Nao (なお)

Nao is read なお and has 2 beats. Our data lists 2 spellings: 夏央 and 夏生. All two are feminine.

Reading

な·お (2 beats)

Kanji spellings

2 in our data

Gender

Feminine

Source

JMnedict, the open name dictionary

Kanji spellings of Nao

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

  • 夏央
    なお
    Feminine

    Summer + center

    • 夏— summer
    • 央— center
  • 夏生
    なお
    Feminine

    Summer + life

    • 夏— summer
    • 生— life

The kanji in Nao

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

  • 夏summer2 spellings
  • 央center1 spelling
  • 生life1 spelling

Nao with common surnames

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

Questions about Nao

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

In our data every spelling of Nao is feminine.

What does Nao mean?

Nao is a sound, so the meaning comes from the kanji: 夏央 reads as "summer + center" and 夏生 reads as "summer + life". Those come from what each kanji means by itself, and parents may have had a fuller picture in mind.

How many ways can Nao be written in kanji?

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

How do you pronounce Nao?

なお is 2 beats: な · お. 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.

Want a full name to go with it? Pick a style and generate a few.

Open the name generator