This ninja name generator pairs a real Japanese word, used as a code name, with a traditional Japanese given name, such as Kage Shintaro. The list gives the kanji, the reading and the meaning of every code word.
Read the full guide
A code word, then a name
Press New ninja name. The first word is the code name: Kage is shadow, Yami is darkness and Kiri is fog. The second is a man's given name ending in -rō, most built on Tarō, Jirō or Saburō, old names for a first, second and third son. Keep either word and press again for a new partner.
What a ninja was
A ninja, or shinobi, was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. Despite popular belief, there is little evidence that ninja were assassins. Names tied to famous figures of ninja legend are never dealt.
Questions and answers
What do the ninja names mean?
The first word is a real Japanese word, and the list under the tool gives its kanji, reading and meaning. The second is a given name; its line shows the kanji and the reading.
What is a kunoichi?
Kunoichi is a Japanese term for "female", often used in popular culture for a female ninja. Historians at Mie University have concluded that there are no historical records of female ninja doing the same work as men. The given names here are men's names.
Are these real ninja or characters from a series?
No. The pairs are put together at random. Code words that lead to a character page on a fan wiki of a ninja manga were left out, but a pair can still match a real person or a character, so search it first.
Has a Japanese speaker checked the names?
No. Every word was checked by script in two dictionaries and every given name in a names dictionary, but the pairing is ours. A code word with a given name is a name for a story, not a real Japanese full name.
How this list was compiled: 69 real Japanese words, chosen on 2026-10-02 as code words for a made-up ninja. Every word, its kanji, its reading and its meaning were checked by script on 2026-10-02 in two dictionaries: the Japanese section of the English Wiktionary entry for the kanji (https://en.wiktionary.org/, CC BY-SA 4.0) and JMdict, the Japanese-English dictionary file of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group (https://www.edrdg.org/jmdict/j_jmdict.html, CC BY-SA 4.0). A word was kept only if both hold the same kanji, reading and meaning. Long vowels are written short in the name (Okami for ōkami); the kana on each line gives the full reading. Words that lead to a character page, a tool or a disambiguation page on a fan wiki of a ninja manga series (naruto.fandom.com), and words that are also a name on a Japanese name list of this site, were left out. 44 candidates were cut (23 other reasons; 15 on another list of this site; 3 taken out on a second reading; 3 a rude word inside or across the join), among them Hoshi, Fukuro, Maboroshi, Yuki, Hikari, Mikazuki. Checked again on 2026-10-03 in both dictionaries: 4 more words were cut: 3 because a later Japanese surname list of this site holds them as surnames, and Akebono because, with the given name Taro, it is the ring name of a sumo champion. Every code word was looked up with every given name as an English Wikipedia page title that day, and no other pair is a title. What the page says a ninja was, and about the word kunoichi, follows the openings of the English Wikipedia articles Ninja and Kunoichi, read on 2026-10-05 (https://en.wikipedia.org/, CC BY-SA 4.0). Licence: own selection and wording; meanings from English Wiktionary and JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Given name: all 40 given names
Built on Tarō, first son 11
Buntaro文太郎 (ぶんたろう): a man's given name.
Chotaro長太郎 (ちょうたろう): a man's given name.
Gentaro源太郎 (げんたろう): a man's given name.
Kantaro勘太郎 (かんたろう): a man's given name.
Kentaro健太郎 (けんたろう): a man's given name.
Matataro又太郎 (またたろう): a man's given name.
Rintaro林太郎 (りんたろう): a man's given name.
Seitaro清太郎 (せいたろう): a man's given name.
Shintaro慎太郎 (しんたろう): a man's given name.
Taro太郎 (たろう): a man's given name. Tarō is an old name for a first son.
Yataro弥太郎 (やたろう): a man's given name.
Show all 40 given names (29 more)
Built on Jirō, second son 12
Bunjiro文次郎 (ぶんじろう): a man's given name.
Chojiro長次郎 (ちょうじろう): a man's given name.
Genjiro源次郎 (げんじろう): a man's given name.
Jiro次郎 (じろう): a man's given name. Jirō is an old name for a second son.
Kanjiro勘次郎 (かんじろう): a man's given name.
Kenjiro健次郎 (けんじろう): a man's given name.
Kinjiro金次郎 (きんじろう): a man's given name.
Matajiro又次郎 (またじろう): a man's given name.
Seijiro清次郎 (せいじろう): a man's given name.
Shinjiro新次郎 (しんじろう): a man's given name.
Yajiro弥次郎 (やじろう): a man's given name.
Yojiro与次郎 (よじろう): a man's given name.
Built on Saburō, third son 12
Bunzaburo文三郎 (ぶんざぶろう): a man's given name.
Chozaburo長三郎 (ちょうざぶろう): a man's given name.
Genzaburo源三郎 (げんざぶろう): a man's given name.
Kanzaburo勘三郎 (かんざぶろう): a man's given name.
Kinzaburo金三郎 (きんざぶろう): a man's given name.
Kisaburo喜三郎 (きさぶろう): a man's given name.
Matasaburo又三郎 (またさぶろう): a man's given name.
Saburo三郎 (さぶろう): a man's given name. Saburō is an old name for a third son.
Seizaburo清三郎 (せいざぶろう): a man's given name.
Shinzaburo新三郎 (しんざぶろう): a man's given name.
Yasaburo弥三郎 (やさぶろう): a man's given name.
Yosaburo与三郎 (よさぶろう): a man's given name.
Other names ending in -rō 5
Goro五郎 (ごろう): a man's given name.
Hachiro八郎 (はちろう): a man's given name.
Ichiro一郎 (いちろう): a man's given name.
Juro十郎 (じゅうろう): a man's given name.
Shichiro七郎 (しちろう): a man's given name.
How this list was compiled: 40 Japanese men's given names ending in -rō: Tarō, Jirō and Saburō, names built on them, and five counting names (Ichirō, Gorō, Shichirō, Hachirō and Jūrō). Each name, its kanji and its reading were checked by script on 2026-10-02 in JMnedict, the Japanese names dictionary file of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, where 38 are marked as a male given name and two, Saburō and Yosaburō, as a given name with no sex stated (https://www.edrdg.org/enamdict/enamdict_doc.html, CC BY-SA 4.0). JMdict, the same group's word dictionary, gives 太郎 as "first son", 次郎 as "second son" and 三郎 as "third son". Names tied to famous figures of ninja legend and to folk heroes (Hanzō, Kotarō, Kintarō, Kojirō) are left out. 2 candidates were cut (1 a rude word inside or across the join; 1 a fan wiki page title), among them Shotaro, Rokuro. A code word with a given name can still match a real person or a character, so search a name before you publish it. Yotarō was taken out on 2026-10-03: JMdict also gives it as a word for a slow-witted fellow. Licence: own work