A name. A world of connections.

巌

“boulder; crag” + “ear of grain”

Language context for this entry: Japanese

masculineHan script

[iβ̞a̠o̞] · Japanese

Origin: Old Japanese
1 language context: Japanese
Follow the evidence: 4 cited sources Source-reported

01 / Meaning & origin

About 巌

巌 is a masculine given name documented in Japanese. English Wiktionary traces it to Old Japanese, from the components “boulder; crag” + “ear of grain”.

Old Japanese origin

Source-reported

Meaning: “boulder; crag” + “ear of grain”

/ipa po/ → /ifafo/ → /iwawo/ → /iwao/ From Old Japanese. Found in the Man'yōshū finished some time after 759 CE. Originally a compound of 岩 (ipa → iwa, “boulder; crag”) + 秀 (po → ho, “something tall and prominent”, cognate with 穂 (ho, “ear of grain”), from the sense of something prominent sticking upwards). The character is Japanese shinjitai, simplified from 巖.

Sources for this account (3)

Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5194139CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Turkish Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

02 / Across borders

Where 巌 is used

Explore published naming statistics and documented language connections around the world.

The name atlas

Across borders

country in our sources

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0 countries with published statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.

Selected country

Japan

Language records

Documented as a given name in Japanese.

Explore Japan

1 of 1 country

03 / By the numbers

Popularity over time

Follow the spelling through the years, one published dataset at a time.

No official statistics are imported for this spelling. No statistical dataset covering this spelling has been imported yet. See data coverage.

04 / Through time

History

Notable bearers

People recorded with this given name in Wikidata. Their names may use a different spelling, or include it as a middle or baptismal name.

Ōyama Iwao
1842–1916
Japanese general (1842-1916)
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Iwao Yamane
born 1976
Japanese association football player
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Iwao Hakamata
born 1936
Japanese boxer and prisoner
Wikipedia Wikidata source

A little story to keep

A name worth keeping.

Take the story of 巌 with you. Create a personal name passport with its meaning, roots and connections.

06 / Behind the facts

Sources for this page

Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.

Name origins & languageDictionaries, name records and related forms4

Wikidata Q124650585CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5194139CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Turkish Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.

Opening name…

About 巌

巌 is a masculine given name documented in Japanese. English Wiktionary traces it to Old Japanese, from the components “boulder; crag” + “ear of grain”.

Old Japanese origin

Source-reported

Meaning: “boulder; crag” + “ear of grain”

Sources for this account (3)

Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5194139CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Turkish Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

Where 巌 is used

Explore published naming statistics and documented language connections around the world.

The name atlas

Across borders

country in our sources

Select a country to follow 巌’s connections around the world.

0 countries with published statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.

Selected country

Japan

Language records

Documented as a given name in Japanese.

Explore Japan

1 of 1 country

History

Notable bearers

People recorded with this given name in Wikidata. Their names may use a different spelling, or include it as a middle or baptismal name.

Ōyama Iwao
1842–1916
Japanese general (1842-1916)
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Iwao Yamane
born 1976
Japanese association football player
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Iwao Hakamata
born 1936
Japanese boxer and prisoner
Wikipedia Wikidata source

Sources for this page

Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.

Name origins & languageDictionaries, name records and related forms4

Wikidata Q124650585CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5194139CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Turkish Wiktionary: 巌CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.

A story to pass on.

About 巌

Old Japanese origin

Where 巌 is used

Across borders

Japan

Popularity over time

History

Notable bearers

Ōyama Iwao

Iwao Yamane

Iwao Hakamata

Related names

A name worth keeping.

Sources for this page

A story to pass on.

About 巌

Old Japanese origin

Where 巌 is used

Across borders

Japan

Popularity over time

History

Notable bearers

Ōyama Iwao

Iwao Yamane

Iwao Hakamata

Related names

A name worth keeping.

Sources for this page