Japanese name meaning demon

What Japanese names mean demon?

Family Names

There are several Japanese family names that include the character “oni” (鬼), which means “demon” or “ogre”. Here are a few examples:

1. Onitsuka (鬼塚) – This family name means “demon mound” or “ogre hill”.
2. Onisawa (鬼沢) – This family name means “demon swamp” or “ogre marsh”.
3. Oniki (鬼木) – This family name means “demon tree” or “ogre wood”.

While these names include the character for “demon” or “ogre”, it’s important to note that they are not necessarily meant to be negative or ominous. Like many Japanese family names, they are often derived from geographic features, historical events, or occupational titles, and may have been chosen for their sound or auspicious connotations. It is also possible that the term Oni meant “spirit” in early years.

The founder of Onitsuka Tiger, also known as ASICS is named Onitsuka

The founder of Onitsuka Tiger, now known as ASICS Corporation, was named Kihachiro Onitsuka (鬼塚喜八郎). His family name “Onitsuka” (鬼塚) includes the “oni” (鬼) character, which means “demon” or “ogre”, and “tsuka” (塚), which means “mound” or “hill”. As mentioned earlier, family names in Japan can have various origins and meanings, but it’s possible that Onitsuka’s family name was derived from a specific geographic feature or location.

Kihachiro Onitsuka founded Onitsuka Tiger in 1949 with the goal of creating high-quality athletic shoes that would help improve the performance of Japanese athletes. The company eventually merged with two other sportswear companies to form ASICS Corporation in 1977. Today, ASICS is a global leader in athletic footwear and apparel, with a strong reputation for quality and innovation.

Given names

While there are several Japanese words for “demon” or “monster”, they are not typically used as given names. The another typical word for “demon ” is  “Akuma” (悪魔.) 　There was a manga series with a hero named “Akuma-kun”.

It’s worth noting that names with negative connotations are uncommon in Japan, and are considered extremely unusual or even taboo.

Under Japanese law, parents are allowed to choose any name for their child as long as it does not infringe on the child’s rights or violate public decency. Local authorities have the discretion to reject names that they consider inappropriate or offensive, and “Akuma” is generally considered to fall into this category.

There have been several high-profile cases in Japan where parents have challenged the rejection of their child’s name, but such challenges are rarely successful. In general, local authorities have a wide degree of discretion in determining whether a name is acceptable, and may take into account factors such as the name’s meaning, pronunciation, and cultural connotations.

There was a case where a father named his son “Akuma “ but it was rejected by the local authorities during the process of registering a child’s birth.

The father who named his son Akuma was arrested for using drug several years later.