Entry № 2451 · Japanese origin

Tomoe Tomoe — Meaning, Origin & Baby Name Popularity

/ toh-MOH-eh /
Gender
Girl
Origin
Japanese
Meaning
"Onna-musha (samurai woman warrior of Genpei War)"
Syllables
3
Rank · US 2025
№ 0
First recorded
Medieval (Japanese)

A name that means "onna-musha (samurai woman warrior of genpei war)".

Tomoe (巴) is the Japanese word for the comma-shaped magatama swirl. **Tomoe Gozen (c. 1157-1247)** was the **onna-musha (woman warrior)** who fought alongside Minamoto no Yoshinaka during the **Genpei War (1180-1185)**. **The Tale of the Heike describes her as 'a thousand warriors' worth' — riding into battle in armor, taking heads, and surviving the war**. The most famous female samurai in Japanese history.

Featured throughout Japanese drama, film, and the manga *Drifters*.

Magatama swirl. The most famous female samurai — 'a thousand warriors' worth.'

The name in its native script.

Transliteration
Tomoe
Pronunciation
/ toʊˈmoʊ.ɛ /
Root
Grammatical form

Where Tomoe stands.

Current rank · 2025
№ 0 in the U.S.
All-time peak
№ 0 in 0
Babies named Tomoe · last year
87 in the U.S.
First entered SSA top-1000
0
Rank, 1995–2025 Lower = more popular
№25 №75 №150 №250 1995 2005 2015 2020 2025 PEAK · — NOW · —

Tomoes before her.

Real people
Tomoe Gozen
Onna-musha of the Genpei War.
c. 1157 – 1247
In fiction
Tomoe
The Tale of the Heike.

Names connected to Tomoe.

The number behind Tomoe.

4

The Builder

Tomoe reduces to four — the number of onna-musha.

Why families chose this name.

"Onna-musha. Five letters. Tomoe."
Yuki · Mother of one · Kyoto