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{{trope}}
[[Meaningful Name
* ''[[Tower of God]]'': Akryung means evil spirit. The character of the same name slaughtered over a hundred people and acts like he isn't even present.
* ''[[Rosario
* ''[[Seto no Hanayome]]'' has some fun with this. Seeing as how it involves mermaids and yakuza, there's bound to be some.
** The title of the series is Seto no Hanayome which can be read two ways. The first way is the literal title "The Inland Sea Bride" while reading it regularly is "The Bride of Seto" both of which are describing the female lead.
** [[First Girl Wins|S]][[Mafia Princess|un]] [[Our Mermaids Are Different|Se]][[Yamato Nadeshiko|to]] is the female lead and her first name should be obvious. In regards to this, Sun can also be seen as the "sun" in way since many of the characters "orbit" around her most notably Mikawa, Luna, Akeno, a good chunk of the male student body, her mother and father and Nagasumi. Her last name Seto refers to the place where she first met Nagasumi and her yakuza group.
** [[Unknown Rival|Lu]][[Idol Singer|na]] [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing|Edomae]]'s first name is also obvious, being the opposite to Sun and using Lunar as her stage name. Her last name Edomae refers to Tokyo Bay since Tokyo was called Edo before the Meiji Restoration.
** [[Genki Girl|Ma]][[Unlucky Childhood Friend|wari]] [[
** [[Hot Shonen Mom|Ren]] [[Let Her Grow Up, Dear|Se]][[Hot for Student|to]]'s first name is a refrence to the Siren which is sometimes depicted as similar to mermaids.
** Sarutobi Hideyoshi is nicknamed Saru which is Japanese for monkey. The dub keeps this intact by calling him Chimp. In addition, his name also refrences Sarutobi Sasuke a ninja and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
** [[Hot Chick with a Sword|Akeno]] [[Action Girl|Shiranui]] has ties to the Shiranui Sea.
** [[Rich Bitch|Kai]] [[Screw the Rules, I Have Money|Mikawa]]'s first name is a refrence to the planet Neptune which in Japanese is Kaiosei and his last name is a refrence to Mikawa Bay.
** Sun's bodyguard Maki and her sister Fuki who appears later in the manga both have refrences in their names as well. Maki is known as Spiral Shell Maki and the word Uzumaki is Japanese for whirlpool. Fuki uses a fuki leaf as her weapon of choice.
* [[Love Martyr]] Electra from ''[[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water]]'', whose namesake from both [[wikipedia:Electra|Greek myth]] and [[wikipedia:Electra complex|Freudian theory]] sums up her backstory.
* ''[[Bleach]]'' should win a prize for this
** Main character Ichigo's full name means "black-caped protector" (Kurosaki means "black cape" and Ichigo means "one who protects"), black capes being the standard shinigami uniform. The "cape" in Kurosaki (黒崎) doesn't mean ''that'' kind of cape (more the "Cod" or "of Good Hope" kind), it's a [[Bilingual Bonus|bilingual pun]].
** Ichigo's name is also a homophone for "strawberry". Ichigo has strawberry blond hair.
** And, as indicated by [[Anime/Awesome Music
** Ichi Go is also 1-5 in Japanese. He starts the series as 15 years old and his birthday is on the 15th of July. 15 is his favorite number, gracing his room, his clothes and such. Similar to Hikaru of ''[[Hikaru no Go]]'', who wears 5.
** Orihime's name means "weaving princess", taken from the weaver princess of the [[Tanabata]] legend, a [[Star-Crossed Lovers]] story about a goddess and a mortal. This is alluded to in chapter 494 of the manga, where an Arrancar {{spoiler|(more exactly, one of Harribel's girls)}} [http://eatmanga.com/Manga-Scan/Bleach/Bleach-493/page-9 calls her "Princesa":]{{Dead link}} it both means "princess" in Spanish and follows the Spanish motif of the Arrancars in general.
** This is all played with in chapter 5's [http://www.mangareader.net/94-12-2/bleach/chapter-5.html cover] where the characters are given alternate names based on the meaning: Ichigo is '''Jetscape 15''' (Jet=Black=Kuro, Cape=Saki, 15=Ichi-go), Orihime is '''Vega Highwell''' (Vega=Star referenced in the Tanabata myth=Orihime "weaving princess", High+well=Inoue) and Rukia is '''Rukia Rotwood''' (Rot=Kuchi, wood=ki, with Rukia spelled in Katakana, any meanings attributed to it are coincidence).
** Both of the characters with white hair, Toshiro Hitsugaya and Jushiro Ukitake, have the word "shiro" (white) in their names.
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* ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]''
** Whether it's accidental or not, Kyon's name may actually be a good nickname for a [[Deadpan Snarker]]. Quoting [[wikipedia:Cynic|The Other Wiki's entry about the Cynics]]: "Their name is thought to be derived either from the building in Athens called Cynosarges, the earliest home of the school, or from the Greek word for a dog, cyon (κύων,kýōn)". (Considering how Tanigawa Nagaru has referenced ancient Greece ([[Viewers Are Geniuses|amongst several other things]]) he might be fully aware of the multiple possible meanings.)
*** Possibly even more appropriately meaningful: In Greek myth, [https://www.theoi.com/Ther/KuonKhryseos.html Kyon Khryseos] was the "golden dog" dispatched by Gaia to watch over and protect the infant Zeus.
** Haruhi loves the Tanabata festival, the myth behind which involves two lovers separated and only allowed to meet once a year. The Korean name for the man can be romanized as "Kyonu", which is pretty darn close.
** The Kanji for "Mikuru" can also be read as "Mirai" - "''future''", while the kanji for "Asahina" can be translated as "time periods comparing" or "time periods race/competition" (in the latter case, it's giant foreshadowing for {{spoiler|the last book and the events concerning Fujiwara.}})
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* Frequently seen in [[Rumiko Takahashi]]'s works. Takahashi is perhaps the master of the name with multiple levels of meaning. Very often her characters have ordinary-seeming names, but she uses kanji other than the usual ones to write them, setting up a punning conflict between what is heard and what is read.
** For example, the annoying holy man in ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'' has a name that is pronounced "Sakuranbou" (the Japanese word for the Cherry fruit), but is spelled the with the characters meaning "deranged priest". Just to add to the confusion, he usually goes by the nickname "Cherry" (in English). Moroboshi Ataru's name means "struck by a falling star", which not only describes his fate rather accurately, but is often visually punned on in the commercial bumpers (a star falls out of the show's logo and hits him in the head). Mendou's name is a fairly common surname, but here it's written with kanji that mean "annoying bastard". And "Lum" was '''Rum'''iko Takahashi's own nickname as a child (whether this means Lum is a [[Mary Sue]] is debatable); it was also the last name of Japan's first major bikini model, Agnes Lum, whose looks Lum was modeled after.
