Kayu (かゆ, かゆう)
Kayu stands for 2 readings: かゆ (2 beats) and かゆう (3 beats). Our data lists 2 spellings: 佳由 and 佳優. All two are feminine.
Reading
か·ゆ / か·ゆ·う (2–3 beats)
Kanji spellings
2 in our data
Gender
Feminine
Source
JMnedict, the open name dictionary
Kanji spellings of Kayu
One sound can be written with different kanji. Each spelling below is a different name on paper.
- 佳由かゆFeminine
Beautiful
- 佳(か)— beautiful
- 由(ゆ)— chosen for sound
- 佳優かゆうFeminine
Beautiful + gentle
- 佳(か)— beautiful
- 優(ゆう)— gentle
English spelling drops long vowels, so かゆ (か·ゆ) and かゆう (か·ゆ·う) all become Kayu. The beats tell them apart, and every beat takes about the same time to say.
The kanji in Kayu
What each kanji means on its own, and in how many of the spellings above it appears.
- 佳beautiful2 spellings
- 由chosen for sound1 spelling
- 優gentle1 spelling
Kayu 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.
Other names that use 佳 (beautiful)
Questions about Kayu
Is Kayu a boy's or a girl's name?
In our data every spelling of Kayu is feminine.
What does Kayu mean?
Kayu is a sound, so the meaning comes from the kanji: 佳由 reads as "beautiful" and 佳優 reads as "beautiful + gentle". Those come from what each kanji means by itself, and parents may have had a fuller picture in mind.
How many ways can Kayu be written in kanji?
Our data lists 2: 佳由 and 佳優. Other spellings exist, so ask how a person writes their own name before you write it for them.
How do you pronounce Kayu?
かゆ is 2 beats (か · ゆ) and かゆう is 3 beats (か · ゆ · う). 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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