Sentai Name Inspirations

This article is about a naming motifs in the Super Sentai series.

Sentai members sometimes follow certain naming conventions. Most commonly their names either form a certain word or contain their colors.

Gorenger

The Gorengers' names (Kaijo, Shinmei, Oiwa, Peggy, Asuka) form the word Cassiopeia (カシオペア kashiopea), a constellation that weakens the Black Cross Führer.

Denziman

Each Denziman member has their respective color in their surname.

• Akagi Ippei
• Oume Daigoro
• Kiyama Jun
• Midorikawa Tatsuya
• Momoi Akira

Sun Vulcan

The names of the Sun Vulcan refer to the animals they're based on.

• Owashi Ryusuke: Washi means "eagle"
• Hiba Takayuki: the kanji in Hiba mean "flying feather"
• Samejima Kinya: Same means "shark"
• Hyo Asao: Hyo means "leopard"

Goggle-V

Each Goggle-V member has their respective color in their surname.

• Akama Kenichi
• Kuroda Kanpei
• Aoyama Saburo
• Kijima Futoshi
• Momozono Miki

Changeman

Each Changeman is named based on their mythological animal motif and the element they possess.

• Hiryu Tsurugi: His given name means "Flying Dragon" and his surname is "Sword".
• Sho Hayate: His surname can be translated into any form of wind storm (like "hurricane" or "gale" ).
• Yuma Ozora: His surname can be translated to "Great Sky" and his given name into "Courageous Horse".
• Sayaka Nagisa: Her surname can be translated to "Beach", and her given name into "bright."
• Mai Tsubasa: Her given name can translated into "linen cloth", while her surname can be translated as "wings".

Megaranger

The names of the Megarangers spell out the word DENJI

• Date Kenta
• Endou Koichiro
• Namiki Shun
• Jougasaki Chisato
• Imamura Miku

Gaoranger

The Gaorangers' surnames contain their respective Power Animals.

• Shishi Kakeru: Shishi means "lion"
• Washio Gaku: Washi means "eagle"
• Samezu Kai: Same means "shark"
• Ushigome Sotaro: Ushi means "cattle"
• Taiga Sae: While her name contains different kanji, Taiga phonetically sounds like the word "tiger" (タイガー Taigā)
• Ogami Tsukumaro: While his name contains different kanji, Ogami sounds similar to the Japanese word for "wolf" (狼 Ōkami)

Hurricaneger

Hurricaneger

• Their surname's first kana form the word Shinobi (Shiina Nono Bitou)
  • Yosuke Shiina (椎（しい）名（な）　鷹（ヨウ）介（すけ）, Shiina Yōsuke): Chinquapin-Name Hawk-Care. HurricaneRed is hawk-themed, and red-tailed hawks live in Chinquapin mounts. 'Suke' is an usual Japanese name suffix.
  • Nanami Nono (野（の）乃（の）　七（なな）海（み）, Nono Nanami): Plain-Of Seven-Seas. HurricaneBlue is water element-themed, water is linked to the sea. 'Nono' is a Japanese usual surname and has no link with seas|aside from the fact that seas are plain).
  • Kota Bito (尾（ビ）藤（トウ）　吼（コウ）太（タ）, Bitō Kōta): Tail-Wisteria Roar-Fat. HurricaneYellow is lion-themed, lions have tail that looks like a wisteria flower, and lions are fat animals that roar.

Gouraiger

• Ikkou Kasumi (霞（かすみ）　一（イッ）甲（コウ）, Kasumi Ikkō): Haze One-Armor. KabutoRaiger is rhino beetle-themed since Kabutomushi (甲（かぶと）虫（むし）, Kabutomushi) means 'Rhino Beetle' in Japanese, but literally means 'Armored Insect').
• Isshu Kasumi (霞（かすみ）　一（イッ）鍬（シュウ）, Kasumi Isshū): Haze One-Hoe. KuwagaRaiger is stag beetle-themed since Kuwagatamushi (鍬（くわ）形（がた）虫（むし）, Kuwagatamushi) means 'Stag Beetle' in Japanese, but literally means 'Hoe-Shaped Insect').

The haze is just one aspect of the weather, theme of the Hurricanegers, Gouraigers and Shurikenger.

Shurikenger

• Tenkai (天（テン）界（カイ）, Tenkai): Heaven-Realm.

Shurikenger is a godlike ninja who flies like a bird as he's the Celestial Ninja Shurikenger (天（テン）空（クウ）忍（ニン）者（ジャ）シュリケンジャー, Tenkū Ninja Shurikenjā).

Abaranger

The core three Abarangers' surnames are references to the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, as pointed out in Tokuso Sentai Dekaranger vs. Abaranger.