** Characters in her most famous work, ''[[Ranma
** She goes all out in ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'', which takes place at a boarding house with numbered rooms... and everyone living there has their room's number in their name. For example, Yotsuya's name translates as "four valleys" and it's the name of a famous district in Tokyo... guess which room he lives in. Kyoko, the boarding house manager, has the character for "zero" in her name, and the non-boarder characters have number-themed names.
** A couple of examples can be found in ''[[Inuyasha]]''. The eponymous character's name means Dog Demon, and Naraku means Hell. A strange case is the Shichinintai, all of whose names end in Kotsu, which means skeleton or bone, but also can be written as skill. Bankotsu's name can either be translated as "barbarian skill" or "reckless courage". Renkotsu means "Metalworking Skills", Jakotsu means Snake Skill, Suikotsu means Sleep Skill, Ginkotsu means Silver Skill, Mukotsu means fog skill, and Kyokotsu means dark/evil/unlucky skill. It seems like all of the Shichinintai choose their names as a sort of uniformity, (since it seems unlikely that all of them just happened to be named ____kotsu, and just happened to meet later on and form the group) but in the flashback Jakotsu and Bankotsu both had their Shichinintai names.
* ''[[Jubei-chan]]'' has:
** Bantarou, whose name comes from "Taro" (a common male name in Japanese) and "Banchou" (which means "boss" or "ringleader").
** Bantarou's simian-like sidekicks Oozaru and Kozaru, whose names translate as "Big Monkey" and "Little Monkey" respectively.
** Jiyu's name means "Spiritual Freedom" which is ''exactly'' the effect her sword has on the undead. (In fact, it brings them back to life.)
** Her mother's name is "Makoto", which means "Truth". In the second series, it turns out that her previous incarnation was married to a woman named "Truesia" and had a daughter named "Freesia".
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** Joe Tetsuma, the powerhouse wide receiver for the Seibu Wild Gunmen who plows through the defense like a train and runs on his pass routes as if he were on tracks, has a last name that means "iron horse".
** Shien Mushanokoji, the quarterback for the Seibu Wild Gunmen, has a last name that means "warrior's trail", but is spelled with the kanji for "child" (hence his [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"|frequently used nickname]], "The Kid").
** Ohira and Onishi Hiroshi, the linemen for the Kyoshin Poseidons, have names that mean "Pacific Ocean" and "Atlantic Ocean", respectively. The Poseidons also have Kengo Mizumachi, whose name means "strong waiting time in the water" (since he used to be on Kyoshin's swim team). Also Osamu Kobanzame; Osamu means "ruler" (he's the quarterback and technically the team captain, indecisive but respected by everyone) but Kobanzame means "remora", as in the fish that attaches itself to larger fish and eats what the bigger fish doesn't. Subverted a little since [
** Kotaro Sasaki is the rival of Gen "Musashi" Takekura, just as Kojiro Sasaki was the rival of [[Miyamoto Musashi]]
** Rikiya Gaoh, the beastly, carnivorous player killer from the Hakuushuu Dinosaurs; "Gaoh" is an onomatopoeia for a dinosaur's roar.
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** The protagonist Yugi's name means game, and "Yu-Gi-Oh" means King of Games. Appropriate thing to shout (and to name the series with) when summoning the spirit of the greatest Card Gamer in history.
** GX's Jaden '''Yu'''ki and 5D's' '''Yu'''sei Fudo have the same character in their names as '''Yu'''gi - the one meaning "play." This is probably on purpose to keep with the series name relevant.
** In ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's|5D's]]'' itself, Yusei's name comes from the "planetary particle" (Yusei Ryushi) that his father discovered. Like the particle, which bound every other particle together, Professor Fudo wished his son to be someone who could connect people through bonds - which is exactly what he grew up to be. Additionally, the 'Sei' part of Yusei's name means 'star', which perfectly fits one of his titles as 'The Shooting Star of Satellite' and his ace monster 'Stardust Dragon'. His last name 'Fudo' can be translated as 'Not moving', or context-wise, 'Indomitable'. The literal sense is ironic given he duels on top of moving motorcycles.
** Mai Valentine's Japanese name is "Kujaku Mai", with Kujaku meaning "peahen" (or "peacock" for males), which fits her initially arrogant, self-obsessed personality. About her English name: "[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series|It's not a very subtle pun, but then again, nothing about me is subtle.]]"
** Seto Kaiba's name is full of them. The characters of his last name translate to 'Sea Horse', and then take into account an old Japanese myth that says a sea horse will turn into a dragon if it lives for 100 years. His first name is the name of the Egyptian God 'Set' said in Japanese phonetics (i.e. with a vowel at the end, usually 'o').
** Like his brother, the 'ba' part of Mokuba means 'horse' as well, and 'Moku' means wood, like the trademark rocking horse that young kids have played with at some point. It could also be for the Trojan Horse, since Mokuba is the storage keeper for all of their company's secrets...hmm, maybe THAT'S why he's constantly kidnapped???
** The Pharaoh's real name {{spoiler|Atem}}, is taken from one of the incarnations of Ra, the sun god {{spoiler|Atem-Ra}} whose sole enemy was Set.
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** Fuuma means 'true seal'.
** Sorata's name reads 'selection of the sky'.
** Karen's name means something like 'forge fire'.
** Yuzuriha's first name is written 'protection sword.'
** Subaru means the Pleiades, a group of seven stars.
** His sister Hokuto is another constellation of seven stars (the big dipper). The big dipper is the constellation used to represent the Seals.
* The various Gundam series are not shy about using meaningful names.
** In the original ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', some characters {{spoiler|who are Newtypes}} are given names of Japanese vehicles and historical figures:
*** Amuro Ray = ''Rei'' (Zero), the Mitsubishi Zero.
*** Kai Shiden, the Kawanishi N1K-J.
*** The war orphan Kikka is named after the Nakajima J9Y.
*** The older Mirai Yashima is named after a Japanese battleship of 1894.
*** Hayato Kobayashi{{spoiler|, who is not a Newtype,}} is named after a medal-winning Japanese infantryman.
*** The Englishman Ensign Bright is named after an English ambassador who helped the Japanese in the nineteenth century.
*** Four Murasame is named meaningfully. "Four" is clearly a number: not something usually used as a name. Four is the fourth test subject of the Murasame laboratory.
** Rau Le Creuset of ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED|Gundam SEED]]'', whose assumed last name is French for "The Crucible", a reference to the play of the same name about the Puritan witch hunts, which in turn refers to both prejudiced sides of the Natural/Coordinator conflict (which plan to wipe the other side out for being what they are), and to Rau's belief in his worthiness to judge all of humanity with a sentence of death.
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*** Her [[Body Double]] is named "Meer," which is also a word for "lake" (more commonly spelled "mere"). Also, Meer is the phonetic spelling of the English word "mirror", to enforce that she is Lacus's body double.
