A Japanese name has been chosen for you
絵美
えみ
Emi
EH-mee · a female name
“Picture + beauty”
Artistic · Vivid · Charming
The story of Emi
An artist's Emi — beautiful as a picture, and likely painting one.
Emi is literally the Japanese word for a smile (笑み). Short, sweet and effortless in English, it has been loved across generations.
Kanji by kanji
picture, painting
The kanji of drawn and painted things — the world made visible by hand.
beauty
The classic kanji of beauty, found in countless beloved girls' names.
How it feels
The full story
About 絵美
絵美 sees life as a canvas: the wish for eyes that find beauty everywhere and hands that want to make more of it.
Popularity in Japan
Emi peaked in the Showa era and endures today as a warm, familiar classic — especially in international families.
Through the decades
A beloved name of mothers and grandmothers, now returning for its simple grace.
Deep dive
Some names describe hopes; Emi describes a face. To be named 'smile' is to carry a small daily instruction: brighten the room you are in. Its cross-language ease has made it a quiet favorite for children living between cultures.
Names like Emi
Explore more of Japan
A name is only your first step into Japan.