Re: Japanese Genealogy

Female names ending in 'ko' is not the rule.It was traditionally used among the aristocratic women since the Heian era, but after the Meiji Restoration, it became very popular among the commoners.Some samurai women before the restoration were name xxxxxKO, possibly because of an aristocratic connection from her maternal side.Looking back in my family history book, most names ending in 'ko' are found after the restoration, between 1868 to present.The naming trend today is moving away from names that end in 'ko', thus names like Mayumi, Miyuki, Yuno, etc.