Hanako (はなこ)

Hanako is read はなこ and has 3 beats. Our data lists 2 spellings: 花子 and 英子. All two are feminine. Some of them are on our hand-reviewed list of everyday names.

Reading

は·な·こ (3 beats)

Kanji spellings

2 in our data

Gender

Feminine

Source

Hand-reviewed list of everyday names and JMnedict, the open name dictionary

Kanji spellings of Hanako

One sound can be written with different kanji. Each spelling below is a different name on paper.

  • 花子
    はなこ
    CommonFeminine

    Flower child

    • 花(はな)— flower
    • 子(こ)— name ending
  • 英子
    はなこ
    Feminine

    Outstanding

    • 英(はな)— outstanding
    • 子(こ)— name ending

The kanji in Hanako

What each kanji means on its own, and in how many of the spellings above it appears.

  • 子name ending2 spellings
  • 花flower1 spelling
  • 英outstanding1 spelling

Hanako with common surnames

Full names with a different spelling and surname on each card. Tap a card for the kanji breakdown.

Names that sound similar

Names that start or end with the same sounds.

Hana (はな)Hinako (ひなこ)Nanako (ななこ)Haruka (はるか)

Hanako on our lists

Topic pages that include a spelling of this name.

Geisha NamesCute Japanese NamesTraditional Japanese Names for GirlsOld Japanese Female NamesUnique Anime Girl NamesOld Japanese Names

Questions about Hanako

Is Hanako a boy's or a girl's name?

In our data every spelling of Hanako is feminine.

What does Hanako mean?

Hanako is a sound, so the meaning comes from the kanji: 花子 reads as "flower child" and 英子 reads as "outstanding". Those come from what each kanji means by itself, and parents may have had a fuller picture in mind.

How many ways can Hanako be written in kanji?

Our data lists 2: 花子 and 英子. Other spellings exist, so ask how a person writes their own name before you write it for them.

How do you pronounce Hanako?

はなこ is 3 beats: は · な · こ. Give every beat the same length and keep vowels short and clear; Japanese has no stressed syllable the way English does.

Where this comes from

The spellings are from our hand-reviewed list of everyday names and from JMnedict, the open Japanese name dictionary. Meanings are built from what each kanji means on its own, so they describe the characters, not what a particular family had in mind.

How we check names · Content last reviewed: 2026-11-08.

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