-sah-koh) 久子 lasting child
11 🪷 Hisashi (hee-sah-shee) 久 long-lasting
12 🪷 Nagomi (nah-goh-mee) 和 gentle harmony
13 🪷 Renge (ren-geh) 蓮華 lotus flower
14 🪷 Tōko (toh-koh) 灯子 lantern child
15 🪷 Akari (ah-kah-ree) 灯里 lamplight village
16 🪷 Tsukiko (tsoo-kee-koh) 月子 moon child
17 🪷 Sumire (soo-mee-reh) 菫 violet
18 🪷 Mitsuko (mee-tsoo-koh) 光子 child of light
19 🪷 Hikari (hee-kah-ree) 光 light
20 🪷 Kaoru (kah-oh-roo) 薫 fragrance
21 🪷 Chitose (chee-toh-seh) 千歳 a thousand years

Quick Reference: Japanese Death Names At A Glance

This list shows every section with its count and best use, so you can jump straight to the kind of name you need.

See also 450+ Best Japanese Names That Mean Sweet: Honey & Charm Picks

🌑 Boys: 22 names (8 real, 14 creative), best for characters and usernames
🥀 Girls: 22 names (13 real, 9 creative), best for gentle, wistful picks
⚖️ Unisex: 16 names (10 real, 6 creative), best for any gender
🏯 Last Names: 40 real surnames, best for family names and fiction
✨ Unique: 62 real words, best for rare and poetic picks
🗡️ Cool: 38 names (32 real, 6 creative), best for gamer tags and characters
🌌 Afterlife & Underworld: 72 real words, best for places and pen names
🕯️ Gods & Spirits: 60 real gods, ghosts and yōkai, best for fiction
🐉 Anime & Fantasy: 47 real words, characters and titles, best for stories
🪷 Gentle Alternatives: 21 real names, best for a real child
🎯 Total: 400 names (365 real, 35 labeled creative)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there real Japanese names that mean death?

Almost never with the kanji 死, but gentle names tied to night and fleeting beauty, such as Sakura and Hotaru, are common.

Why do people search for Japanese names that mean death?

Most want them for characters, games and stories, because the kanji carry a dark, poetic mood.

Which kanji are safest in Japanese names that mean death for fiction?

霊 (spirit), 幽 (faint), 冥 (underworld) and 魂 (soul) carry the idea without the harsh 死.

Can Japanese names that mean death be used for a real child?

Not with 死, and it is wiser to choose a gentle real name from the alternatives list above.

What is the Japanese word for death?

It is 死 (shi), and its sound also means four, which is why most families avoid it.

Final Thoughts

Japanese names that mean death are really about spirits, memory and the beauty of things that end. The kanji 死 is almost never used, so the best options rely on 霊, 幽, 冥 and 魂, or on poetic words like utakata and nagori. Real surnames from burial mounds and temples add an authentic layer, and myths like Izanami and Enma add depth for fiction. Every entry here includes its kanji, pronunciation and meaning, so you can use it with confidence. Treat the creative picks as fiction, and the real words and names as your realistic options. Check the kanji once more before you commit, and your choice will stay accurate and memorable.