List of All Kamen Riders and Name Origins (1971-2021)

Have you ever wonder on where the names of Kamen Riders came from? Some names are straight forward based on their theme or ability, while others has some hidden meaning behind it. Here is a list of Kamen Rider names and their meaning that we've gathered so far through vigorous research. We may be missing out on a few things so feel free to put some comments. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. This list excludes Kamen Riders that were featured from stage shows and novels.

Showa Kamen Riders

• Ichigo (1971) - japanese translation for the number 1, since he is the very 1st Kamen Rider
• Nigo (1971) - same as Ichigo, is it a japanese translation for number 2, which makes him the 2nd Kamen Rider. Ichigo and Nigo are partners.
• V3 (1973) - stands for "Version 3" because he is the 3rd rider following Ichigo and Nigo.
• Riderman (1973) - unlike other Kamen Riders, he doesn't have any natural power or super moves. He make use of different unique weapons to replace his artificial arm. His more like of an ordinary man wearing and claiming a Kamen Rider name. He's also the only Kamen Rider that has a portion of his face sticking out.
• X (1974) - is a combination of v and upside down v to form an x. V is the roman numeral for five and he is the 5th Kamen Rider.
• Amazon (1974) - only because he's from the Amazon.
• Stronger (1975) - this is just to imply that he is better or stronger than the Kamen Riders before him.
• Skyrider (1979) - because of his ability to fly.
• Super-1 (1980) - he was actually intended to be a new or superior version of the 1st Kamen Rider. Thus, he was called Super-1.
• ZX (1982) - "Z" stands for zero while "X" is the roman numeral of ten.  Since he is the 10th Kamen Rider his name can be interpreted as 010 / zero ten.
• Black (1987) - he was born on the day of a solar eclipse and was referred as "Black Sun" by Gorgom.
• Black RX (1988) - RX is an abbreviation of "reaction". This refers to his reaction to the King Stone which allows him to change forms.
• Shin (1992) - based from the name of the lead character, Shin Kazamatsuri. It also translates to the word "true".
• ZO (1993) - Z stands for zero and O is interpreted as 0. So ZO signifies as 00 or double zero.
• J (1994) - the obvious meaning would be "jumbo" since he is the largest Kamen Rider. But Ishinomori Productions clarified that it actually means "judge".

Heisei Kamen Riders (Phase 1)

Kuuga (1999-2000) - derived from "kuwagata", japanese word for "stag beetle".

Agito series (2000-2001)

• Agito - is a latin word meaning "I move", to represent how Agito kept moving / evolving. In addition, the "A" on his name means alpha while "o" means omega. Agito is also an obsolete word for chin.
• Gills - the very same kanji for agito / chin could also be for the word gills. Gills was more or less an unstable Agito.
• Another Agito - as the name implies, he is another version of Agito.
• G3 - stands for Generation 3.
• G4 - stands for Generation 4.

Ryuki series (2001-2002)

• Ryuki - is the Japanese translation of "dragon rider".
• Knight - his motif is based from a knight.
• Scissors - based from his contract animal, he make use of a crab claw for his weapon which resembles a pair of scissors.
• Zolda - from the German, French or Russian word, "soldat" meaning soldier or mercenary.
• Gai - means "armored" in Japanese, which might be related to his rhinoceros motif.
• Raia - it is a Latin word that relates to rays and skates.
• Tiger - straight forward; this is in reference to his contract animal, tiger.
• Ouja - means "king snake" in Japanese.
• Imperer - combination of the word "imapala" and "impaler". Impala is a medium-sized antelope.
• Verde - Spanish word for "green" which is the color of his suit.
• Odin - based from the Norse god.
• Femme - another term for feminine.
• Ryuga - Japanese translation for "dragon fang".

Faiz series (2002-2003)
*All names and themes were referred from Greek symbols.

• Faiz - combination of the Greek symbol Phi Φ and 555 (fives).
• Kaixa - based from the Greek symbol, Chi Χ. Pronounced as "kie" combined with the word "kaiser".
• Delta - based from the Greek symbol, Delta Δ.
• Psyga - based from the Greek symbol, Psi Ψ.
• Orga - based from the Greek Symbol, Omega Ω.

