Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Japanese.
Kenji is a boy's and girl's baby name of Japanese origin, with multiple possible writings in kanji, commonly meaning "strong and vigorous second son" (ken = healthy, ji = second) or "intelligent," depending on the characters chosen. It is one of the classic Japanese masculine names.
Kenji has been a familiar Japanese-origin name in American culture for decades, carried by multiple generations of Japanese-American families. Its clean, two-syllable sound works naturally in both Japanese and English-speaking contexts, making it an effortless bridge between cultures.