*** The specific meanings of their names are not too important, but Shinn has two important (living) girls - Stella and ''Luna''maria - whose names have a similar theme. As Shinn is someone who ascended from Earth to live in space, and Stella and Luna mean "star" and "moon", there can be said that there is meaning there. Specifically, {{spoiler|Stella, the stars, are not in reach, and so she dies. Luna, the moon, is, and she becomes his girlfriend.}}
** All the characters in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'':
*** The five pilots Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei names are derived from the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively in various languages.
*** Heero, pronounced as "hiiro", can also be a pun for hero. It has been said that his name is spelled this way to avoid the sort of mispronunciation that made Shiro, the hero of ''X-Bomber'', get called "Shire-O" in the English dub instead of "sheero".
*** There is also Noin (9), Lady Une (1), Treize (13) and Zechs (6)/Milliardo (1,000,000,000).
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*** The Sinanju is named for a fictional style of martial arts from a paperback book series known as The Destroyer
*** The Banshee is named after a female spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld.
* The title character from the manga ''[[
* ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' - CLAMP makes it too obvious which of the three protagonists go with which Rune God, and which element obviously, from moment one (at least for those who are Japanese natives).
** Shidou Hikaru means "Light of the Lion Shrine" (Hikaru = light, Shi = lion, Dou is kanji for hall or, in this case, shrine). Guess which of the three Rune Gods she awakens...
** Ryuuzaki Umi means "Dragon of the Sea" (Umi = sea, Ryuu = dragon)
** Hououji Fuu is more complicated but equally glaring really - "Wind of the Phoenix King Shrine" (Fuu = wind, Hou = phoenix, Ou = king and Ji = temple/shrine)
** Add that every other character in this manga (sans Mokona who is named after [[CLAMP|Mokona Appapa]]) takes his/her name from one car or another and you end up with a show chock-full of [[Meaningful Name
* ''[[Sailor Moon]]''
** Mamoru means "to protect". His full name translates as "protector of the Earth". The US version managed to somewhat retain the pun by giving him the surname Shields.
** Tsukino Usagi's name is pronounced the same as [[Moon Rabbit|Rabbit of the Moon]] (and they then had trouble finding the moon princess.) All the sailor senshi have names that reflect their specific elements.
*** Actually the character for "no" in her name means "Field" not "Of" (However they are both read as "no" making it a slightly more subtle pun. All the inner senshi use this same character in their family names (Aino = Love Field, Mizuno = Water Field, Hino = Fire Field, and Kino = Tree Field) Also, the first character in their family names is also used in the planet (Except Venus as was created before all the others) Though read differently. The Planet Mars' japanese name can be read littearly as "Fire Planet"
** The outer Senshi (sans saturn) take their family names directly from their planet. Harkua Tenoh repesets Uranus, or Tenohsei. They also reference their powers. Tenoh = Sky King, Kaioh = Sea King, Meioh = Dark King.
** Luna means moon in Latin (and other languages).
** There's also Queen Serenity, referring to both her personality and the Mare Serenitatis, or Sea of Serenity, a lunar landmark.
** Metaria (which is the correct spelling as confirmed by [[Word of God]]) means "of boundaries" or "belonging to boundaries", referring to how she was sealed.
** The Shitennou are all named after minerals (beryllium in Queen Beryl's case).
** All the Ayakashi Sisters and Witches 5 are named after minerals (including Koan; ''kōan'' is the Japanese name of kermesite, and in this case has nothing to do with Zen).
** CereCere, VesVes, PallaPalla and JunJun are named after Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno, names of Roman goddesses and asteroids. {{spoiler|which is fitting as they become Sailors Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Juno later on}}
** Rubeus, Saphir and Esmeraude ([[Spell My Name with an "S"|or any other spellings they happen to go by]]) are obviously named after ruby, sapphire and emerald respectively, and likewise Prince Dimande = diamond.
** Endymion was a character from Greek mythology who was in love with Seléne, the Greek goddess of the moon and Serenity's pre-incarnation.
** Artemis was a Greek goddess who was identified with Seléne - the Roman equivalent of Seléne was Luna. Diana, their daughter, was another Roman goddess of the moon, who was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis.
** The name "Three Lights" comes from an English translation of "san hikari", something from Shinto mythology (the "san hikari" were believed to be the sun, moon and stars, represented by Seiya, Taiki and Yaten respectively).
** Kakyuu means fireball, probably referencing the fact that {{spoiler|she hid in an incense burner}}.
** Perle, Poupelin, Banane, Orangeat, Madame Badiane and the Marzipannu Castle are all named after French (or German in Orangeat's case) sweets and desserts, except for Perle, whose name means "pearl" in French.
** In addition, the names Seiya, Taiki and Yaten are meaningful names themselves. Seiya's name means "field of stars" and is a homophone of "starry night." Taiki means "atmosphere," and Yaten means "night sky."
** The names of the sailor forms (and other alter-egos).
*** Sailor Jupiter, who uses [[Shock and Awe|lightning-based attacks]], one of which is combined with [[Petal Power]] (Specifically, oak leaves). Jupiter is the Roman name for Zeus, god of thunder and lightning. The oak tree was sacred to him. Also, the planet Jupiter is connected to Plants in Japan.
*** Sailor Mars, who uses [[Playing with Fire|fire-based attacks]]. The planet Mars is associated with fire in Japan.
*** Sailor Venus... All the inner Sailor Soldiers have an individual "For Love and x". In her case, it's "For love and beauty". Both of these are domains of the goddess Venus, AKA Aphrodite. Also Venus-Love-Me-Chain and it's upgrades have a metal theme. The planet Venus is connected to metal (mostly gold) in japan.
*** Sailor Mercury is the most intelligent and quick-thinking. Again with the Greek/Roman god thing. Domain of Mercury, AKA Hermes. The Water comes from the planet Mercury's water connections in Japan.
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*** Sailor Neptune, Soldier of the sea. Neptune/Poseidon, Roman/Greek god whose domain is the ocean.
* Another "Mamoru" comes from ''[[Blue Seed]]'', although [[Last-Name Basis|nobody really calls him by his first name]] (except for Valencia from the sequel OVA series); in this case, he was named by the Aragami who assigned him to protect Kaede. His last name, Kusanagi, is a reference to the [[Public Domain Artifact|Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi]].
* A lot of names in ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' are of this type. "Yuusuke" means "ghost helper;" "Urameshi" is what Japanese ghosts who are haunting a house wail; "Kuwabara kuwabara" is a charm against <s>ghosts</s> lightning (Kuwabara himself actually chants this at one point); "Kurama" and "Hiei" are Japanese mountains said to be sites of high demon activity, though the kanji used are different (Hiei's mean "flying shadow" for a double whammy); Ice Maiden Yukina's name means "snow flower," while the "Hi" in "Hiei" sounds like a word for fire (bringing him to triple); "Yukimura Keiko" means "snow village firefly child," and refers to a Chinese folk tale about a poor child who studied diligently by the light of fireflies reflected in the snow; all of the [[Grim Reaper|ferry girls]] [[Theme Naming|have names associated with flowers and plants]] ("Botan"=peony; "Ayame"=iris; "Hinageshi"="poppy"). This plant naming even goes for Sensui (whose name is a [[Japanese Language|kanji anagram]] of "suisen", "daffodil") and Itsuki ("flowering tree"), perhaps to note the severity of their [[Face Heel Turn]].
