Motonari (もとなり)

Motonari is read もとなり and has 4 beats. Our data lists 2 spellings: 元就 and 基成. All two are masculine. Some of them are on our hand-reviewed list of everyday names.

Reading

も·と·な·り (4 beats)

Kanji spellings

2 in our data

Gender

Masculine

Source

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

Kanji spellings of Motonari

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

  • 元就
    もとなり
    CommonMasculine

    Origin achieved

    • 元(もと)— origin
    • 就(なり)— accomplish
  • 基成
    もとなり
    Masculine

    Foundation + become

    • 基(もと)— foundation
    • 成(なり)— become

The kanji in Motonari

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

  • 元origin1 spelling
  • 就accomplish1 spelling
  • 基foundation1 spelling
  • 成become1 spelling

Motonari with common surnames

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

Motonari on our lists

Topic pages that include a spelling of this name.

Ancient Japan NamesJapanese Emperor NamesLong Japanese NamesJapanese Samurai NamesHeroic Japanese NamesEdo Period Japanese Names

Questions about Motonari

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

In our data every spelling of Motonari is masculine.

What does Motonari mean?

Motonari is a sound, so the meaning comes from the kanji: 元就 reads as "origin achieved" and 基成 reads as "foundation + become". Those come from what each kanji means by itself, and parents may have had a fuller picture in mind.

How many ways can Motonari be written in kanji?

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

How do you pronounce Motonari?

もとなり is 4 beats: も · と · な · り. 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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