Girl name · Japanese
Nanami
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: seven seas (depends on characters)Nanami is a girl's name that comes from Japanese and means "seven seas (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Seven seas (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #14410 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Nanami
As a girl's name, Nanami comes from Japanese and means "seven seas (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 Nanami in Japanese
In hiragana, Nanami is ななみ. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 七海 | ななみ | 七 seven + 海 sea |
| 七生 | ななみ | 七 seven + 生 life, birth |
| 菜奈実 | ななみ | 菜 greens + 奈 used for its sound (na) + 実 fruit, truth |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Nanami on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Nanami on 3 lists.
“七海: seven seas. Adventurous and bright”
From Anime girl names, anime girl names from sky, sea and seasons
“Seven seas; meaning depends on kanji.”
From Japanese girl names, japanese nature names: sky, sea and seasons
“Seven seas, written 七海; Japanese, a popular girl's name”
From Ocean names, ocean names for girls
How popular is Nanami?
- US rank in 2025
- #14,410
- 6 babies, 4 per million girls
- Best rank
- #6,992 in 2009
- 19 babies that year
- Babies since 1996
- At least 295
- 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 | 1 per million |
| 2000s | 6 per million |
| 2010s | 6 per million |
| 2020s | 7 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,661 | #11,348 | #12,161 | #8,471 | #13,079 | #8,841 | #9,478 | #7,537 | #7,161 | #14,410 |
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.
Other forms of Nanami
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- NanaSeven (Japanese, girl)
Names spelled like Nanami
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Middle names for Nanami
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)
Nanami: common questions
What does the name Nanami mean?
Nanami comes from Japanese and means "seven seas (depends on characters)".
Is Nanami a boy or girl name?
Nanami is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Nanami come from?
Nanami comes from Japanese and means "seven seas (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you write Nanami in Japanese?
Nanami is written ななみ in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 七海 (seven + sea), 七生 (seven + life) and 菜奈実 (greens + used for its sound (na) + fruit). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Nanami?
Nanami ranked #14,410 in the US in 2025, with 6 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Nanami?
Forms of Nanami with the same meaning and origin include Nana (Japanese).
What middle names go with Nanami?
Middle names that flow well with Nanami include Esme, Gemma, Iris, Jane and Lily. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.