18 Japanese Boy Names That Start with S: Handpicked by a Native Japanese

Hi, Junko from Japan here! While naming trends for children may change over time, traditional names have been consistently popular across generations.

In this post, I’ll share you with the most traditional and common Japanese names for baby boys. Each name can have several meanings depending on which Kanji letters you choose for the name sounds.

So I gave a brief explanation of each name regarding possible meanings. Hope it helps your inspiration!

SATOSHI

You may be familiar with this name since the name of the main character of Pokemon anime is SATOSHI.

This is a typical and popular name for boys, which can mean “smart” and “quick learner” in Japanese. We have a lot of Kanji symbol options for SATOSHI but most of them have meanings related to “smartness” or “wisdom.”

SATORU

SATORU is another boy’s name that has a similar sound and meaning to SATOSHI. The word SATORU represents “understand everything” or “understand the truth” in a Buddhist term.

The Kanji letters for SATORU also hold wisdom or learning-related meanings like SATOSHI does.

SHINOBU

SHINOBU is a gender-neutral name that can be given to both boys and girls. It’s one of the traditional Japanese names and gives classic and sophisticated impressions.

As for the meaning, SHINOBU stands for “endure” or “miss someone,” and it’s also the origin of the word NINJA, meaning “those who endure and hide” in Japanese.

It may not sound positive, but the word SHINOBU has been regarded as beautiful in Japanese culture. Let’s see the Kanji symbol for SHINOBU below.

The top part depicts a “strongly forged Katana sword,” and the bottom one stands for “heart.” The entire character describes a “tenacious mind that never gives up.” It’s positive, isn’t it?

SHU

SHU is a name that sounds simple and sharp. Generally, Kanji symbol for “excel” or “master” will be selected for the name.

These are other variations that start with SHU:

• SHUICHI
• SHUJI
• SHUHEI
• SHUTA

SHUN

SHUN can mean “outstanding talent” or “horse,” and is one of the popular words for boy’s names.

Here are some other variations that include the same SHUN.

• SHUNSUKE
• SHUNTA

SHINGO

SHINGO is one of the common Japanese names for boys. You can give various meanings depending on the Kanji combinations for SHIN and GO. Here I show you some possible meanings for each word.

SHIN = new, believe, heart, proceed, truth, discreet, dragon, planets, gentleman
GO = enlightenment, myself

SHINJI

SHINJI is a relatively modern name for boys. Choose your preferable combinations for SHIN and JI!

SHIN = new, believe, heart, proceed, truth, discreet, dragon, planets, gentleman
JI = next, two, history, ambition, govern, expert

SHINNOSUKE

SHINOSUKE is a classic name that still has enduring popularity. The word SUKE is a traditional suffix for boys’ names that have been used since the Samurai age in Japan.

Like the previous name SHINGO, you can give your favorite meanings to the name depending on the Kanji combinations. For this name, the Kanji letters for NOSUKE are almost fixed, so the symbol for SHIN creates a unique meaning.

SHIN = new, believe, heart, proceed, truth, discreet, dragon, planets, gentleman

SHINTARO

TARO is the most typical name for Japanese boys, and SHINTARO is one of its variations.

SHIN = new, believe, heart, proceed, truth, discreet, dragon, planets
TARO = typical Japanese name for boys

SHINYA

SHINYA is a relatively modern name for boys having a smart impression. Since we don’t have many good options for the sound YA, the emphasis is not on the meaning but rather on representing sound.

The meaning of the name is mainly determined by the choice of SHIN.

SHIN = new, believe, heart, proceed, truth, discreet, dragon, planets
YA = exclamation point, arrow

SUGURU

SUGURU stands for “excel.” With its positive meaning and refreshing sound, SUGURU has been a common and popular name for Japanese boys. There’re some variations for Kanji symbol selection, and all options are positive!

SUGURU = excel, win, gentle, great man

SUBARU

SUBARU is the name of the star, Pleiades. Since it has an artistic and cool sound, the word SUBARU is sometimes used as a name.

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