Japan’s top 5 baby names since April 1 contain kanji character for ‘rei’

TOKYO - A baby-naming website operated by Recruit Staffing Co Ltd says that the number of readers looking at names containing the kanji characters “rei” (令) and “wa” (和) have skyrocketed since Japan’s next imperial era “Reiwa” (令和) was revealed on April 1. 

The two kanji characters can be used for both boys and girls. The new era name “Reiwa” translates to “beautiful harmony,” according to the government.

Furthermore, the top five names for boys and girls since April 1 contain the kanji character “rei” (令). Before the new era name “Reiwa” was unveiled, the name “Hiyori” (日和), which contains the kanji character “wa” (meaning “harmony” or “peace”), was ranked No. 5 for the most popular girl’s name last month. In addition, it was the only name containing the “wa” kanji character.

According to the baby-naming site’s data, as of April 7, “Reiwa” had taken the No. 1 spot for the most popular boy’s name. A spokesperson for the baby name database said the kanji character “rei” has never been so highly ranked before. 

However, with the Reiwa Era to officially begin on May 1, the search for this kanji character has been on the rise and the spokesperson believes that it will show up in the names of a lot of babies born this year.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan%E2%80%99s-top-5-baby-names-since-april-1-contain-kanji-character-for-%E2%80%98rei%E2%80%99