Blade series (2003-2004)

• Blade - based from the Tarot card, "suit of swords".
• Garren - based from the Tarot card, "suit of coins or pentacles".
• Chalice - based from the Taror card, "suit of cups".
• Leangle - based from the Tarot card, "suit of wands". Leangle actually means an Aboriginal war club or bludgeon.
• Glaive - based from a european polearm weapon, consisting of a single-edged blade on the end of the pole.
• Larc - from the french word "l'arc" which means the bow.
• Lance - it is a large form of a pole weapon or spear.

Hibiki series (2004-2005)
*all names has a "ki" at the end which stands for oni or demon.

• Hibiki - means "echoing demon".
• Ibuki - means "majestic breath demon".
• Todoroki - means "roaring demon".
• Zanki - means "beheading demon".
• Danki - means "bullet demon".
• Sabaki - means "judgement demon".
• Eiki - means "sharp demon".
• Shouki - means "victorious demon".
• Shuki - means "bloodied demon".
• Amaki - means "heavenly demon".
• Kyoki - means "strong demon".
• Kabuki - means "festive demon".
• Tohki - means "freezing demon".
• Kirameki - means "glittering demon".
• Nishiki - means "western demon".
• Habataki - means "feathered demon".

Kabuto series (2005-2006)
*All names and themes were referred from insects.

• Kabuto - based from the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Kabuto.
• Gatack - from the Japanese insect, kuwagata + attack.
• Sasword - from the Japanese word sasori meaning scorpion + sword.
• TheBee - his theme is based from a bee.
• Drake - it is another term for "flying dragon" which is related to his dragonfly theme.
• PunchHopper - based from a grass hopper. His specialty is the Rider Punch.
• KickHopper - based from a grass hopper. His specialty is the Rider Kick.
• Dark Kabuto - evil version of Kabuto.
• Hercus - based from his motif, hercules beetle.
• Ketaros - based from his motif, Centaurus beetle.
• Caucasus - based from his motif, Caucasus beetle.

Den-O series (2006-2007)

• Den-O - densha (train) + O (king) = train king
• Zeronos - this is an easy one. It's basically a combination of zero and chronos.
• Gaoh - japanese translation of "fang king".
• Nega Den-O - based from the name of the Imajin user. Negataros. Nega can also be interpreted as short for "negative" since he is an evil version of Den-O.
• New Den-O - future version of Den-O. To be specific, he is the grandson of Den-O.
• Yuuki - Japanese translation for "miasma".
• G Den-O - the "G" came from name of his space-time police force, G Men.

Kiva series (2007-2008)

• Kiva - short for KIng of VAmpires
• Ixa - japanese translation of "war, fight"
• Dark Kiva - evil version of Kiva.
• Rey - comes from the Japanese word for "cold".
• Arc - comes from the Japanese word for "evil" (aku).

Decade series (2008-2009)

• Decade - he is the 10th Heisei Kamen Rider.
• Diend - combination of Die and End, but it is pronounced as The End.
• Kiva-la - female counter-part of Kiva.
• Abyss - since his motif is a shark, his name can be referred to a bottomless ocean.

Heisei Kamen Riders (Phase 2)

Double series (2009-2010)

• Double - straight forward; he is a 2 in 1 Kamen Rider.
• Accel - short for acceleration.
• Skull - aside from using the Skull Gaia Memory to transform, his helmet is designed as a skull as well.
• Eternal - he make use of the Eternal Gaia Memory to transform.
• Joker - based from the Joker Gaia Memory, he is one half of Kamen Rider Double.
• Core - he was born from the center of the Earth. Core is purely an energy-based and 1st CG Kamen Rider.

OOO series (2010-2011)

• OOO - read as O's. There are actually two ways to define his name. First is it represents the three medals on his belt. Another is O translates to king in japanese so his name can be interpreted as "multiple kings".
• Birth - synonym of "born". His power born from Cell Medals.
• Proto-Birth - prototype or incomplete version of Birth.
• Aqua - simply because his ability is based from water.
• Poseidon - based from the Greek god of the sea.

Fourze series (2011-2012)

• Fourze - four + zero. His name is made to resemble the number 40 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the                 kamen rider series. In addition to that, he has access to 40 different powers.
• Meteor- the word itself is another term for shooting star. His motif amd special moves are based from stars and planets.
• Nadeshiko - based from the name of the character, Nadeshiko Misaki. Nadeshiko is also the Japanese term for "epitome of pure, feminine beauty".

Wizard series (2012-2013)

• Wizard - a person who is skilled in magic.
• Beast - he draws out his magic power from the mythical beast, Chimera.
• Mage - short for magician. There were 3 versions in the series: orange, blue and green.
• White Wizard - white version of Wizard.
• Sorcerer - a person who practices dark magic.

