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.
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Rare surnames (1–10)
Airoku (Goroku)
姓「合六」は「Airoku」または「Gōroku」と読み、主に佐賀県・福岡県、および兵庫県に分布しています。
It is said to have originated in the hamlet of Airoku (a smaller locality) within Nōsho, Higashi-Taku-machi, Taku City, Saga Prefecture.
With structures like Airoku Castle located at the center of the settlement, the names of buildings in the surrounding area clearly convey that this place is the birthplace of “Airoku.” The fact that there are multiple readings is also intriguing; exploring how these different pronunciations developed would be interesting.
Ainoya (Ainoya)
“Ainoya” is written as 相野谷.
Its origin is said to be in Ainoya Village, Toyoda District, Shimōsa Province, in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture.
For that reason, this surname is commonly found in Ibaraki.
There are currently about 600 people with the surname Aino’ya in Japan, around 270 of whom live in Ibaraki Prefecture—roughly half.
Furthermore, Bando City in Ibaraki stands out with about 200 people.
Incidentally, in Aino’ya, the character 野 represents vast natural fields, while 谷 denotes the land between the Yamato Mountains.
Akasofu (Akasofu)
Some of you may find this name familiar: I’d like to introduce the surname “Akasofu.” It is said to have originated in Etchū Province, which is present-day Toyama Prefecture.
Records indicate that this surname has long been known as the name of a distinguished family.
There are various theories about its etymology: some link it to the Heian-period poet Akazome Emon, while others suggest it derives from the Asobebe, a group in ancient Japan that conducted mourning and funeral rites.
If you’re curious, try looking into the historical background in more detail.
Ae (Ae)
This surname is said to have its roots in a place name located in today’s Harima Town, Kako District, Hyogo Prefecture.
It is mentioned as far back as the Nara period, and it is believed that the characters changed from the old place name “阿閇” to “阿江,” which then became widespread.
Pronouncing “阿閇” as “A-e” was characteristic of this area; in other regions, the same “阿閇” was read as “A-toji,” which led to the variant surname “阿閉” after the characters changed.
Because this surname is rare nationwide, it may be easier to identify which region it originates from.
Aitake (forty-bamboo)
Let me introduce the surname “Aitake,” which has a deep historical background.
While there are kanji spellings like 相武 for “Aitake,” the one being introduced here is 四十竹.
This surname is thought to have originated during the Meiji-era adoption of family names, when surnames were granted to all citizens.
It’s said that there are as few as about 20 people with the surname Shijitake nationwide, or as many as 300.
Either way, it’s rare enough to be considered quite uncommon.
The surname Shijitake is reportedly concentrated in Azumamachi, Namerikawa City, Toyama Prefecture.
In conclusion
We introduced many surnames that start with “A.” In addition to covering surnames that are common nationwide, we also featured some rare ones. In the section highlighting especially rare surnames, many of them were probably new to you, weren’t they? We hope you enjoyed reading it that way, and that it also serves as a helpful source of hints for a surname shiritori game.