• Hakua Ryoga's name comes from Hakuaki, the Japanese word for the Cretaceous period.
• Sanjo Yukito's name comes from Sanjouki, the Japanese word for the Triassic period.
• Itsuki Ranru's name comes from Juraki, the Japanese word for the Jurassic period, as the kanji for Itsuki can be read as 'ju'.

Dekaranger

The core five Dekarangers' and the Neo Dekarangers' given names are references to various types of tea. Most Dekarangers' surnames are references to various authors.

• Akaza "Ban" Banban is a reference to Agatha Christie and bancha tea.
• Tomasu "Hoji" Houji is a reference to Thomas Harris and hōjicha tea.
• Enari "Sen-chan" Senichi is a reference to Ellery Queen and sencha tea.
• Reimon "Jasmine" Marika is a reference to Raymond Chandler and jasmine tea.
• Kodou "Umeko" Koume is a reference to Nomura Kodou and umecha tea.
• Aira "Tetsu" Tekkan is a reference to Ira Levin.
• Doggie Kruger is a reference to William Kent Krueger.
• Assam Asimov is a reference to Isaac Asimov and assam tea.
• Mugi Grafton is a reference to Sue Grafton and mugicha.
• Swan Shiratori's last name means "swan" in Japanese.

Magiranger

The names of the Ozu siblings (Makito, Houka, Urara, Tsubasa, Kai) form the phrase Ozu no Mahoutsukai, which means the Wizard of Oz.

Kyoryuger

The given names of the core Kyoryugers (Daigo, Ian, Nobuharu, Souji, Amy) phonetically from the word "dinosaur" while their last names (Kiryu, Yorkland, Udo, Rippukan, Yuuzuki) form the word "kyouryu" which means "dinosaur" in Japanese. The same goes for the future Kyoryugers (Dai-kun, Icchan, Nobuta-san, Soujiro, Ami-neesan)

Zyuohger

• Kazakiri Yamato's surname comes from the word for "flight feathers" (風切羽根, Kazakiribane).
• Sela is named after Selachimorpha, the suborder for sharks.
• Leo is named after the Panthera Leo, the species name of lions.
• Tusk is named after tusker elephants.
• Amu is named after the Amur tiger.
• Mondou Misao's given name contains the kanji for "three" and "rod", possibly a reference to his Zyuoh the GunRod, while his surname sounds like the Italian word for "world", "mondo".
• Bud's name comes from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "bird" (バード, Bādo).
• Cetus' name comes from the mythical sea monster Cetus.

Kyuranger

Several Rangers are named for aspects of their constellation objects:

• Raptor 283 - raptor: the class to which large birds such as eagles belong.
• Garu - Either garugaru (wolf growl) or French loup-garou (werewolf)
• Balance - balance scales
• Stinger - scorpion stinger
• Naga Ray - naga: snakelike creatures in myth/fiction.
• Spada - from Italian spada/Spanish espada (sword): swordfish.
• Hammie - Corruption of chamaeleon
• Kotaro Sakuma - Contains the term kuma, meaning "bear".
• Shou Ronpo - Japanese term for Chinese steamed meat buns/dumplings. His mecha is patterned after a Chinese dragon.

Boonboomger

The Boonboomgers are named after car parts or after things that are otherwise related to their motifs.

• Hando Taiya: Tire & Handle.
• Meita Ishiro: Meita stands for Meter.
• Shifuto Mira: Mirror & Shift.
• Akuse Jyo: Akuse stands for Accel, while Jyo means "Lock" in Japanese. Jyo's name in Kanji can also be read as "Age", which when joined with Akuse means "Accelerate".
• Bureki Genba/Genbard De Livery II: Genba in Japanese means "Construction Site", referencing his construction motifs, while Bureki stands for Brake. De-Livery stands for "Delivery", referencing his procurement skills
• Homura Sakito: Formula Circuit. His name also contains the Japanese world for violet (Murasaki).

Gozyuger

• Many references to the number 50 are present, being the 50th Sentai squad on the 50th year of the franchise.
• The Rangers' names are clever anagrams of the animals they represent:
  • Hoeru Tono - Corruption of a phrase meaning "howling in the distance", related to wolves.
  • Rikuo Byakuya - Anagram of a phrase meaning "King of Beasts", applied to lions.
  • Kinjiro Takehara - Anagram of "bird(s) of prey", a group that contains eagles as members.
  • Ryugi Bakugami - Has a reference to Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger. Anagram of "tyrannosaurus".
  • Sumino Ichikawa - Anagram of "unicorn".
  • Mashiro Kumade - Corruption of "pure white bear paw".