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Gender Feminine
Usage Japanese
Scripts 弥生, 彌生, 八生, 也生, 弥代生, 彌代生, 八代生(Japanese Kanji) やよい(Japanese Hiragana) ヤヨイ(Japanese Katakana)
Pronounced Pron. YA-YO-EE  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

This name combines 弥/彌 (bi, mi, amaneshi, iya, iyoiyo, tooi, hisashi, hisa.shii, ya, wata.ru) meaning "increase," 八 (hachi, ya, ya(t).tsu, you) meaning "eight" or 也 (e, ya, ka, nari, mata), referring to nari, the classical form of "to be," with 生 (shou, sei, i.kiru, i.keru, -u, u.mare, o.u, ki, na.ru, ha.eru, yoi) meaning "birth, genuine, life."
The kanji 代 (tai, dai, ka.eru, ka.waru, kawa.ru, -gawa.ri, -ga.wari, shiro, yo), which means "age, generation," can be added in between 弥/彌 or 八.

As a word, Yayoi (弥生) is used as the traditional name for the month of March. It's also used as a name of a period of Japanese history going from around 300BC to 300AD, originally made up of 弥 (ya) and 生 (oi), which would literally mean "thick growth" when referring to, for example, grass.
Added 2/2/2015 by m4yb3_daijirou
Edited 3/8/2020 by Mike C and m4yb3_daijirou