indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Masculine & Feminine
Usage Japanese
Scripts 利, 敏, 俊, 慧, 淑, 年, 歳, 才, 寿, 登志, 登士, etc.(Japanese Kanji) とし(Japanese Hiragana) トシ(Japanese Katakana)
Meaning & History
Either from classical adjectives 利し (toshi) meaning "sharp" and 敏し (toshi) meaning "keen, clever" (where 俊 shares a similar meaning) or noun 年/歳/才 (toshi) meaning "year; age." Other kanji in relation to these derivations include, from the adjectives, 慧 meaning "wisdom," 淑 meaning "graceful, ladylike, modest, well-mannered" or, from the noun, 寿 meaning "congratulations; longevity," among others. 2-kanji combinations are possible, combining a to kanji, e.g. 登 meaning "ascent," with a shi kanji, like 志 meaning "will, aim, goal" or 士 meaning "warrior; samurai."In use as a (rare) feminine name before the Meiji Period (1868-1912), Toshi saw increase of its usage for both genders (though still mainly feminine) in that period. Nowadays, it is mainly used as a (largely male) nickname for names like Toshihiro or Toshiyuki.