A Japanese name has been chosen for you
真琴
まこと
Makoto
mah-KOH-toh · a unisex name
“True koto (harp)”
Artistic · Gentle · True
The story of Makoto
A musical Makoto — truth that sounds like a koto string.
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
truth, genuine
The kanji of what is real and unfeigned — the 'shin' in shinjitsu (truth).
koto, Japanese harp
The thirteen-stringed instrument of classical Japan — music of wood and silk.
How it feels
The full story
About 真琴
真琴 turns sincerity into music: a true note, cleanly struck. A softer, artistic spelling loved especially for girls.
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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