Amaterasu
/AA-M-AA-T-EH-R-AA-S-UW/
She who illuminates heaven, the supreme sun goddess of the Shinto pantheon — Amaterasu is the celestial ancestor of the Japanese imperial line, the goddess who once retreated into a cave and plunged the world into darkness until the other deities coaxed her out with laughter and a mirror. Her name carries the authority of the sun itself and the Shinto teaching that even divine light needs community to shine
See Amaterasu scored for your familyMeaning & origin
Amaterasu is a girl's name of Japanese origin, traditionally used in Shinto families. The name means "She who illuminates heaven, the supreme sun goddess of the Shinto pantheon — Amaterasu is the celestial ancestor of the Japanese imperial line, the goddess who once retreated into a cave and plunged the world into darkness until the other deities coaxed her out with laughter and a mirror. Her name carries the authority of the sun itself and the Shinto teaching that even divine light needs community to shine" and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Common among Japanese families, Amaterasu carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Numerology of Amaterasu
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Amaterasu resonates in either tradition.
How Amaterasu sounds
NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Amaterasu breaks down into 9 phonemes: /AA-M-AA-T-EH-R-AA-S-UW/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Amaterasu — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
The six signals, applied to Amaterasu
NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Amaterasu maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.
Names similar to Amaterasu
If Amaterasu resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Shinto girl names, common in Japanese families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Shinto girl names from the Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Shinto girl names that open with the same syllables as Amaterasu
Common questions about Amaterasu
What does the name Amaterasu mean?
Amaterasu means "She who illuminates heaven, the supreme sun goddess of the Shinto pantheon — Amaterasu is the celestial ancestor of the Japanese imperial line, the goddess who once retreated into a cave and plunged the world into darkness until the other deities coaxed her out with laughter and a mirror. Her name carries the authority of the sun itself and the Shinto teaching that even divine light needs community to shine." It is a girl name of Japanese origin, traditionally used in Shinto families.
Is Amaterasu a boy or girl name?
Amaterasu is most commonly used as a girl name.
What is the origin of the name Amaterasu?
Amaterasu is of Japanese origin, used in Shinto tradition, commonly among Japanese families.
What are common nicknames for Amaterasu?
Common short forms of Amaterasu include Amati, Amat.
What is the numerology of Amaterasu?
Amaterasu has a Pythagorean destiny number of 9 — compassion and humanitarian service.
See how Amaterasu scores for your family
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