** Head's up on that: ''None of them are spelled that way.'' Except Keiko and (sort of) Yukina's given names. And Kuwabara, straightforward mulberry-field it is. 'Urameshi Yusuke' is a made-up name, although the auditory pun is perfectly real.
** Kurama's is for some reason written 'have-horse.' He does not appear to ever have had a horse or any interest in doing so, rendering it an anti-meaningful name. 'Minamino Shuichi' is written with characters that can be read half a dozen other ways for equally common names. (These include 'Akeno Suiro' and 'Nouchi Hidekatsu.')
** Sensui Shinobu's given name is written with the same kanji for 'hide, conceal' used in the synonymous words 'shinobi no mono' and 'ninja.'
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* Spike's [[Evil Counterpart]] in ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' is named Vicious. Can you guess what his personality and behavior is like?
* ''[[Death Note]]'' has several of these.
** The [[Villain Protagonist]] of the series has the properly ironic name of "[[Light Is Not Good|Light]]". To top it off, it's spelled with the character for "moon" and his last name "Yagami" also means "night god." His pseudonym, "Kira," is "killer" in [[Gratuitous English]].
** Since the Japanese reading is Raito, even though it is usually translated as Light, it could also mean Right -- as in, righteous. Alternatively, it could be read as "write" -- like the director's cuts, which are called "riraito" in the original, but became "Re-Light" in the official translation, after being universally known as "Rewrite".
** Light-spelt-as-moon is also not a name anyone would ever have -- [[Four Is Death|it has a stroke count of four]]. In Japanese numerology, this equates to making his adult life all about death. So much for modern parenting.
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** Then there's Watari, whose name derives from ''watashiyaku'' (渡し役), meaning "handler" -- [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"|he manages and takes care of L]].
** L's full name, L Lawliet, can be pronounced either law-lee-it or law-light, as in how he attempted to bring the law unto Light Yagami.
*** I believe it was originally written in Japanese as "Roraito", indicating the latter.
*** It also subtly lampshades that he and Light are [[Not So Different]].
* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]] A's'':
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** Subaru is a model-0 combat cyborg, the first of what was going to be a mass produced model. Most of the cast is named after cars, but Subaru? Named after a company. Her family name, Nakajima, is seemingly based off of the former name of the company that makes Subaru automobiles.
* Another famous Yagami is Iori Yagami, whose name (again written 八神) means "Eight Gods Retreat". His family serves the eight-headed snake, Orochi.
* The ''[[Digimon]]'' franchise is big on this, as nearly all Digimon have a [[Meaningful Name]] suffixed with "[[Mon]]".
** As far as human characters go, ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'' and ''[[Digimon Adventure 02]]'' have:
*** The first character in Taichi's name, ''tai'' (太), is the same character as the first in "Taiyou (Sun)". His crest is the shape of a sun, and this is semi used as a device in his character song "Atarashii Taiyou (New Sun)", speaking about Daisuke being the new leader.
*** Hikari means "light" (though her name is written in katakana, not kanji), and not only is she the bearer of the Crest of Light<ref>they play with the identical meaning/pronunciation when Wizardmon appears before Takeru and Jou looking for her - carrying the Crest of Light, no less - and they get a little confused</ref>, her partner evolves [[Our Angels Are Different|into an angel]].
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*** The "kou" in Kouji and Kouichi's name means "shine" in reference to the former's light element, and "ichi" and "ji" in their names use the characters "one" and "two", because Kouichi is the "older" twin. (Though naming twins with a common radical for both and numbers to separate them is common practice in Japan, so it may not be as meaningful so much as it is a [[Boring but Practical|practical standard]])
** ''[[Digimon Savers]]'' has at least one as well:
*** Protagonist Daimon Masaru: an alternate reading of the kanji for his given name gives us 'dai-mon-dai,' which sounds like 'big problem.'
** ''[[Digimon Xros Wars]]'' and ''[[Digimon Xros Wars:
*** Zenjiro '''Tsurugi''' is a practitioner of kendo who often used swords throughout the series. Guess what "tsurugi" means.
*** Kiriha's surname, Aonuma (蒼沼), translates to "blue swamp". He's clearly associated with the colour blue - blue Digimon, blue X Loader, blue flag, blue jacket...
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*** The Roy thing is probably fully intentional, since he aspires to replace the current Fuhrer, whose creators straight-up named him 'king' in English.
** There's also Alex-Louis Armstrong, who is incredibly strong and uses alchemy to gain incredible super-strength. His state alchemist title is practically a [[Lampshade Hanging]] in itself -- the Strong Arm Alchemist, just his last name reversed.
** Then there's Fuhrer/President Bradley, whose first name just happens to be "King". This is given an in-universe explanation in the manga, which reveals that Bradley was actually given the name "King" {{spoiler|after being selected by Father to be the next dictator of Amestris}}.
** Also, most of the members of the military are named after WWII military vehicles; explanations for Bradley, Fury, Havoc, Hawkeye, Hayate, Hughes and Mustang can be found at the bottom of [
*** To read further into some of the names, the P-51 Mustang was considered "the best fighter aircraft of WWII" and the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye was a reconnaissance plane. {{spoiler|(Grumman is also Hawkeye's grandfather.)}}
** The Homunculi are obviously named after the Seven Deadly Sins.
** "Alphonse" is derived from German and means both "noble" and "eager"; two fitting adjectives for the innocent yet awesome Al. The name could also be a play on words, as in Japanese it is pronounced Aru, which is also the verb "to be" for living things.
*** ...for non-living things, actually. Living things get 'iru.' Totemo hito ga imasu. Demo totemo keki ga aru. I will go to the party.
** Bonus points for Riza: {{spoiler|Lieutenant Hawk'''eye''' acts as Roy's aiming system after he gets blinded.}}
** Miles, of the Briggs Army, whose name means "soldier".
* In ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'', we have Rei Ayanami, whose given name is written in katakana (as is everyone else's given names), leaving it a mystery as to what it could mean. One possible meaning is the number zero; the kanji for zero can be pronounced as "rei," and she pilots Evangelion Unit-'''00'''. It puns on the Japanese word for "bow," as in, "bow down," mirroring her generally self-effacing attitude towards life. However, the Japanese word for ''soul'' is also pronounced ''rei''. Make of that what you will.
