shinobu

Shinobu is a Japanese given name used for both men and women, though it is more commonly given to girls in contemporary Japan. The most common kanji representation is 忍, which conveys endurance, patience, or stealth; the name can also be written with various other kanji combinations to achieve different meanings, or in kana.

In practice, Shinobu appears in Japanese culture beyond personal names, including fiction and media, as well as in real life. Notable real people with the name include Shinobu Ishihara, an ophthalmologist known for developing the Ishihara color vision test, and Shinobu Kandori, a former professional wrestler who later entered politics.

In popular culture, Shinobu Kocho is a prominent character in the manga and anime series Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba), where she serves as the Demon Slayers Corps’ Insect Hashira and uses butterfly motifs in her design and fighting style.

The name Shinobu can carry associations with resilience and perseverance in Japanese tradition, traits often invoked in literature and media. While the most recognizable usage in global popular culture may be as a given name, Shinobu also appears in various works of fiction and continues to be used by Japanese families today.