Kenji — Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

Kenji is a boys' name of Japanese origin, meaning "intelligent second son; strong". Kenji Miyazawa's poetry — 'intelligent and strong' in kanji.

Style & feel. With international on its style card, Kenji sits comfortably in the modern naming landscape — familiar enough that nobody misreads it, distinctive enough that your child won't share it with three classmates. At 2 syllables, it flows across most middle-name combinations and survives every life stage from playground to résumé.

Pairing ideas. Kenji pairs naturally with one- and two-syllable middles (Hiro, Ren share its sound-world). If you like Kenji, you'll probably also love Hiro, Ren, Yuki — same era, same energy, same bone structure.