150+ Best Japanese Names That Mean Bad Luck

Japanese culture has a rich tradition of naming, where names often carry specific meanings. Some names are chosen based on beautiful meanings, while others have less favorable connotations. Certain Japanese names are believed to bring bad luck or misfortune. Understanding these names can provide insights into cultural beliefs about fate and fortune.

Today, we will look at some Japanese names with meanings related to bad luck. From names that signify misfortune to those associated with negative traits, these examples illustrate how deeply rooted beliefs can influence naming practices. Let’s explore the interesting stories behind these names.

Japanese Names That Mean Bad Luck

1. Akuma

The name Akuma means ‘devil’ or ‘demon’ in Japanese. This name is considered bad luck as it symbolizes misfortune and evil.

2. Fukusho

Fukusho translates to ‘misfortune’ which inherently carries a negative meaning and is often avoided in naming traditions.

3. Itasu

The name Itasu means ‘to suffer’. Naming someone this way can suggest a life filled with challenges and hardships.

4. Kanashimi

Kanashimi translates to ‘sorrow’ or ‘sadness’. This name evokes feelings of grief and is linked to a life with emotional turmoil.

5. Kurai

Kurai means ‘darkness’. This aligns the name with negativity and bad luck, making it an unfavorable choice.

6. Mazui

The name Mazui means ‘bad’ or ‘unpleasant’. It’s a title that denotes misfortune and failure in various aspects of life.

7. Nakaoroshi

Nakaoroshi translates to ‘to kill in the middle’ which further associates this name with bad outcomes and difficulties.

8. Natsukage

Natsukage means ‘summer shadow’. This can symbolize that darker moments overshadow brighter times, hinting at bad luck.

9. Shinmatsu

Shinmatsu means ‘newly woven satins’, symbolizing both delicacy and the potential for things to unravel, linking it to misfortune.

10. Tsumetai

Tsumetai translates to ‘cold’ and can signify an emotional distance, often associated with bad luck in relationships.

11. Warui

Warui means ‘bad’ or ‘evil’. This straightforward name reflects a really negative outlook, thereby labeled as bad luck.

12. Zetsubou

Zetsubou literally means ‘despair’. Carrying this name suggests a life immersed in hopelessness and misfortune.

13. Akisame

Translating to ‘autumn rain’, Akisame symbolizes a time of change but also forebodes melancholy and change that isn’t always welcome.

14. Iin na

The name Iin na translates to ‘destruction’ which is powerful and ominous, hence representing bad luck.

15. Kyoui

Kyoui means ‘dread’ or ‘horror’. This connotation creates a negative view of life, marking it with unfortunate events.

16. Sakana

Sakana translates to ‘fish’, but in folklore, fish symbolize bad fortune due to their association with water spirits.

17. Tsumi

Tsumi means ‘crime’ or ‘sin’. It’s a name tied to misfortune and negative moral connotations, making it a name to avoid.

18. Toshi

The name Toshi can mean ‘loss’. Associating a child with loss can bring a sense of bad luck into their life.

19. Yami

Yami means ‘darkness’ and carries a heavy association with negativity, denoting bad luck and a lack of hope.

20. Yurei

Yurei translates to ‘ghost’. As ghosts represent unresolved issues and misfortunes, this name closely ties to bad luck.

21. Mura

Mura means ‘village’, but in some contexts, it implies a place of strife, thus carrying an underlying tone of bad luck.

22. Noroi

Noroi translates to ‘curse’ and thus firmly associates the name with misfortune and negativity throughout life.

23. Tengu

This name refers to a mythical creature often linked with mischief and bad luck in Japanese folklore.

24. Akenai

Akenai means ‘not to brighten’. This connotation of perpetual darkness reflects a life of bad luck.

25. Kizuna

Kizuna means ‘bond’, but when bonds break, it leads to sorrow. This duality can symbolize bad luck in relationships.

26. Shinjitsu

Shinjitsu means ‘truth’. However, harsh truths can lead to misfortune, marking it as a name associated with bad luck.

27. Yaburi

The name Yaburi translates to ‘to tear’ or ‘to rip’, suggesting destruction and misfortune.

28. Kuroi

Kuroi means ‘black’ and is often tied to negativity and omens, representing bad luck in various cultures.

29. Nakanoshin

Nakanoshin can mean ‘inner sorrow’, indicative of bad luck affecting one’s emotional state throughout life.

30. Tsukuyomi

Tsukuyomi is the moon god associated with darkness. This connection implies misfortune and ill fate for the bearer.

31. Usotsuki

Usotsuki translates to ‘liar’ which carries a negative connotation and is often associated with bad luck.

32. Yamirei

Yamirei means ‘hazardous’. Associating with danger can certainly hint at bad luck in daily life.

