Kaoru is a Japanese

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

for males and females.

Name Meanings

The name's meaning varies depending on its written form: *薫/郁 — "fragrance", common for both males and females *馨/香 — "fragrance", more common for females *かおる —　purely phonetic form 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", ...

; no inherent meaning *かをる — same as above, using を as an archaic substitute for お *カオル — phonetic form in

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 ...

As a distinctly unisex name, its usage in popular culture has risen in recent years to give the named character an air of androgyny. Such characters commonly have overt androgynous qualities as well. A similar name, in terms of both pronunciation and meaning, is

Kaori Kaori ( "scent/aroma, fabric/weave" and occasionally rendered "perfume", ) is a feminine Japanese name, Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *Kaori (voice actress) (born 1976), Japanese voice actress and singer *, musician ...

. It is used exclusively for females.

People

* Kaoru 薫 (m) (one of the guitarists of

Dir En Grey Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitari ...

) *

Kaoru Abe (May 3, 1949 – September 9, 1978) was a Japanese avant-garde alto saxophonist. Self-taught at a young age, Abe performed with notables such as Motoharu Yoshizawa, Takehisa Kosugi, Yosuke Yamashita, Derek Bailey, and Milford Graves, altho ...

阿部薫 (m) (free Jazz saxophonist) *, Japanese film director, producer and editor * Kaoru Akimoto (秋元薫) Born: 1964, Japanese singer-songwriter.She was also a vocalist for the band SHAMBARA. She was discovered while participating as a backup vocalist for Matsutoya Yumi's live tour in 1983. * Kaoru Fujino (かほる), voice actor *, Japanese speed skater *

Kaoru Hasuike is a Japanese citizen who was abducted by North Korean spies along with his girlfriend Yukiko Okudo. They were abducted from their hometown of Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture on July 19, 1978. Hasuike was a law student at the time. During th ...

薫 (m) (academic, writer, translator, and Japanese national once abducted by North Korea) * Kaoru Hatoyama (1888–1982), Japanese educator * Kaoru Ide, Japanese architect * Kaoru Ikeya 薫 (m) (astronomer) * Kaoru Inoue 馨 (m) (statesman) *

Kaoru Ishibashi Kaoru Dill-Ishibashi (born November 4, 1975), who performs as Kishi Bashi, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and Emmy-nominated award winning filmmaker currently based in Athens, Georgia. He was a founding member of Jupit ...

(m) (musician, Kishi Bashi) *

Kaoru Ishikawa was a Japanese organizational theorist and a professor in the engineering faculty at the University of Tokyo who was noted for his quality management innovations. He is considered a key figure in the development of quality initiatives in Japan, ...

(m) (business theorist, developer of the

Ishikawa diagram Ishikawa diagrams (also called fishbone diagrams, herringbone diagrams, cause-and-effect diagrams) are causal diagrams created by Kaoru Ishikawa that show the potential causes of a specific event. Common uses of the Ishikawa diagram are produc ...

) *, Japanese musician *

Kaoru Kurimoto was the pen name of , a Japanese novelist. Imaoka also used the pen name to write criticism and music. She was known for her record-breaking 130-volume ''Guin Saga'' series, which has been translated into English, German, French, Italian and Ru ...

(1953–2009), Japanese novelist * Kaoru Kobayashi (m) (actor) *

Kaoru Maeda is a Japanese people, Japanese retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler better known by the ring name KAORU (stylized in all capital letters). Billed as the "Original Hardcore Queen", Kaoru is known for her wrestling style, which co ...

薫 (f) (professional wrestler) *, Japanese sport shooter *

Kaoru Mitoma is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a left winger for club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Japan national team. He is best known for his dribbling ability. Club career Early years Born in Hita, Ōita, Mitoma eventually moved ...

(m), Japanese footballer *

Kaoru Mori is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo and the creator of the manga series '' Shirley'', '' Emma'', and '' A Bride's Story''. Many of her works are centered on female characters in the 19th century, such as a maid in Victorian Britain and a brid ...

薫 (f) (manga author) *, Japanese lawyer and judge *

Kaoru Otsuki Kaoru Otsuki (; 6 August 1888 – 21 December 1970) was a Japanese woman known for being the second wife of Sun Yat-sen, the founder and first president of the Republic of China. Biography Kaoru was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, J ...

(1888–1970), Japanese politician *

Kaoru Shima Kaoru Shima (Japanese –島薫)(1897–1977) was a Japanese physician. He was the first director of Shima Hospital, located at the hypocenter of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He is known as the "father of the Hiroshima Surgical Society". ...

(島薫, 1897–1977), Japanese physician *, Japanese voice actress * Kaoru Sugayama かおる (f) (volleyball player) *, Japanese female badminton player * Kaoru Tada (1960–1999), Japanese manga artist *, Japanese novelist and essayist *, Japanese footballer * Kaoru Uno 薫 (m) (mixed martial artist) * Kaoru Usui 薫 (m) (photographer) * Kaoru Kimura (f) Japanese astronomy educator; President, International Planetarium Society 2021-22 *

Kaoru Wada is a Japanese composer and arranger. He has composed the scores for many anime series, including '' Inuyasha'', ''D.Gray-man'', '' Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas'', '' Samurai 7'' and, more recently, '' Tesla Note''. He also became known to the W ...

