is a feminine Japanese given name which is occasionally spelled .

Possible writings

Naoko can be written using different

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and 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 ...

characters and can mean: *直子, "obedient, child" *尚子, "esteem, child" *奈緒子, "

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

, cord, child" *菜緒子, "greens, cord, child" *奈央子, "Nara, center, child" *菜穂子, "greens, ear (of grain), child" *奈保子, "Nara, keep, child" *奈生子, "Nara, fresh, child" The name can also be written in

hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...

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 name

*, Japanese tennis table player * Nahoko Kinoshita (菜穂子, born 1980), Japanese actress *

Nahoko Kojima (born October 2, 1981) is a contemporary Japanese paper cut artist. She started Kirie (Japanese Papercutting) under private tutelage at the age of 5 and continued throughout her formative years. In 1999 she moved to Tokyo and in 2004 she gradu ...

(奈保子, born 1981), Japanese paper cut artist *

Nahoko Uehashi (born July 15, 1962 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese writer, primarily of fantasy books, for which she has won many awards. Uehashi is also Professor of Ethnology at Kawamura Gakuen Women's University, having completed a PhD focusing on the Yamat ...

(菜穂子, born 1962), Japanese writer *

Naoko Hayashiba , who is also known by the pen name , is a Japanese writer and manga author from Fukuoka. She had a successful career as professional shogi player but quit during a sex scandal with another professional player, Makoto Nakahara, in 1995. Since t ...

(直子, born 1968), Japanese writer and shogi player * Naoko Iijima (直子, born 1968), Japanese actress *

Naoko Ishihara is a Japanese sports shooter from Kanuma. Her father was also a sports shooter. She competed in the women's skeet event at the 2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of ...

(奈央子, born 1974), Japanese sport shooter * Naoko Imoto (直歩子, born 1976), Japanese freestyle swimmer *

Naoko Ken (born July 7, 1953) is a Japanese singer and actress. She is well known for her comedy roles featuring idiosyncratic looks, and a string of successful torch songs that gained popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Biography In 1971, ...

(ナオコ, born 1953), Japanese singer and actress *

Naoko Kawai , (24 July 1963) is a 1980s era Japanese pop idol, singer-songwriter, and composer.『別冊近代映画　河合奈保子特集号』（近代映画社刊 1981年） Career Naoko was a regular on Kōhaku Uta Gassen, an annual television progr ...

(河合奈保子, born 1963), Japanese singer and actress *, Japanese tennis player *

Naoko Kouda , better known by the stage name , is a Japanese voice actress who works for Mausu Promotion. She graduated from Nihon University College of Art. Notable voice roles Anime *''Hidamari no Ki'' (2000) (Manjiro's Mother) *''Lupin III'': Bye-Bye L ...

(直子, born 1959), Japanese voice actress *, Japanese swimmer * Naoko Matsui (菜桜子, born 1961), Japanese voice actress *, Japanese swimmer * Naoko Mori (尚子, born 1971), Japanese actress *, Japanese field hockey player * Naoko Sakamoto (runner) (直子, born 1980), Japanese long-distance runner * Naoko Sakamoto (softball) (直子, born 1985), Japanese softball player * Naoko Sato (直子, born 1955), Japanese tennis player * Naoko Sawamatsu (奈生子, born 1973), Japanese professional tennis player * Naoko Takahashi (尚子, born 1972), Japanese long-distance runner *

Naoko Takeuchi is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known as the author of ''Sailor Moon'', one of the most popular manga series of all time. She has won several awards, including the 1993 Kodansha Manga Award for ''Sailor Moon''. Takeuchi is married to ...

(直子, born 1967), Japanese manga artist * Naoko Yamano (直子, born 1960), member of the Japanese rock trio ''Shonen Knife'' *

Naoko Yamazaki is a Japanese engineer and former astronaut at JAXA. She was the second Japanese woman to fly in space. The first was Chiaki Mukai. Early life Yamazaki was born Naoko Sumino in Matsudo City. She spent two years of her childhood in Sapporo. Af ...

(直子, born 1970), Japanese astronaut * Naoko Watanabe (菜生子, born 1959), Japanese voice actress * Naoko Watanabe (渡辺奈緒子, born 1984), Japanese actress who appeared in ''

Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...

'' *

Naoko Hashimoto Naoko Hashimoto (橋本直子 ''Hashimoto Naoko'', born July 11, 1984) is a Japanese volleyball player who plays for Il Bisonte Firenze. Career Hashimoto debuted with the senior national team in 2013. Clubs * Hisamitsu Springs (2003-2009) * ...

(born 1984), Japanese volleyball player *

Naoko Kamio is a Japanese suit actress. She is married to the suit actor, Hirofumi Fukuzawa. Partial filmography * ''Denji Sentai Megaranger'' as Mega Pink * ''Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack'' as Robotack * ''Mirai Sentai Timeranger'' as TimePink, Sion (stunt do ...

(born 1967), Japanese suit actor *

Naoko Funayama Naoko Funayama (Japanese: 船山直子, ''Funayama Naoko'') is a Japanese American sportscaster, who currently works for the New England Revolution. She previously served as a rinkside reporter for Boston Bruins games on New England Sports Networ ...

, Japanese American sportscaster * Naoko Yamada, (尚子, born 1984), Japanese animator and film director

Fictional characters

*Naoko (直子), character in the novel '' Norwegian Wood'' by

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

Naoko Akagi The Japanese anime television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' has an extensive cast of characters that were created by Gainax. The show's protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruits him to the shadowy organizati ...

(ナオコ), minor character in the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' *

Naoko Kamikishiro The ''Boogiepop'' series includes fourteen light novels, a live-action film, an anime, two manga, and several short stories. While most characters feature in multiple titles in the series, every new addition introduces many new characters. There ...

(直子), character in the light novel and manga ''Boogiepop and Others'' *Naoko Yamada (奈緒子), the main heroine of the Japanese TV drama series '' Trick'' *

Naoko Yanagisawa This article covers the major characters of Clamp's manga ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' and its respective anime and movies. The manga and anime focused on Japanese schoolgirl Sakura Kinomoto who finds the magical Clow Book in her father's basement study ...

(奈緒子), character in the anime and manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' *Naoko Satomi, a main character in the film ''

The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI. It was rele ...

'' * Naoko Kawamata, character in the film, ''The Grudge 3'' *Naoko, character in '' The Revenge of Shinobi'' (''The Super Shinobi'') *Naoko, a character in the anime series '' Bubblegum Crisis'' *Naoko Yasutani, a main character of the novel

A Tale for the Time Being ''A Tale for the Time Being'' is a metafictional novel by Ruth Ozeki narrated by two characters, a sixteen-year-old Japanese American girl living in Tokyo who keeps a diary, and a Japanese American writer living on an island off the coast of Bri ...

Ruth Ozeki Ruth Ozeki is an American-Canadian author, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. Her books and films, including the novels '' My Year of Meats'' (1998), '' All Over Creation'' (2003), '' A Tale for the Time Being'' (2013), and '' The Book of Form ...

{{given name Japanese feminine given names