A name. A world of connections.

水

“water”

Language contexts for this entry: Japanese, Chinese

feminineHan script

Hear the name

Chinese

Origin: Old Japanese
2 language contexts: Japanese Chinese
Follow the evidence: 6 cited sources Source-reported

01 / Meaning & origin

About 水

水 is a feminine given name documented in Japanese and Chinese. English Wiktionary traces it to Old Japanese. Its character means “water” (KANJIDIC2).

2 source accounts

Old Japanese origin

Source-reported

Meaning: “water”

⟨mi₁du⟩ → */mʲidu/ → /mid͡zu/ → /mizu/ From Old Japanese. First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE. In turn, from Proto-Japonic *mentu. Ryukyuan cognates support the existence of the first vowel having an initial mid vowel. Possibly cognate with 瑞 (mizu, “freshness, youth”).

Sources for this account (4)

Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5423468CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
French Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
KANJIDIC2: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-288 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Explore 1 more accountHide additional accountsSource accounts may describe the same origin.

Late Middle Chinese originSource-reported/ɕuwi/ → */suwi/ → /sui/ From Middle Chinese 水 (MC sywijX). Compare modern Mandarin 水 (shuǐ), modern Hakka 水 (súi).

/ɕuwi/ → */suwi/ → /sui/ From Middle Chinese 水 (MC sywijX). Compare modern Mandarin 水 (shuǐ), modern Hakka 水 (súi).

Sources for this account (1)

Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Documented usage

View usage notes (1)

Feminine usage in Japanese · Wiktionary: 水

Explore all 2 language contexts

Linguistic usage labels come from name dictionaries. They are separate from the sex categories recorded in statistical files.

Spelling and script

Written form “水” in the Han script. Wikidata item Q75820688.

Transliterations (search aids): Akua, Aoi, Io, Midu, Mina, Minamo, Minato, Mizu, Mizuki, Seoi², Sêu², Séui, Shoei, Shuěi, Shui, Shuǐ, Shui³, Soey², Sui, Suí, Súi, Sui, Thủy, Tsúi, Yoshimi, 수, あおい, あくあ, いお, すい, すい, みず, みずき, みな, みなと, みなも, よしみ, ㄕㄨㄟˇ.

All pronunciation details (5)

[mʲizɨ] — Japanese
[sɨi] — Japanese
\ʂu̯eɪ̯˨˩˦\ — Chinese
\sɵy˩˥\ — Chinese (Cantonese)
\ɕˠiuɪˣ\ — Chinese (Medieval Chinese)

02 / Across borders

Where 水 is used

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

The name atlas

Across borders

countries in our sources

Select a country to follow 水’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

2 of 2 countries

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

No historical attestations or sourced notable bearers are recorded yet. Historical databases are being evaluated for reuse permission; nothing is listed until a record can be cited.

A little story to keep

A name worth keeping.

Take the story of 水 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 forms5

Wikidata Q75820688CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5423468CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
French Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
KANJIDIC2: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-288 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Pronunciation recordingsAudio credits and individual recording licences1

Wikimedia Commons: File:LL-Q9192 (cmn)-雲角-水.wavCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15

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 水

水 is a feminine given name documented in Japanese and Chinese. English Wiktionary traces it to Old Japanese. Its character means “water” (KANJIDIC2).

2 source accounts

Old Japanese origin

Source-reported

Meaning: “water”

Sources for this account (4)

Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5423468CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
French Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
KANJIDIC2: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-288 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Explore 1 more accountHide additional accountsSource accounts may describe the same origin.

Late Middle Chinese originSource-reported/ɕuwi/ → */suwi/ → /sui/ From Middle Chinese 水 (MC sywijX). Compare modern Mandarin 水 (shuǐ), modern Hakka 水 (súi).

/ɕuwi/ → */suwi/ → /sui/ From Middle Chinese 水 (MC sywijX). Compare modern Mandarin 水 (shuǐ), modern Hakka 水 (súi).

Sources for this account (1)

Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Documented usage

View usage notes (1)

Feminine usage in Japanese · Wiktionary: 水

Explore all 2 language contexts

Linguistic usage labels come from name dictionaries. They are separate from the sex categories recorded in statistical files.

Spelling and script

Written form “水” in the Han script. Wikidata item Q75820688.

All pronunciation details (5)

[mʲizɨ] — Japanese
[sɨi] — Japanese
\ʂu̯eɪ̯˨˩˦\ — Chinese
\sɵy˩˥\ — Chinese (Cantonese)
\ɕˠiuɪˣ\ — Chinese (Medieval Chinese)

Where 水 is used

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

The name atlas

Across borders

countries in our sources

Select a country to follow 水’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

2 of 2 countries

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 forms5

Wikidata Q75820688CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
JMnedict entry 5423468CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-10-15 · retrieved 2026-10-15
French Wiktionary: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
KANJIDIC2: 水CC-BY-SA-4.0 · rev. 2026-288 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Pronunciation recordingsAudio credits and individual recording licences1

Wikimedia Commons: File:LL-Q9192 (cmn)-雲角-水.wavCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15

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 水

Old Japanese origin

Where 水 is used

Across borders

Japan

Popularity over time

History

Related names

Different forms. Shared stories.

Meet the family

Related names in the catalogue

A name worth keeping.

Sources for this page

A story to pass on.

About 水

Old Japanese origin

Where 水 is used

Across borders

Japan

Popularity over time

History

Related names

Different forms. Shared stories.

Meet the family

Related names in the catalogue

A name worth keeping.

Sources for this page