薫 (m) (composer) *, Japanese basketball player *

Kaoru Yachigusa was a Japanese people, Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture. From 1947 to 1957, she was a member of the Takarazuka Revue. After leaving the revue, she was active in film, television, and Dubbing (filmmaking), narration. She famously quit part ...

(1931–2019), Japanese actress *

Kaoru Yosano (August 22, 1938 – May 23, 2017) was a Japanese politician. He was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Sunrise Party of Japan and former member of the House of Representatives, serving his ninth term in the Lower House represe ...

馨 (m) (politician)

Fictional characters

*Kaoru (f) - ''

Rilakkuma and Kaoru is a Stop motion, stop-motion animation television series created by Dwarf Studio in cooperation with San-X, based on the Rilakkuma character franchise. The series premiered on Netflix on April 19, 2019. In October 2020, it was renewed for a se ...

'' *Kaoru Toki 時カオル (f) - ''

Seitokai Yakuindomo is a Japanese four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Tozen Ujiie. It ran in Kodansha's ''Magazine Special'' from May 2007 to June 2008. It was then transferred to Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', where it ran from July ...

'' *Kaoru (m) - '' Uninhabited Planet Survive!'' * Kaoru Akashi (f) - ''

Zettai Karen Children ''Psychic Squad'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takashi Shiina. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from July 2005 to July 2021, with its chapters collec ...

'' *Kaoru (f) - '' Daughter of Smoke and Bone'' * Kaoru Amane 薫 (f) - '' Taiyou no Uta'' *Kaoru Asahina (m) - '' Junjo Romantica'' *Fujiwara no Kaoru a.k.a. Murasaki Shikibu (m) - ''Akane-sasu Sekai de Kimi to Utau'' * Kaoru Genji 薫 (m) - ''

Tale of Genji Tale may refer to: * Narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fa ...

'' * Kaoru Hanabishi (m) - ''

Ai Yori Aoshi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kou Fumizuki. The manga was serialized in Hakusensha's manga magazine '' Young Animal'' magazine from 1998 to 2005 and the chapters collected into 17 volumes. It is a love story b ...

'' *

Kaoru Hitachiin This is a list of characters from the manga series ''Ouran High School Host Club'', created by Bisco Hatori. Ouran Academy is an elite upper school catering to the ultra-rich. Haruhi Fujioka is a middle-class scholarship student, a rarity at the ...

馨 (m) - ''

Ouran High School Host Club is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Bisco Hatori. It was serialized in Hakusensha's '' LaLa'' magazine between the September 2002 and November 2010 issues. The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ou ...

'' *Kaoru Hondobou (m) - '' Gyakuten Saiban 3'' *Kaoru Ichijo 薫 (m) - ''

Kamen Rider Kuuga is a Japanese tokusatsu television series. It is the tenth installment of the popular Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows and the first of the series to air entirely in the Heisei period, as well as the first standalone Kamen Rider TV series sin ...

'' * Kaoru Kaidoh 薫 (m) - ''

Prince of Tennis is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from July 1999 to March 2008, with its chapters collected in 42 volumes. Viz Media licensed t ...

'' *Kaoru Kameyama (m) - ''

Aibō is a Japanese television detective series that first aired on TV Asahi on June 3, 2000. It has been adapted into six films: '' AIBOU: The Movie'' (2008), ''AIBOU: CSI Files'' (2009), '' AIBOU: The Movie II'' (2010), ''AIBOU: X-DAY'' (2013), '' A ...

'' * Kaoru Kamiya 薫 (f) - ''

Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins in 1878, the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan, and follows a former assassin of the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against ...

'' *Kaoru Kiryuu 薫 (f) - ''

Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star , also known as ''Pretty Cure Splash Star,'' is a magical girl anime series produced by Toei Animation that aired on TV Asahi between February 5, 2006 and January 28, 2007. It is the third series in Izumi Todo's '' Pretty Cure'' metaser ...

'' *Kaoru Kiryūin (m) - ''

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the third of three rhythm games developed by iNiS for the DS, and is the sequel to '' Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' while incorp ...

'' *

Kaoru Kishimoto The plot of ''Hikaru no Go'' revolves around the Japanese Go world. Several of the manga's prominent characters hold Go titles. The title holder is then called by a combination of their name and the title they hold. In the case of a multiple titl ...

薫 (m) - ''

Hikaru no Go is a Japanese manga series based on the board game Go (game), Go, written by Yumi Hotta and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The production of the series' Go games was supervised by Go professional Yukari Umezawa. It was serialized in Shueis ...

'' * Kaoru Koganei 薰 (m) - ''

Flame of Recca is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Anzai. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from March 1995 to January 2002, with its chapters collected in 33 volumes. The series was adapted into a 4 ...

