Japan (English)

Where does "Japan" come from?

The name 'Japan' traces back to the Middle Chinese term 'nyit pwon,' meaning 'sun origin,' which signifies the nation's position to the east. This term traveled through Hokkien and Malay as 'Jepang' before reaching Portuguese and Dutch traders, who introduced their linguistic variations to the West. English speakers eventually adopted these adaptations in the 16th century, formalizing the name we use today.

Full etymology tree

• Japan (English), 'A country and archipelago of East Asia. Capital and largest city: Tokyo.'
  • borrowed Japão (Portuguese), 'Japan (a country and archipelago of East Asia)'
    • borrowed Jepang (Malay), 'Japan (a country and archipelago of East Asia)'
      • borrowed 日本 (Hokkien)
        • inherited 日本 (Middle Chinese)
  • influence Japan (Dutch), 'Japan (a country and archipelago of East Asia)'
    • borrowed Jepang (Malay), 'Japan (a country and archipelago of East Asia)'
      • borrowed 日本 (Hokkien)
        • inherited 日本 (Middle Chinese)

Direct ancestors

• Japan (Dutch)
• Jepang (Malay)
• - (Japanese)
• Nippon (English)
• Nihon (English)
• Nhật Bản (Vietnamese)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris