Girl name · Japanese
Minami
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: beautiful waves; south (depends on characters)Minami is a girl's name that comes from Japanese and means "beautiful waves; south (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Beautiful waves; south (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Girl
- Letters
- 6
Meaning and origin of Minami
As a girl's name, Minami comes from Japanese and means "beautiful waves; south (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Minami in Japanese
In hiragana, Minami is みなみ. In kanji it can be written several ways, and each choice gives the name its own meaning. These are spellings used for the name, with what each kanji means.
| Kanji | Reading | What the kanji mean |
|---|---|---|
| 南 | みなみ | 南 south |
| 美波 | みなみ | 美 beauty, beautiful + 波 wave |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Minami on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Minami on 4 lists.
“美波: beautiful waves. Also means south when written 南”
From Anime girl names, anime girl names from sky, sea and seasons
“Beautiful waves; also 南, south.”
From Japanese girl names, japanese nature names: sky, sea and seasons
“South; also used as a girl's given name.”
From Japanese last names, village, field and direction surnames
“Beautiful wave, written 美波; Japanese”
From Ocean names, names that mean wave
How popular is Minami?
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #7,150 in 1997
- 13 babies that year
- Babies since 1989
- At least 232
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 4 per million |
| 2000s | 4 per million |
| 2010s | 3 per million |
| 2020s | 3 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,006 | #10,483 | #13,380 | – | #16,746 | #13,072 | #13,153 | – | #14,707 | – |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Minami
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ManamiLove and beauty (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- MamiTrue beauty (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- MasamiElegant beauty (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- MilaniFrom the name of the Italian city of Milan (Italian, girl)
- MinaBeautiful and graceful (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- MinjiClever and wise (depends on characters) (Korean, girl)
- MiraiFuture (Japanese, unisex)
- MisakiBeautiful blossom (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- MiyabiElegance, refinement (Japanese, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- AstridDivinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- BeauHandsome, beautiful (French, boy)
- BellamyBeautiful friend (Old French, unisex)
- BelleBeautiful (French, girl)
- CalliopeBeautiful voice (Greek, girl)
- DesmondFrom South Munster (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- IngridIng is beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
- SigridBeautiful victory (Old Norse, girl)
- TeganFair, beautiful (Welsh, girl)
- AstaShort form of Astrid, divinely beautiful (Old Norse, girl)
Middle names for Minami
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkariLamplight (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AkikoBright child; autumn child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkiraBright, clear (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
- AmaneHeavenly sound (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Minami: common questions
What does the name Minami mean?
Minami comes from Japanese and means "beautiful waves; south (depends on characters)".
Is Minami a boy or girl name?
Minami is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Minami come from?
Minami comes from Japanese and means "beautiful waves; south (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you write Minami in Japanese?
Minami is written みなみ in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 南 (south) and 美波 (beauty + wave). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
What names are similar to Minami?
Names spelled like Minami include Manami, Mami, Masami, Milani and Mina.
What middle names go with Minami?
Middle names that flow well with Minami include Aoife, Eve, Honor, Joy and June. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.