** It also could be read 'cold'. Given that she's a [[Sugar and Ice Personality]]...
** "Gratitude" (which is something she learns about in the course of her character arc) is also a possibility.
** Also, her surname has the character 'nami' meaning 'wave' (as in tsunami). In Rebuild, we have Asuka's name changed to Shiki''nami'', and new pilot Mari Maki''nami''. Shinji's family name, Ikari, means 'anchor'
** Kaworu Nagisa means "Kaworu of the seashore". Guess where he appears first (OK, it's a lakeshore but still).
** Shinji means [[The Chosen One|"Divine Child"]]
** In the English dub of episode 1, Ritsuko referred to Unit 01 as the "Oni system" for two reasons: the chance of it activating for a random person (0.000000001%, that's nine zeroes over there) and it's appearance (the Oni is a demon in Japanese mythology). [[Don't Explain the Joke|She took her time to explain it in detail]].
* Saito Hiraga From ''[[
* Michel in ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]'' is named for the angel Michael. The alteration in the name, other than playing up his connection to Michal, is the first clue that there's something a bit off with his supposed [[Mission
* In ''[[Haibane Renmei]]'', every Haibane is given a [[Meaningful Name]] based on their dreams ({{spoiler|which may or may not represent how they died}}) when they first appear.
* Katou Yue in ''[[Angel Sanctuary]]'' was given his first name Yue by his father, because his wife cheated on him and so Yue obviously wasn't his child, always reminding him of the incident. Yue is a term used for children born dead or dying shortly after birth. (Generally it means something like tragic accident, lethal occurence etc) The name didn't work as a bad omen, as Katou was able to grow into a annoying teenager, but while the manga goes on, {{spoiler|he gets killed once and sacrifices himself three times getting always beyond the border of death... before jumping right back into action, always more killing and slashing. In the end, he uses a doomsday device too summon a meteor smashing heaven saving Setsuna a third time and ultimately leaving Yuki no time to resurrect him before the series ending}}
* In ''[[Ouran High School Host Club]]'':
** Tamaki is engaged to Eclair Tonnerre, a girl whose name means "lightning thunder" in French. Not only is that mind-blowingly heavy-handed, [[Fear of Thunder|thunder and lightning are the only fears of the protagonist]].
** St. Lobelia Academy, home of the [[Straw Feminist|Zuka Club]], may or may not be another intentional case. The lobelia flower is traditionally used medically as an emetic or purgative, and it can be dangerous in large doses. In floriography, lobelia also means malevolence.
* ''[[Tekkon Kinkreet]]''
** The protagonists of are known as Kuro and Shiro -- "Black" and "White". "White" is innocent and untouched by the evil that surrounds him, while "Black" is malicious and violent. Because this is a Taoist fable, Black and White complement and complete each other (à la Yin and Yang).
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*** This also extends to his powers, all of which end with the word "Star". It counts double time when he and Tsubaki receive the Shadow Star.
** Death the Kid is the son of [[The Grim Reaper|Lord Death]]. Effectively, it's like calling him "Death Jr."
* ''[[Zoids]] Chaotic Century'' has a few Meaningful Names. Like a lot of anime, Zoids is fond of its [[Gratuitous German]]: examples include the hero, Ban Freiheit ("freedom"); his Organoid, Seig (''Sieg'' "victory"); and Karl Schwarz ("black"), who has a fondness for black lilies. More notably, there's the [[Oracular Urchin]] Fine - Italian for "the end" - who has the power to {{spoiler|destroy all Zoids in order to save the world}}. Unfortunately, the significance of these names is obscured by apparent mistranslation in the English dub: Freiheit becomes Flyheight, Seig becomes Zeke, Schwarz becomes Shubaltz, and Fine is renamed Fiona. This becomes somewhat awkward when a line is retained from the original script wherein another character remarks upon the fatalistic connotations of Fine's name, something that obviously doesn't apply to the name "Fiona" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20081028223523/http://http/://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona Wikipedia]: "white, pale or fair").
** ''Zoids New Century Zero'' uses Gratuitous German in its names for the Liger Zero's three armor units, each designed for a specific purpose: Jaeger (''Jäger'' "hunter"), for speed; Schneider ("tailor", "cutter"), equipped with numerous blades; and Panzer ("tank"), loaded with missiles and heavy artillery. Some character names are arguably intended to be meaningful -- Bit Cloud's surname may refer to his carefree, wandering nature; Vega Obscura's to the fact that little is known about him; Jamie Hemeros' surname may be derived from the Greek word for "tame" or "mild," particularly fitting in contrast with the nature of his alter-ego, Wild Eagle.
* Most (if not all?) of the characters from ''[[Naruto]]'' are affected by this. In the Rookie 9 alone, we have...
** Team 7:
*** Naruto Uzumaki: ''Uzumaki'' means "spiral" or "whirlpool". There's a famous whirlpool in Japan near the city of [[wikipedia:Naruto whirlpool|Naruto]] -- and it's given its name to those spirally pink things you sometimes see on ramen, which is Naruto's favourite food. (They're called ''naruto kamaboko'', and if you're wondering, they're made of processed fish.) The spiral motif is all over the manga, especially where Naruto himself is concerned. The Leaf Village symbol, the seal on Naruto's chest, his graffiti stylings... just look at the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160616074917/http://www.onemanga.com/Naruto/1/01
**** Given that Naruto can mean both Fishcake as well as Maelstrom his full name can be translated as Maelstrom Whirlpool. {{spoiler|Fitting for someone who's ancestors came from a place called the Village Hidden Among The Whirling Tides in The Land Of Whirlpools.}}
*** Sasuke Uchiha: "Uchiha" being a type of Japanese fan and the clan symbol, and "Sasuke" being a stock name for a ninja character. The third Hokage's family name is Sarutobi, which sets up the name Sarutobi Sasuke, which is the name of a popular fictional ninja.
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*** It's also likely that Chouji and Ino's names are meant to be ironic; The fat one is named "butterfly" and the pretty one is named "boar".
*** These characters names form Ino-Shika-Cho, a combo in a card game, in much the same way as their techniques mesh together for a combo. Their parents share these name similarities, and they are in fact the second Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
** A fairly subtle instance of this is in the Immortals Arc, in which shogi is a recurring theme (especially when Asuma initially thinks the "king" is the Hokage, but realizes that it's the next generation). As such, the antagonists of the arc, Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu, have the kanji for the rook and bishop in their names, respectively, and a panel near the end of Chapter 332 shows a knight (representing Shikamaru's fighting style) prepared to capture an enemy rook and bishop.
** Thanks to the subtelties and complexities of the Japanese Language, Gaara's name is actually a mutated acronym. It's short for "a self-loving carnage" (我を愛する修羅, Ware wo ai suru shura). Gaara (我愛羅) The kanji taken from the phrase mean Self, Love, and the second half of Carnage or Demon. His title Sabaku is a double pun as well. Sabaku 砂瀑 means Sand Waterfall, but the pronunciation also means desert which is also accurate.
** Jiraiya's name means "comes and goes as he pleases", which is just as accurate if not more than Ero-sennin ("Perverted Hermit"). According to him, the only reason he was in the village in the month between the preliminaries and final round of the Chunin Exam was "[[Unusual Euphemism|rese]][[Dirty Old Man|arch]]".
