Surnames that start with “A”: from common to rare
How many surnames starting with “A” can you name?
Across the country, there are people with all kinds of surnames: not only common ones you’re likely to find among our acquaintances, but also the surnames of famous people and politicians, and even rare surnames held by only a few hundred people nationwide.
In this article, we’ll introduce a large number of surnames that start with “A.”
We’ll cover everything from familiar surnames to unusual ones, so please take a look.
We also hope you’ll find this useful as a source of hints for surname shiritori.
Surnames starting with “A” (1–10)
Aoki (Aoki, etc.)
With a national ranking of 39th, the surname Aoki is relatively common to come across.
Its etymology is “blue/green tree,” and because lushly growing trees were associated with a family’s prosperity, the name has been popular both as a place name and as a surname.
It is especially common in the Kanto region but is distributed nationwide.
Moreover, the widespread presence nationwide is said to be not the result of a single point of origin but rather due to its popularity, as noted above, which led to the name having roots in various places.
As you might expect, people tend to think alike: popular names also tend to have larger numbers of bearers.
Aoi (Ao-i, Aoi, etc.)
The Aoi surname is more commonly found in western Japan.
Its roots appear to be in Higo, which is now Kumamoto Prefecture, so the regional concentration makes sense.
It’s also said to be a surname found in Mimasaka, which is now the northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture.
The surname written with different characters as 葵 shares the same origin, but with only about 210 people nationwide, it’s a rare family name.
As a given name, though, it’s quite common—surprising, isn’t it? In some cases, only the reading existed first, and different kanji were later assigned, so there may be various forms.
It’s fascinating, isn’t it?
Akai (var. Akai, Akae, etc.)
The surname Akai, which can also be read as Akagi, is said to originate from Akai Village in Hikami District, Tanba Province—now the northwestern part of Kyoto Prefecture and the eastern part of Hyogo Prefecture—and is a common family name in the Kinki region, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo.
Incidentally, the professional boxer Hidekazu Akai is said to be a descendant of Yukie, the third son of Tokio Akai from the Sengoku period.
Tracing ancestral names and places of origin is a way to revisit your roots, and it’s quite fascinating, isn’t it? Why not look into your own surname as well? You might discover something interesting.
Aizawa (written as 相澤, 相沢, etc.)
The surname Aizawa is said to be common in the northern half of the Japanese archipelago, especially in the Kanto and Tohoku regions.
The prefecture with the most people named Aizawa is Miyagi.
There are several theories about its origin, but it is said to derive from a stream where sweetfish (ayu) live.
It is a name often seen among the samurai class of the Sendai Domain and the Nishio Domain, and some say its roots trace back to Aizawa-go in Izu Province, where retainers who served the Satake clan lived.
Incidentally, when written with the characters Aizawa (相澤), the largest number of people live in Kanagawa Prefecture.
It sounds fun to explore the roots of your own surname, doesn’t it?
Akanishi (also spelled Akanishi, Akashi, etc.)
The surname Akanishi is common in the Kinki region, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Hyogo.
That said, there are only about 440 people with this name nationwide, so if a family moves to a certain area and settles there, it could appear that the name is common in that area just because of them.
“Aka” is said to refer to fields, red soil, seasons, or a direction, and “nishi” refers to the west.
It’s a type of toponymic surname, meaning it describes people who live in such places.
In Japan, there are many rice fields (ta), so surnames that include “ta” are also a kind of toponymic name.
Tracing one’s roots is fun, isn’t it?
Akiyama
The Akiyama surname, which traces its lineage to the Seiwa Genji clan, has its roots in Akiyama Village, Koma District, Kai Province—present-day Yamanashi Prefecture.
There are said to be several places of origin for the surname Akiyama, such as the Yamato Akiyama family from Kasuga in Matsuyama Town, Uda District, Yamato Province.
Some Akiyamas may also derive their name from the literal meaning “autumn mountain.” Since it ends with “ma,” it seems like a surname that would make for a nice rally in a surname shiritori game.
Why not look into the origins of your own surname as well?
Abe (Abe, Abe, etc.)
This surname is said to have its roots in place names such as Abe in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture.
Since the place name appears in records from the Kofun period, you could say it’s a very old surname.
There are many kanji variants—such as 安倍, 阿部, and 安部—and it’s also interesting that each has a different regional distribution.
The surname 阿部 (Abe) is said to be common in Miyagi Prefecture and Hokkaido, while 安部 (Abe) is common in Oita and Fukuoka Prefectures.
Even today, there are many place names that include “Abe,” so it might be interesting to compare the histories behind each.
Asada (浅田, Asada/Ashada) or Asada (麻田, Asada/Ashada)
The surname Asada is known from figures like the skater Mao Asada.
It is said to originate from Asada in Chikuma District, Shinano Province, which is now Nagano Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the surname Asada written with the characters for “hemp” (麻田) is an ancient name primarily associated with performing Shinto rituals and ceremonies; there were lineages such as Asada no Muraji and Asada no Sukune, and it is said to have branched from the Nakatomi clan.
From a word-chain perspective, since it ends with “da,” it can be a strong surname that’s hard to continue from.
Thinking about names that have lasted hundreds or even over a thousand years, it’s fascinating just to reflect on the history those names have traced.
Aida (e.g., Aida, Aida)
The surname Aida, known from figures like Mitsuo Aida, is said to be held by about 18,000 people nationwide.
It is believed to originate from Aida in Naka District, Hitachi Province, which is now part of Ibaraki Prefecture.
By prefecture, Tokyo appears to have the most people with this surname, though it is distributed across the country.
The wide distribution may be related to the fact that the surname has very old origins.
As a side note, it is also said that the reading “Sōda” (rather than “Aida”) is particularly common in central Shizuoka Prefecture.
As for specific areas, there are reportedly many people with this surname in Sanjo City, Niigata Prefecture as well.
Anzai (also spelled 安西, 安斉, etc.)
Although it varies depending on the kanji used, it is a surname that is widely distributed nationwide, mainly in Fukushima, Kanagawa, and Chiba Prefectures.
The place name in the western part of Awa District in Chiba Prefecture was called “Anzai,” and from there the name seems to have spread across the country while the kanji changed.
There are also place names spelled “安西” in Shizuoka and Mie Prefectures, so people with the surname “Anzai” likely trace their roots to different regions.
Because the character 斎 carries the meaning of enshrining deities or Buddhas, when this kanji is used it may also suggest something about the occupations of one’s ancestors.