33. Anzuru

Anzuru translates to ‘to feel anxious’. Living with anxiety signifies potential misfortune in life, marking this as unlucky.

34. Sakanai

Sakanai means ‘immature’, which may imply failure to thrive or succeed, connecting to bad luck.

35. Uibito

Uibito translates to ‘exile’, a state related to loss of fortune and community, making it unlucky.

36. Enzen

The name Enzen means ‘bad fate’. This is directly tied to misfortune and can be avoided in naming.

37. Hikkoshi

Hikkoshi means ‘moving’, but often refers to the negative times associated with transitions in life.

38. Misawa

The name Misawa translates to ‘bad river’, symbolizing a life filled with difficulties akin to treacherous waters.

39. Shinkai

Shinkai means ‘deep sea’, representing an unknown treacherous situation, hence linked to bad luck.

40. Yamiyo

Yamiyo translates to ‘night darkness’. Night often reflects uncertainty and potential bad luck.

41. Akiguruma

Akiguruma means ‘bad wheel’, suggesting misfortune and instability in one’s life journey.

42. Jinjyuu

Jinjyuu translates to ‘unreliable’. Associating with inconsistency suggests bad luck surrounding one’s endeavors.

43. Mugen

Mugen means ‘infinite’ but in a negative context it can represent infinite misfortunes.

44. Shunkan

Shunkan translates to ‘moment’, signaling fleeting opportunities that often lead to bad luck if missed.

45. Rūjin

This name translates to ‘dragon’, which in some cultures can bring misfortune when it’s a negative omen.

46. Nyūbō

Nyūbō means ‘one who brings trouble’. This makes it a name often connected to bad fortune.

47. Shin’ya

Shin’ya means ‘deep night’. It represents obscurity and misfortune, as darkness can symbolize confusion.

48. Taira

The name Taira can mean ‘peace’, but often associated in history with figures who faced misfortune in battles.

49. Noroiu

Noroiu translates to ‘cursed’, clearly marking this name within the realm of bad luck.

50. Tsumiki

Tsumiki means ‘block’, symbolizing obstacles in life that can lead to misfortune.

51. Umibouzu

Umibouzu refers to ‘sea monk’, which can represent unpredictability at sea, linking it to bad fate.

52. Izo

The name Izo means ‘outcast’, leading to social and emotional difficulties synonymous with bad luck.

53. Nandaka

Nandaka translates to ‘something unexpected’, suggesting surprise left in the form of misfortunes.

54. Toitsuki

Toitsuki means ‘persistent worry’. This name indicates a life of hardship, thus associating with bad luck.

55. Urami

Urami translates to ‘vengefulness’. Such a heavy and negative theme deeply connects to bad luck.

56. Guren

Guren means ‘deep red’, often symbolizing danger and misfortunes associated with fire.

57. Chikyu

Chikyu translates to ‘earth’, but can symbolize burden or heaviness in fate, hinting toward bad luck.

58. Gyōkū

Gyōkū means ‘uneasy’, indicating a life of uncertainty and potential misfortune.

59. Ikenai

Ikenai translates to ‘to be bad’. Naming someone this implies likely troubles ahead, marking it as bad luck.

60. Yoton

The name Yoton translates to ‘dark fate’. This connection can clearly mark it as a bearer of bad luck.

61. Umaretsu

Umaretsu means ‘born to misfortune’. Associating this name could bring unwanted luck into one’s life.

62. Tsukimitsu

Tsukimitsu means ‘moonlight’, often signifying clarity lost in dark circumstances, associating with bad luck.

63. Saimatsu

Saimatsu translates to ‘bad end’, hinting at inevitable misfortunes throughout one’s journey in life.

64. Hoshikusa

Hoshikusa means ‘star grass’, linking stars with bad omens which suggest bad fate elements.

65. Jiko

Jiko means ‘accident’. This name directly connects to misfortunes, marking it as an unlucky choice.

66. Kōfū

Kōfū means ‘bad wind’. This name suggests turbulence and unpredictability, linking it to bad luck.

67. Koumu

Koumu translates to ‘bad labor’, hinting at struggles associated with hard work and misfortune.

68. Retsu

Retsu means ‘excessive’. Excessive situations often antecede calamities, so the name can signify bad luck.

69. Shinkai

Shinkai translates to ‘deep ocean’. While beautiful, oceans can be treacherous; hence, bad luck might arise.

70. Sairin

Sairin means ‘bad neighbor’, suggesting that troublesome relationships may lead to misfortune.

71. Tamashii

Tamashii means ‘soul’. Associating with troubled souls can forecast bad luck encompassing the name.

72. Yakiimo

Yakiimo translates to ‘burnt sweet potato’. Much like burnt food, this indicates negativity in life’s experiences.

73. Ikenoshita

Ikenoshita means ‘beneath the swamp’, indicating being stuck in misfortune and negative moments.