*** Jirayia, Tsunade and Orochimaru are all based of ninjas in a famous Japanese folktale [[wikipedia:Jiraiya|Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari]].
** Itatchi's name means weasel, which is considered a bad omen. This sums up Itachi{{spoiler|, until later in Part II.}}
** Itachi's partner Kisame Hoshigake's first name means Demon Shark. His sword Samehada means Shark Skin...but for his last name it goes a little deeper. It means dried persimmon. All known family names from Kirigakure are related to fruits: Momochi ("peach ground"), Hoshigaki ("dried persimmons"), Hozuki "demon lantern", and Chōjūrō "Asian Pear").
*** The "shark" part goes deeper when you consider his backstory. {{spoiler|He killed all his squadmates to prevent them from being captured and interrogated, then killed Samehada's former wielder. Upon being paired with Itachi, he comments that they were likely paired together because they killed their comrades like how sharks devour the others they were born with}}.
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* The main characters of ''[[Wolf's Rain]]'' are all named after aspects of a wolf. Kiba = fang, Hige = whisker, Tsume = claw, and Toboe = howl. (Blue also has blue eyes.) Their powers correspond with their name as well. Kiba can bend steel with his jaws; Tsume is the second-best fighter and early on tends to "use" a switchblade while fighting; Toboe often howls to get help or find someone; and Hige has the best sense of smell. Cher Degré also has a meaningful name -- ''cher'' is French for "dear," although the correct feminine form is ''chère''. Her ex-husband Hubb Lebowski constantly tries to get back together with her, to the point of abandoning his job to find her when she goes off in search of Cheza {{spoiler|and when she dies, she is quite painfully mourned by him}}.
* ''[[Grenadier]]'' actually has a little wit with regards to the main character's name: Her given name, Rushuna, is a play on a Rushana Buddha, a statue exemplifying the essence of the Buddha, while her surname, Tendou, translates to "Heavenly Path." Her espousal of the Ultimate Strategy ("ending a fight gently and without fighting"), her almost unrelentingly kind and chipper demeanor, and her honest, unironic caring for everyone she meets makes her name [[Improbable Aiming Skills|almost as accurate as she is.]] It also makes sense that she finds her way to Tenshi ("angel").
* The magical owl Ikebukuro from ''[[Cosplay Complex]]'' gets its name from a commercial district in Tokyo, which is known for "Otome Road", a street with [[Otaku]] shops aimed at a female audience. The district also has a statue of an owl behind the station.
* In ''[[Doujin Work]]'', Najimi's full name is a play on "Osananajimi" which means "childhood friend", a character type that is a staple of [[H-Games|hentai games]]. She also is another character's childhood friend in the series.
* Maria Graceburt from ''[[Mai-Otome]]'' tries to hold herself and her students up to a high standard of discipline and dignity. She herself comments that all she wanted to do after retiring from her old life as a [[Lady of War]] was to [[I Was Quite a Looker|age gracefully]].
** Speaking of the [[
*** Most of the Childs' names, as well as some of the Himes' are chosen for their symbolism in various myths. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ie950Eo9d8&feature=related This video] contains quite a bit of information on them.
* The eponymous character's codename in ''[[Golgo 13]]'' means ''something'', most likely, but nobody's sure what. The most popular theory is that it's a call-out to Golgotha, the hill on which Christ was crucified, and the thirteenth disciple, Judas. Given that the series has a skeleton wearing a crown of thorns as its icon, this is probably a good guess.
* ''[[One Piece]]'' author Eiichiro Oda does this all the time. Some obvious ones are Zoro (a swordsman) and Usopp (playing off Aesop and the Japanese "Uso" meaning "to lie"). Played with in the case of Donquixote Doflamingo, named after(duh) Don Quixote who is famous for being a dreamer, oblivious to the fact that his dreams are nothing but his own madness while Doflamingo believes in a world with no dreams, [[Wrong Genre Savvy|oblivious to the fact that the One Piece world doesn't work like that]].
** In the Whole Cake Island Arc, every member of Big Mom's family has a given name related to food (usually dessert) or cooking. For example, the most important daughter - plot wise - is Charlotte Pudding, her sisters being Charlotte Chiffon and Charlotte Lola (reference to Swiss rolls), their father being Pound (as in, pound cake). Other daughters include Charlotte Smoothie, Charlotte Custard, and Charlotte Angel (angel food cake, naturally) Her sons include Charlotte Cracker, Charlotte Daifuku (Japanese rice cake), and [[The Dragon| Charlotte Katakuri]] (a plant used to make potato starch). A full [https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Charlotte_Family roster is here]], though most of the names make more sense to Japanese viewers.
* Meow's kung-fu style in ''[[Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran]]'' is heavily inspired by the movements of cats.
* ''[[
* Almost every character in ''[[Princess Tutu]]'' has a name that means something:
** Ahiru means "duck" in Japanese (and was translated in the dub), which makes sense because she ''is'' a duck. Most of the animals in the series follow suit.
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** As we find out later, {{spoiler|Askeladd's not his real name. But his ''true'' name, Lucius Artorius Castus, holds meaning as well, being the name of the military commander now thought to be King Arthur's historical basis. As Askeladd is a descendent of Arthur, being named for his ancestor is a mark of his bloodline.}}
* ''[[Strike Witches]]'': the characters in this alternate history based series are real world military pilots twisted into magical lolis. Their names are gender-reversed versions of the originals (Erich Hartmann - Erica Hartmann, Pierre Clostermann - Perrine Clostermann etc.).
** A particularly clever touch is Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, the gender-swapped version of the Finnish [[WW 2]] pilot Eino Ilmari Juutilainen. Ilmatar is the name of an ancient Finnish sky goddess. "Ilmari" is in 'modern' Finnic folklore a cultural hero/smith god, but he used to be the sky god. The names Ilmari and Ilmatar are both derived from ilma 'air'.
* ''[[Planetes]]'': Hachimaki's surname, ''Hoshino'', means ''of the stars'', and sure enough, he's an astronaut who aspires to own his own ship. Tanabe's given name means ''love'', and she believes that [[Love Freak|love can solve everything]].
* ''[[Dennou Coil]]'' quickly establishes the [[One Steve Limit|two Yuukos]] with very different personalities. They quickly gain nicknames from another character, both based on the alternate readings assigned to the different kanji their names are written with. The kind-hearted, more passive Okonogi Yuuko (Yasako) is read as "Gentle Girl," while the more driven, determined Amasawa Yuuko (Isako) is read as "Brave Girl."
* ''[[Shikabane Hime]]'' has a group of villains called the Seven Stars, which is also one of the Japanese names for The Plough. Their deadliest and most important member is an [[Evil Albino]] named Hokuto, whose name is another word for the same constellation.
