Here are some common Japanese names that translate to or relate to death:
Shinigami is perhaps the most well-known name related to death in Japanese culture. Shinigami directly translates to "death god" and refers to the beings in Japanese folklore that bring about death. They are portrayed as spectral beings that quietly wait for their time to collect the souls of the dead.
Kinu is a feminine name meaning "silken cords used for binding dead bodies." It derives its meaning from the tradition of binding the wrists and ankles of deceased individuals before burial. While grim in literal translation, the name takes on a more somber beauty when considering Japanese funeral traditions.
Mort is the Japanese word for "death" but can also be written with different kanji to form masculine names. Names like Motohide and Motonari use one kanji for "origin" or "basis" paired with the kanji for "hide/conceal" or "harvest/gain" to reference the beginning and end of life without directly using the kanji for "death."
Names containing the kanji for nemesis, ruin, or misfortune can relate to death indirectly. Makoto means "sincerity" but is also composed of kanji that translate to "bullet" or "spear," weapons that can end life. Masaru uses kanji meaning "to surpass" but also contains a kanji relating to misfortune, alluding to surpassing death.
Feminine names like Nakiko mean "middle child" but the kanji used for "child" is the same that means "hell" in reference to the Buddhist concept of reincarnation cycles. Names containing kanji for ghost 👻 or spirit 🍃 implicitly reference the afterlife without outright stating death.
Overall, Japanese names relating to death emphasize the natural cycle of life instead of focusing on death as the sole end. Their meanings reference cultural traditions surrounding death and the afterlife in a poetic versus direct manner. While sobering in translation, names pull double-duty celebrating life and its inevitable conclusion through nuanced kanji choices and folkloric references 💐. - https://impeccablenestdesign.com/name-meaning/the-secret-meanings-behind-japanese-names-that-mean-death/