74. Musou

Musou translates to ‘lost’, representing a sense of directionlessness connected to bad luck.

75. Tanbashira

Tanbashira means ‘short post’, which indicates a shaky foundation symbolic of potential misfortune throughout life.

76. Ueno

Ueno translates to ‘uncommon’. Unlikely events can lead to troubles, suggesting bad luck associated with this name.

77. Yūkai

Yūkai means ‘sorrowful’, which signifies deep personal tragedy marking it as a name associated with bad luck.

78. Shichiro

Shichiro translates to ‘seventh son’. Traditionally, this could evoke misfortune in various cultures including Japan.

79. Aonuma

Aonuma means ‘sorrowful beach’, connecting emotions of sadness with the idea of forgotten fortunes.

80. Ainon

Ainon translates to ‘bad sound’, reflecting a dissonance in life tied to unlucky circumstances.

81. Shinkei

Shinkei means ‘inner sorrow’. A name linked to emotional distress and hardships connected to misfortune.

82. Owarai

Owarai means ‘end’, often suggesting a bad conclusion to life events indicating bad luck.

83. Harasumi

Harasumi translates to ‘bitter autumn’, suggesting difficult times ahead linked to this name.

84. Tanimura

Tanimura means ‘valley of misfortune’, directly linking the name to bad luck in life ventures.

85. Akai

Akai means ‘red’, relating to danger or alarming situations hinting at potential bad luck.

86. Chiisa

Chiisa translates to ‘small’, indicating insignificance in life choices that could lead to bad fortune.

87. Kurotsuki

Kurotsuki means ‘black moon’, suggesting obscuring of light and hope and closely correlating to bad luck.

88. Midorikaze

Midorikaze translates to ‘green wind’, which can symbolize discord in life, hinting at negative outcomes.

89. Arashi

Arashi translates to ‘storm’. This name carries a phenomenal force often linked to disruptive occasions and less fortune.

90. Yayoi

Yayoi means ‘the month of the heaviest rains’, symbolizing floods of despair and struggles in life.

91. Yamiko

Yamiko translates to ‘dark child’, a name associated with shadowy fate and potentially bad luck.

92. Wakanai

Wakanai means ‘to be troubled’, linking to a life burdened with misfortune and sadness.

93. Umikaze

Umikaze translates to ‘ocean wind’. Oceans often carry storms, linking this name to feelings of ominous bad luck.

94. Tsumugi

Tsumugi means ‘to weave’, suggesting a life where threads can unravel, indicating potential misfortune.

95. Harusame

Harusame translates to ‘spring rain’, often associated with gloom and signifying changing tragic fates.

96. Rokken

Rokken means ‘six swords’, indicating a potentially violent or tumultuous life linked to bad luck.

97. Hiruma

Hiruma translates to ‘day dusk’. Darkness at dusk suggests the end of clarity, which can signify bad fate.

98. Tami

Tami means ‘surplus’ but when excessive can lead to heavy burdens hinting towards bad fortune.

99. Shaka

Shaka means ‘to shake’, which can symbolize instability leading to adverse life situations tied to misfortune.

100. Akane

Akane means ‘deep red’, signifying blood and associations with tragic events, linking it to bad luck.

101. Jiketsu

Jiketsu translates to ‘bad blood’, symbolizing familial troubles or generational misfortune.

102. Izuki

Izuki means ‘road to ruin’, evidently connecting life travels to unlucky experiences and events.

103. Sazameki

Sazameki means ‘whisper’, often connected with secrets that foreshadow misfortune and bad luck.

104. Nakanashi

Nakanashi means ‘no heart’, signifying emotional detachment and a life filled with regret and misfortune.

105. Ruro

Ruro translates to ‘shadow’. Existing in the shadow suggests misfortune lurking behind every bright moment.

106. Sakukatsu

Sakukatsu means ‘to burst’, often referring to sudden misfortunes or calamities in life.

107. Hokkaido

Hokkaido is often associated with colder weather, which can reflect the cold reality of misfortune.

108. Uenobayashi

Uenobayashi translates to ‘beyond the forest’, where hidden troubles often lie, hence linking to bad luck.

109. Kazumi

Kazumi means ‘harmony’, but an imbalance can indicate troubles leading to unlucky situations.

110. Ren’ya

Ren’ya means ‘linked fates’, suggesting a life intertwined with others’ misfortune, marking it as unlucky.

111. Hitozuma

Hitozuma means ‘married woman’, who historically faced certain societal challenges indicating potential bad luck.

112. Genshoku

Genshoku translates to ‘original colors’, indicating a loss of authenticity leading to misfortune.

113. Takamatsu

Takamatsu means ‘high pine’, often symbolizing lofty aspirations that can lead to downfall and bad luck.

114. Akizu

Akizu means ‘autumn leaves’, suggesting fading and loss associated with bad fortune.

