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Paper short abstract

This paper explores the growing use of gender-neutral names in contemporary Japan, focusing on the motivations and decision-making processes behind their selection. Findings show that such naming reflects broader shifts in naming conventions rather than a conscious engagement with gender issues.

Paper long abstract

Since the late 20th century and into the new millennium, Japanese given names have undergone significant changes and diversification (e.g., Kobayashi, 2009; Makino, 2012; Ogihara et al., 2015), driven by the rise of individualization, globalization, and growing attention to gender issues. Within this trend, gender-neutral names have become increasingly visible (Barešová & Nakaya, 2025). Based on a qualitative content analysis of name-selection narratives (nazuke episōdo) involving gender-neutral names submitted to a popular parenting website over a fifteen-year period (2008–2022), this paper explores the motivations and decision-making processes behind their selection.

The findings reveal that gender-neutral names are infrequently chosen with gender-related social concerns in mind. Only a minority of namegivers explicitly mentioned gender neutrality, and even fewer cited social motivations such as avoiding gender stereotypes, anticipating future gender identity, or minimizing gender-based discrimination. In many cases, such names emerged as an unintended outcome of the name-selection process and the gender-neutral character was often recognized only retrospectively or treated as an incidental advantage rather than a guiding principle.

The paper situates these findings within the evolving landscape of Japanese naming practices, arguing that gender-neutral naming often reflects broader shifts in naming conventions rather than a conscious engagement with gender issues. Even so, their increasing presence contributes to a gradual reworking of gender norms in everyday life, illustrating how naming participates in “doing gender” (Pilcher, 2017) in subtle, non-programmatic ways.

Barešová, I., & Nakaya, T. (2025). Gender-neutral names in the youngest Japanese generation: Characteristics of their phonological and graphic forms. Sociolinguistic Studies, 19(1–2), 86–106.

Kobayashi, Y. (2009). Nazuke no sesōshi. “Koseiteki na namae” o fīrudowāku. Fūkyōsha.

Makino, K. (2012). Kodomo no namae ga abunai. Besuto Serāzu.

Ogihara, Y., Fujita, H., Tominaga, H., Ishigaki, S., Kashimoto, T., Takahashi, A., Toyohara, K., & Uchida, Y. (2015). Are common names becoming less common? The rise in uniqueness and individualism in Japan. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1490.

Pilcher, J. (2017). Names and “doing gender”: How forenames and surnames contribute to gender identities, difference, and inequalities. Sex Roles, 77, 812–822.