is a very common

Japanese given name in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name. Japanese names are usually written in kanji, where the pronunciation follows a special set of rules. Because parents when naming children, and foreigners when adoptin ...

used by either sex.

Written forms

Yū can be written using different

kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

characters and can mean: *優, "tenderness" or "superiority" *夕, "evening" *友, "friend" *有, "qualified" *勇, "courage" *祐, "help" *裕, "abundant" *雄, "masculine" *悠, "permanence" *由宇, "reason, eaves" *侑, "assist" The name can also be written in

hiragana is a Japanese language, Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' means "common" or "plain" kana (originally also "easy", ...

katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...

People

;with the given name Yū * Yu Aida (裕), a Japanese manga artist and illustrator * Yū Aoi (優), a Japanese actress * Yū Asagiri (夕), a Japanese manga artist *

Yū Asakawa is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She also provides the voice samples for Crypton Future Media's Vocaloid voice synthesiser software, Megurine Luka. Asakawa is currently a freelance voice actress and was previ ...

(悠, born 1975), a Japanese voice actress * Yu Darvish (有), an Iranian-Japanese starting pitcher *, Japanese footballer * Yū Hayami (優), a Japanese pop singer and actress * Yū Hasebe (優), a Japanese actress, singer and model * Yū Hayashi (勇), a Japanese voice actor and singer * Yuu Kashii (由宇), a Japanese actress and model * Yuu Kikkawa (友), a Japanese pop singer * Yū Kikumura (憂), a member of the Japanese Red Army *, Japanese boxer *, Japanese footballer * Yū Kobayashi (ゆう, born 1982), a Japanese voice actress *, Japanese footballer * Yū Koyama (ゆう), a Japanese manga artist *, Japanese artistic gymnast *, Japanese sport wrestler *

Yuu Miyake is a Japanese composer and sound engineer who formerly worked at Bandai Namco Entertainment. His most known work surfaced with '' Katamari Damacy'' soundtracks, on which he served as a sound director. Other notable works include various tracks in ...

(優), a Japanese composer and sound engineer *

Yū Mizushima is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He is the Japanese voice-over for Sammo Hung, and is the Japanese voice of Wakko. In the 1980s, He proved to be a popular choice for many Japanese animation studios for the roles of male heart-t ...

(裕), a Japanese voice actor * Yu Nakajima (悠), a Japanese Rubik's Cube solver *, Japanese women's footballer * Yu Narukami (悠), a Japanese detective and fighter *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese voice actress and singer *, usually written You Shiina, Japanese illustrator and manga artist * Yū Shimaka (裕), a Japanese voice actor *, Japanese voice actress * Yuu Shirota (優), a Japanese-Spanish actor and singer * Yuu Shiroyama (優), real name of The Gazette's guitarist Aoi * Yū Sugimoto (ゆう), a Japanese voice actress *

Yu Suzuki is a Japanese game designer, producer, programmer, and engineer, who headed Sega's AM2 team for 18 years. Considered one of the first auteurs of video games, he has been responsible for a number of Sega's arcade hits, including three-dimensi ...

(裕), a Japanese game designer and producer * Yu Takahashi (高橋優), a Japanese singer-songwriter * Yū Terashima (優), a Japanese manga artist * Yu Todoroki (悠), a Japanese Takarasienne * Yū Wakui: (和久井優), a Japanese voice actress * Yuu Watase (悠宇), a Japanese shōjo manga artist * Yuu Yabuuchi (優), a Japanese manga artist * Yu Yagami (裕), a Japanese manga artist * Yu Yamada (優), a Ryukyuan model, actress, and singer * Yu Yokoyama (裕), a member of the Japanese idol group ''Kanjani8''

Fictional characters

;with the given name Yū * Yuu Asou (麻生優雨), a character from the '' Fatal Frame III: The Tormented'' video game series * '' Yu Ishigami'' (石上優), a character from the manga series '' Kaguya-sama: Love is War'' * Yu Kajima (カジマ), a character from the ''

Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ...

'' anime series * Yū Kanda (ユウ), a main character in the manga series '' D.Gray-man'' * Yuu Kashima (遊), a character from the Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun anime series * Yu Kirasawa, a character from '' Ultraman Nexus'' known as the "Illustrator" * Yū Komori (ユウ), a main character in '' Spider-Man: The Manga'' * Yū Koito (小糸侑), the main character from the anime '' Bloom into You'' * Yū Kōtari (神足ユウ), a character from the '' BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER'' anime series * Yuu Matsuura (遊), a central character in the shōjo manga series ''

Marmalade Boy is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Wataru Yoshizumi. It was published in Shueisha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Ribon'' from May 1992 to October 1995 and collected in eight ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series was adapt ...

'' * Yū Nanba (難波悠), a supporting character and party member in '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon'' * Yu Narukami (鳴上悠), the main protagonist from the video game ''

Persona 4 is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the ''Persona (series), Persona'' series, itself a part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise, and was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in Ju ...

'' * ''Yū Naruse (usually called Yuu-chan), a main character in the manga WataMote'' * Yū Nishinoya (夕), a character from the

Haikyū!! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from February 2012 to July 2020, with its chapters collected in 45 volumes. The story f ...

anime series * Yu Ominae (優), the main character of the manga series '' Spriggan'' * Yuu Otosaka (乙坂有宇), a character from the anime television series '' Charlotte'' * , a character from the anime series '' Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club'' * Yū Tendo (天童遊), a character from the anime series '' Beyblade: Metal Fusion'' * Yū, a character from '' Dōbutsu no Mori (film)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Yu Japanese unisex given names