115. Yatari

Yatari translates to ‘disappointment’. This name casts a shadow over successes indicating a life filled with bad luck.

116. Maai

Maai means ‘dark space’. A name invoking parts of life not illuminated brings a heavy weight of bad luck.

117. Haramo

Haramo means ‘gathering storms’, which could suggest impending misfortunes in one’s future.

118. Keishin

Keishin means ‘fragile heart’, indicative of emotional vulnerabilities mean difficulties signifying bad luck.

119. Shinya

Shinya translates to ‘deep twilight’. Twilight signifies transitions, usually followed by unfortunate endings.

120. Kurohara

Kurohara means ‘black field’, representing a landscape filled with despair and bad fortune.

121. Kareshi

Kareshi means ‘boyfriend’, but past heartbreaks often connected can indicate relational misfortunes.

122. Hikarimasu

Hikarimasu translates to ‘to shine’, but failure to do so symbolizes unrealized potential linked to bad luck.

123. Shikyo

Shikyo means ‘death’, a clear indication of a name filled with negative connotations of misfortune.

124. Yamiichigo

Yamiichigo means ‘dark strawberry’, which relates beauty to underlying darkness and misfortune.

125. Rakuin

Rakuin translates to ‘to break’, suggesting disruption linked with difficulties in life representing bad luck.

126. Shisou

Shisou means ‘thinking of death’, clearly reflecting on bad luck associated with mortality and loss.

127. Akugai

Akugai translates to ‘bad seas’, correlating to tumultuous waters that suggest misfortune lies ahead.

128. Yasuraka

The name Yasuraka means ‘calm’, but its opposite signifies a life of turmoil, connecting it to bad luck.

129. Fukurai

Fukurai translates to ‘den of misfortune’, leading a perspective of a life fraught with hardships and unlucky moments.

130. Ibeen

Ibeen means ‘to cling’, which can denote clinging to painful memories symbolizing unfortunate luck.

131. Kowai

Kowai translates to ‘frightened’, reflecting fears that burden life choices and lead to continually bad luck.

132. Genkai

Genkai means ‘limit’ or ‘boundary’, suggesting a restriction in fortune thus marking it as unlucky.

133. Yobikai

Yobikai means ‘prophecy’. A problematic prophecy can lead to misfortunes indicated by the name.

134. Shikumi

Shikumi translates to ‘structure’, suggesting a frail structure of luck, often leading to misfortune

135. Shiraka

Shiraka means ‘to disappear’, linking life elements vanishing ties with bad luck directly.

136. Komayuru

Komayuru translates to ‘to tie up’, suggesting potential restrictions leading to unfortunate events.

137. Shiranui

Shiranui means ‘unknown fire’, speaking to unexpected troubles often hinted as misfortune by this name.

138. Koiri

Koiri translates to ‘short life’, directly linking to misfortunes and the struggles of existence.

139. Himeishiki

Himeishiki translates to ‘princess’, but history tells tales of princesses bound by misfortune reflecting bad luck.

140. Akneyu

Akneyu means ‘bad mask’, linking beauty to deception indicating the luck that goes wrong.

141. Nansetsu

Nansetsu translates to ‘bad story’, projecting narratives laden with misfortunes faced by the name-holder.

142. Akeru

Akeru means ‘to open’, often accompanied with fears that suggest hidden misfortunes ahead.

143. Iwasaki

Iwasaki translates to ‘rocky cape’. A life filled with rocky paths suggests immediate challenges associated with bad luck.

144. Owarai

Owarai translates to ‘to finish’, implying an end that is especially followed by misfortunes.

145. Shimo

Shimo means ‘lower’, suggesting that can’t climb past challenges leading to recurrent bad luck.

146. Tanaka

Tanaka translates to ‘rice field’ but often believed to flounder creating echoes of bad fortune.

147. Meikai

Meikai translates to ‘dark dawn’, symbolizing day beginning with shadows leading to bad luck.

148. Asahi

Asahi means ‘morning sun’, but often when obscured symbolizes lost opportunities linking to bad luck.

149. Tokifuru

Tokifuru means ‘time flows’, suggesting cyclical misfortunes represented by the passage of time.

150. Nakayoshi

Nakayoshi means ‘close friends’. However, often broken friendships bring bad luck linked to this name.

Final Thoughts

Japanese names that mean bad luck reflect deep cultural beliefs about the impacts of names on fate and fortune. These names often come with historical backgrounds and stories encouraging caution in naming practices. It’s fascinating to see how such names suggest a life intertwined with misfortune or negative experiences. Understanding these names allows a glimpse into the interplay between identity, culture, and belief systems.

If you are interested in exploring more names with negative meanings, consider looking into names that mean bad luck or even Japanese names that mean evil. Learning about these names can broaden your understanding of cultural perceptions regarding luck.

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