* The title of ''[[Ai Yori Aoshi]]'' is taken from the proverb "''Ao wa ai yori idete ai yori aoshi''", meaning "Blue comes from indigo, yet it is bluer than indigo". (It's about students surpassing their teachers.) The main character's name is Aoi, a variant of that word for blue -- the sneaky part is that it's only ''pronounced'' that way. The kanji for her name actually means "hollyhock". Many other names in the series are meaningful:
** Aoi's family name is Sakuraba, which means "cherry blossom garden" -- a good match with Kaoru, which means "fragrant".
** Miyabi, who's been training Aoi all her life in the ways of the [[Yamato Nadeshiko]], has a name that means "refinement".
** Taeko, the [[Dojikko]], has a name meaning "delicate child".
** Mayu's name means "cocoon", and she's both a sheltered rich girl and a silk heiress.
** The [[
** There's also a pun in the title, since another word pronounced "ai" means "love" and it's a romantic show. To imitate this effect, the manga translation keeps the title ''[[Ai Yori Aoshi]]'' but adds "True Blue Love" as a subtitle.
* Remember the flower garden that's so important to Shizuma in ''[[Strawberry Panic!|Strawberry Panic]]''? Her last name, Hanazono, means exactly that.
* ''[[Hell Girl]]''{{'}}s Enma Ai looks like a beautiful young girl but sends people to hell, and she has a name to match that dual nature. Enma is the Buddhist god who rules the underworld (you may know him from ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' under his Japanese name, King Yama). Ai is that word for love again -- probably. It's deliberately always written in kana, so we can't be sure which meaning of ''ai'' her parents had in mind. There are hints that the "indigo" meaning is significant: the second season finale is called "Aizome" ("dyed in indigo"), as is the end theme, which [[Mamiko Noto]] herself sings.
** Kikuri, too, has a kana-only name. But given that she wears a chrysanthemum (the Japanese funeral flower) and has someone calling her "hime", her name is very likely a reference to the dragon goddess [http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Kikuri-Hime Kikuri-Hime].
** Two more kana-only first names in the series: Tsugumi and Yuzuki, who are both protagonists and foils for Ai. Yuzuki's family name is Mikage, which means "spirit of the dead"... and once you know why, [[Tear Jerker|you'll wish you didn't]].
* Every proper noun in ''[[Gurren Lagann]]''. The show's nature being what it is, a lot of it is just for kicks rather than thoughtful.
** The human cast is named after directions/relative positions or their main characteristic. If most characters seemed simple enough to sum up in a single word, now you know why.
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* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'':
** The eponymous Negi, Japanese for "Spring Onion", is a reference to the Welsh Onion, Negi's home being Wales. Interestingly, his nickname "''bozu''" (roughly translated to "kid" or "brat") in context with the word "Negi" means "onion-head".
** The series also has Chachamaru with at least two: her first name is written with the Kanji for "''Tea''", a reference to her main function as a tea-serving robot. Her last name, "''Karakuri''", refers to the ''karakuri ningyō'' (traditional Japanese dolls) used in 18th and 19th century Japan as automated puppets for entertainment and at festivals,
** Then, there is {{spoiler|Asuna}}'s full name: {{spoiler|Asuna Vesperina Theothanasia Enteofushia}}. Her third name could be roughly translated as either "god of death" or "godslayer", with the rest of the story hinting for the latter.
*** {{spoiler|"Vesperina"}} also is related to her nickname, {{spoiler|"''Twilight'' Imperial Princess"}}.
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* ''[[Gintama]]'': Sakata Gintoki the silverhaired natural-perm samurai. Obviously a pun.
* Each of the Seishi in ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'' is named after a constellation to which a particular deity is assigned, e.g. the Suzaku Seishi being named after Suzaku's constellations, the Seiryuu Seishi being named after Seiryuu's constellations, and so on. Yuu Watase, however, didn't know what the characters' names actually meant when she made them, and upon finishing the series, she looked up their definitions. Most of the time, they suited the characters' personalities so well that it was eerie.
* On the subject of Yuu Watase, Tooya from ''[[Ayashi no Ceres]]'' is another example. {{spoiler|His growth to his adult physical build took only ten nights, and he even explains this whenever someone asks him his name. "From 'ten' and 'night', Tooya."}}
* Ichinose Kai from ''[[Piano No Mori]]''. His name can alternatively be read as "ichi no sekai" or "world's number one", a . . . not so subtle allusion to Kai's development into a musical genius.
* ''[[Basquash]]'' has Iceman Hotty. Outside a Bigfoot, he is has a calm, cool demeanor. Inside one, he goes into a frenzy while hurling balls with great force and shouting "DESTROY!!!"
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* The title character of ''[[Saki (manga)|Saki]]''. Her name means "to bloom". Her favorite [[Finishing Move]], the Rinshan Kaihou, means "a flower blooms on a ridge". This was specifically pointed out in the series.
* Anyone named Nadeshiko will usually always be a [[Yamato Nadeshiko]].
** Exception: Nadeshiko Benibara, the teacher in ''[[
* In ''[[Da Capo]]'', Sakura Yoshino is {{spoiler|tied to the magical sakura tree that her grandmother planted on the island, even more so when she wished that she wouldn't age under it}}.
* In ''[[Monster (manga)|Monster]]'', the [[Stepford Smiler|perpetually calm]] Grimmer's name comes from the Czech name Jaromir which means "fierceness and peace". This reflects {{spoiler|that Grimmer has a brutally violent alternate personality called Steiner (which happens to mean peace)}}. Come to think of it, the name ''Grim''mer is quite ironic as well.
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* ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]'' has {{spoiler|Tsubasa and Tsubasa as the real names of Sakura and Syaoran. Wings come in pairs.}} The "wings come in pairs" thing is complicated somewhat by {{spoiler|"[[xxxHoLic|Watanuki]]", who, as a time-travel duplicate of Tsubasa, is also technically named Tsubasa. "Watanuki" refers to the practice of creating a substitute (generally in the form of a doll) for a child that would theoretically take all of the sickness and misfortune in the child's place.}}
* Aiko, the gynoid from ''[[Magical Pokaan]]'', has her name spelt 鉄子 which would normally be read as Tetsuko or "Iron child".
* From ''[[Hellsing]]'' we have Schrödinger, the [[
* ''[[Durarara!!]]''
** The series
** Shizuo Heiwajima's name is a [[Double Subversion]]: "Quiet Man, Peaceful Island" seems to be completely inappropriate for a violent, hot-tempered berserker until one gets to understand his [[Bruiser with a Soft Center|true nature]], [[I Am a Monster|self-image]] and [[I Just Want to Be Normal|motivations]]. His name doesn't refer to his character so much as it stands for what he desperately wants to be, which he points out in volume 5.
* There's a family of this in ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'': The Founder of the Vongola, Giotto, whose Japanese name is Ieyatsu, the prominent father Iemitsu, and the young successor Tsunayoshi. Replace their collective last name 'Sawada' with 'Tokugawa', and you have the historical Japanese Shogunate line.
