A Japanese name has been chosen for you
誠
まこと
Makoto
mah-KOH-toh · a unisex name
“Sincerity”
Sincere · Steadfast · Trustworthy
The story of Makoto
The virtue itself — Makoto as a promise kept for life.
Makoto is the old Japanese word for sincerity — truth kept in action, not just words. One of Japan's great unisex virtue names.
Kanji by kanji
sincerity, integrity
Words (言) beside completion (成): sincerity as words made real — a promise kept.
How it feels
The full story
About 誠
誠 is built from 'words' and 'to complete': say it, then do it. The character was the banner virtue of history's most earnest hearts, and it still holds.
Popularity in Japan
A Showa-era staple for both boys and girls, Makoto today reads as dignified and quietly retro.
Through the decades
A classic of postwar Japan — the name of teachers, doctors and dependable neighbors.
Deep dive
Makoto is the virtue samurai and tea masters alike placed at the center: one heart, no gap between what is said and what is done. As a name it has never needed updating, because sincerity hasn't either.
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