'' *Kaoru Kondo (f) - ''Saido Kā ni Inu'' *Kaoru Kumada (熊) - ''

Kiteretsu Daihyakka is a Japanese manga series by , which ran in the children's magazine ''Chagurin, Kodomo no Hikari'' from April 1974 to July 1977. The manga was later made into an animated anthology television special which aired in 1987 on Fuji Television ...

'' *Kaoru Kurusu (m) - Uta no Prince-Sama *Kaoru Maki カオル (f) - ''Puella Magi Kazumi Magica'' *Kaoru Matoba 薫 (m) - Area no Kishi *Kaoru Matsubara 松原かおる (f) - ''

Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z is a 2006 Japanese anime television series created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Toei Animation. Planned by Cartoon Network and produced by TV Tokyo, Aniplex, and Toei Animation, the series is directed by Iku Ishiguro, with Yoshio U ...

'' * Kaoru Matsutake 香 (m) - ''

Mirmo! ''Mirmo! Zibang'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromu Shinozuka. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine '' Ciao'' from August 2001 to December 2005, with its chapters collected in twe ...

'' * Kaoru Mitarai (f) - '' Pita Ten'' *

Kaworu Nagisa , real name , is a fictional character from the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. In the original television series, he is the pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 02 for the special agency Nerv, as well as the ...

渚カヲル (m) - ''

Neon Genesis Evangelion , also known as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and Tatsunoko Production, and directed by Hideaki Anno. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from October 1995 to March 1 ...

'' * Kaoru Ōba (Wendy Oldbag) (f) - '' Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney'' * Kaoru Orihara (also known as "Kaoru-no-kimi") (f) - '' Oniisama e...'' * Kaoru Saionji (m) - ''

Gakuen Heaven is a Japanese media franchise originating from the Windows game ''Gakuen Heaven: Boy's Love Scramble'', originally released by the company SPRAY. The franchise gradually expanded to include more games, drama CDs, manga, and anime. Plot K ...

'' *Kaoru Saegusa (f) -'' Tokusou Robo Janperson'' *Kaoru Sakurazuka (m) - '' Yin-Yang! X-Change Alternative'' *Kaoru Sasakura (f) -'' Marumo no Okite'' *Kaoru Sayama (f) -'' Yakuza 2'' & ''

Yakuza 3 ''Yakuza 3'' is a 2009 action-adventure game developed and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3. The third main entry in the '' Like a Dragon series'', it was released in Japan and South East Asia on February 26, 2009, and in North America an ...

'' *Kaoru Seo (m) - ''

Sekirei is a Japanese manga series by Sakurako Gokurakuin. The manga was serialized in Square Enix's manga magazine '' Young Gangan'' between December 2004 and August 2015. A special epilogue volume to the manga was serialized in the same magazi ...

'' *Kaoru Shiba (f) - ''

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger is the title of Toei Company's thirty-third entry in its long-running Super Sentai metaseries of Japanese tokusatsu television series. It aired from February 15, 2009, to February 7, 2010, replacing '' Engine Sentai Go-onger'' and was replaced b ...

'' *Kaoru Sugimura (m) - '' Nana to Kaoru'' *Kaoru Tsukishita (m) - '' Holostars *Kaoru Watabe (f) - '' King of Fighters 97'' * Kaoru Yamazaki 山崎薫 (m) - '' Welcome to the NHK'' *Kaoru Mido (f) - '' Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase'' * Kaoru Ichihara 壱原かおる (f) - '' Mahou No Princess Club! De Javu!'' * Kaoru Kirishima (m) - '' Our Two Bedroom Love Story'' *Kaoru Nagumo (m) - ''

Hakuouki is a Japanese ''otome'' video game series by Idea Factory, first released for the PlayStation 2 on the 18th September 2008 and ported to many other platforms. It has been adapted into an anime series by Studio Deen; the first series wa ...

'' *Kaoru Seta 瀬田薫 (f) - ''

BanG Dream! ''BanG Dream!'', also known as , is a Japanese music media franchise owned by Bushiroad. Created by Bushiroad president Takaaki Kidani in January 2015 with original story by Kō Nakamura, the project began as a manga before ex ...

'' *Kaoru Sakurayashiki (m) - '' SK8 the Infinity'' *Kaoru Hakaze 羽風薫 (m) - ''

Ensemble Stars! is a Japanese game franchise developed by Cacalia Studio and published by Happy Elements K.K., the Japanese division of the Chinese company Happy Elements. It is a spin-off of the 2012 game '' Ensemble Girls!'' It was first released as a li ...

'' *Kaoru Sakuraba (m) - ''

The Idolmaster SideM is a Japanese multimedia spin-off series of ''The Idolmaster'', starting with a 2014 game and expanding to include music CDs, two anime series, a web radio show, printed manga, and a rhythm game. The series focuses on the male idols of 31 ...

'' All names (except for Fujiwara no Kaoru and Kamiya Kaoru) are in western naming order.

Name Meanings

People

Fictional characters

References

See also