* ''[[Heartcatch Pretty Cure]]'': One of the main characters is named Hanasaki Tsubomi. Hanasaki means blooming flowers, Tsubomi means bud. {{spoiler|Her grandma runs a flower shop, and oh yeah, she turns into Cure Blossom.}}
* ''[[Black Butler]]''{{'}}s Grell Sutcliffe, {{spoiler|co-Jack the Ripper with Ciel's aunt Angelina "Madame Red" Durless}}, shares her surname with {{spoiler|Peter Sutcliffe, the original [[Jack the Ripoff]]}}
* In ''[[Sentou Yousei Yukikaze]]'' the kanji for the nihilistic and antisocial main character's first name, Rei, means "drop" (of water/rain), "cipher" and "zero." His surname, Fukai, is derived from the word "deep" and is written the same way as the name of this [http://www.the-noh.com/sub/jp/index.php?mode=db&action=e_view_detail&data_id=27&class_id=1 noh mask].
* ''[[7 Seeds]]'' should take first prize. When choosing the 35 people who shall repopulate the world after a meteorite obliterates everyone else, the Japanese decide to pick only people whose names refer to the seasonal name of the group! Why? Because there won't be seasons after
* In ''Mythic Quest'', John's name illustrates just how bland and normal he is. On the other hand, his more common alias, Tragic, is completely unsymbolic. He's not inclined to emo, perfectly aware he's much better off than many people, and despite a touch of [[Honor Before Reason]] flaw is definitely not a tragic hero.
* ''[[Koi Koi 7]]'' brings us Otome Chouno, a [[Sugar and Ice]] loli whose surname Otome means 'female virgin.'
* Not a name, but a lack of one. Kazuma from ''[[S-Cry-ed]]'' has no surname, which is symbolic of his status as an outcast from proper Japanese society.
* In ''[[Baby Steps]]'', Eiichirou's nickname of "All-A" not only refers to the Japanese pronunciation of the first letter of his name, but also to his impeccable grades in every school subject.
* Alto Saotome in ''[[Macross Frontier]]'', particularly his first name, as Alto is derived from the latin for 'high', and he always has his head up in the clouds and goes on about how much he likes the sky and wants to fly. Further, Alto is the low range for ''female'' singing, and... well... [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]], and he's ''constantly mocked for it''. Saotome itself is also a name meaningful in Kabuki, which Alto used to do, and, driving the point home, Alto played ''female'' roles in Kabuki. Oddly his voice is actually relatively manly, presumably because of puberty. His name becomes a bit prophetic when he actually does become a pilot and turns out to be quite good at it.
* Both the heroes of ''[[Yumekui Merry]]'' have names related to dreaming. Yumeji's name could be translated "dream path" (which is very appropriate to his abilities), and Merry Nightmare requires no explanation.
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* Everything is meaningful in ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]''. ''Everything''.
* Samatarou's mother Venus from ''[[Kamisama Kazoku]]'' is the [[Love Goddess]].
* ''[[A Certain Magical Index]]'':
** Touma Kamijou fits this trope several times over. "Touma" has the same pronunciation as "Invisible Demon", {{spoiler|probably referencing the entity sealed inside him}}. "Kamijou" likewise has the same pronunciation as "Above God", {{spoiler|and the aforementioned entity is apparently more powerful than God}}. Finally, the full name is pronounced the same way as "The One Who Purifies Gods and Slays Demons". {{spoiler|Touma at one point talks a god into a [[Heel Face Turn]], and other gods claim that he has the role of restraining them from harming the world. Aleister Crowley, one of the main villains, claims that Touma's [[Anti-Magic|power]] was originally a spiritual item meant to hold back demons.}}
** The [[Cutesy Dwarf]] teacher Komoe-sensei is another example, in that 'ko' means 'small' and [[Moe]]...
** Local [[Anti-Hero]] Accelerator. His kanji name is Ippōtsūkō which means "one-way road", alluding to his esper power of [[Superpower Lottery|vector manipulation]], which subconsciously
* ''[[Husky and Medley]]'': Both of the main characters' "names" are chosen by the 2ch anons following the story, mostly for ease of reference. "Medley" likely refers to the fact that the text messages she sends to Husky are often randomly selected from among the anons' suggestions, making her part of the conversation a medley of various forum users.
* Chifusa from ''[[Manyu Hikencho]]'' is notable for having a name one accent away from "Chibusa" ([[Gag Boobs|udders]]).
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** Masahiro's surname means "beach coastline."
** Sara's first name contains the kanji for "sand."
** Seira's first name contains the kanji for "star," as she {{spoiler|was born from a wish}} and one of her signature songs is about wishing.
** Lanfa's first name means "orchid flower." Her signature song is called "The Serenade of Butterflies and Flowers," and she wears a dress with a flower on it.
* The eponymous characters of ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]''.
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** While Barnaby's name doesn't seem to have much direct significance, in America it is often associated with the higher-class business scene (which makes sense when you know his background).
*** Then again, "Barnaby" is also the only American male name that sounds even remotely close to "bunny," so that could be another reason.
* ''[[Darker
** And to top it all off, Hei's normal alias, "Li Shun Shen" is synonymous with the words for Mr. Lee, the Chinese equivalent of a Mr. Jones, or a Mr. Smith in terms of name obscurity.
** "Mao" (猫), the Human-Contractor trapped in the body of a cat. No points for guessing what "Mao" means in Chinese. Hint: it's like naming your cocker-spaniel, "Dog".
* Many names in the movie ''[[Appleseed]]'' are references to Greek mythology. Most notably, General Uranus is named after the titan who devours his own children, and his goal is to destroy the [[Artificial Human|Bioroids]] who can be considered children of humanity. Furthermore, {{spoiler|his plan would inadvertently cause the whole mankind to become infertile.}} There's also Colonel Hades, whose name [[Everybody Hates Hades|has more to do with Satan]] than the Greek god of the Underworld. Finally, Prime Minister Athena is named after the goddess of wisdom.
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]''
** In the dub version, the duelist assassin named X was given the name "Howard X. Miller", a reference to his deck strategy - he used a Mill Deck. [[Incredibly Lame Pun| (Cue annoyed groans from fans.)]] Fortunately, he tells Judai [[Friendly Address Privileges| "But you can call me X,"]] and it's never mentioned again.
** In the manga version, Seika Kohinata. Her name sounds like the Japanese word for "snake", and she uses a snake-themed deck.
** Professor Cobra's name is very fitting, as he's a [[Card-Carrying Villain]], but he also uses a snake-themed deck.
* The Forger family from ''[[Spy × Family]]'' is a fake family whose existence is made on forged documents.
* ''[[Chobits]]'': "Ōmura Yumi" is written 大村 裕美 - 大 is "big", 村 is "town", 裕 is "abundant", and 美 is "beautiful", making her literally a big-city beauty. No wonder that farm boy Hideki thought Yumi was attractive when he first met her.
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