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 familyQuick — what every parent wants to know about Amaterasu:
Yes — Amaterasu is a Shinto girl name of Japanese origin, meaning “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”.
How well does Amaterasu fit your family?
This page tells you what Amaterasu means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against the names already in your family, your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
Unlock Amaterasu's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family, not in the abstract:
Meaning & 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.
What would a baby named Amaterasu look like?
NameRoot imagines a one-of-a-kind AI baby portrait for every name, shaped by its heritage — the features, the colouring, the feeling a name like Amaterasu carries. No two are alike.
See Amaterasu's portrait — and its full score — the moment you open the app.
See Amaterasu's baby portrait →What does Amaterasu's numerology say?
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.
Amaterasu's destiny number is 9 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Amaterasu's full reading →
Does Amaterasu go with your family's names?
Amaterasu breaks into 9 sounds: /AA-M-AA-T-EH-R-AA-S-UW/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Amaterasu sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Amaterasu beside your family's names →
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Amaterasu — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
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
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Amaterasu — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
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.
Is Amaterasu a Shinto name?
Yes. Amaterasu is a girl name traditionally used in Shinto families, of Japanese origin.
What does Amaterasu mean in Japanese?
Amaterasu originates from Japanese, where it 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."
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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