Gaim series (2013-2014)
*Theme of the series are based from fruits + armors.

• Gaim - gai (armored) + mu (warrior) = armored warrior.
• Baron - aside that it came from the name of his team, the word itself means a member of a specific rank of nobility.
• Ryugen - Japanese translation for "dragon mystery".
• Kurokage - Japanese translation for "black shadow".
• Zangetsu - Japanese translation for "slaying moon".
• Duke - it is a title of a man who has a very high social rank or who is a ruler of a small independent country.
• Bravo- can be interpreted in 2 ways that is related to his Italian heritage and previous work as a mercenary. First, it is an Italian word for "congratulations" and second, it's also a part of the military alphabet.
• Sigurd - based from a legendary hero of Norse mythology.
• Marika - derived from Malika, Arabic for "queen".
• Knuckle - this can be easily observed through his large knuckle weapon.
• Bujin Gaim - Bujin is the japanese translation for "martial god". He make use of the Blood Orange Arms and is the evil counterpart of Gaim.
• Idunn - based from the Norse mythology, Idunn is a goddess associated with apples and youth.
• Kamuro - Japanese translation for "crown".
• Jam - from the Japanese word jamu, meaning "evil warrior". The term itself refers to a product made of whole fruit cut into pieces or crushed.
•  Mars - based on the god of war from Roman mythology.
• Fifteen - he has the ability to use the weapons of 15 Heisei Kamen Riders, from Kuuga to Gaim.

                                                                                                                       
Drive series (2014-2015)

• Drive - can referred to two things: the vehicle theme of the series and his passion / motivation in life.
• Mach - defined as measurement of speed.
• Chaser - other than it was based from the name of the user (Chase), the word itself is defined as "a person who follows or pursues", which is close to his characteristic in the series.
• Jun - based from his character name, "Jun Honganji". He transforms using the Mach Production Model.
• Proto-Drive - it simply means "prototype" or incomplete version of Drive.
• Gold Drive - very straight forward. He is a gold and evil version of Drive.
• Lupin - based from the fictional gentleman thief and master of disguise, "Arsene Lupin".
• Heart - based from his "Heart Roidmude" theme.

Ghost series (2015-2016) 

• Ghost - aside from the theme of the series about spirits, the lead character himself is dead or is a ghost in the series.
• Specter - it is a synonym of ghost.
• Necrom - short for necromancer. They are sorcerers who practice the dark art of summoning spirits.
• Dark Necrom - duplicates of Necrom. They are divided by red, blue, yellow and pink.
• Dark Ghost - obviously it's an evil version of Ghost.
• Extremer - comparative degree of extreme. It points out that he is better than Kamen Rider Ghost. Exceeding the Ghost Damashii, he uses the Extremer Driver which is formed by combining the power of 100 heroic ghost eyecons.

Amazons (Web series - 2016 S1 and 2017 S2)
*Darker and more mature reimagining of the 1974 TV series, Kamen Rider Amazon.

• Alpha - from the Greek alphabet, used to denote the first or the beginning.
• Omega - from the Greek alphabet, used to denote the last or the end.
• Neo -  comes from the Greek word "neos" meaning "new".

Ex-Aid series (2016-2017)
*Theme of the series are based from video games.

• Ex-Aid - word play for "excite" and "first-aid".
• Brave - it is a word commonly used in RPG which is related to his motif.
• Snipe -the word itself meants to shoot from afar which is related to his shooting game motif.
• Lazer - word play for "racer" which is connected to his motif, Bakusou Bike.
• Genm - pronounced as genmu. Referred from his game company, Genm Corp. Genm is a japanese translation for "fantasy dream".
• Para-DX - read as paradox. Its also a word play for "paramedic" and "diagnosis" (often abbreviated as DX).
• Poppy - referred from her game character, Poppy Pipopapo
• Cronus- based on the Titan leader from Greek mythology.
• Fuma - based on a ninja clan during the Sengoku era of feudal Japan.

Build series (2017-2018)

• Build - defined as putting parts or materials together which is related to his ability. He is like the combination of Double and OOO. 
• Cross-Z - Can also be read as "x to z" and is in reference to DNA. Humans has X and Y chromosomes. But unfortunately for Ryuga, a part of Evolt invaded his body and altered his DNA which presumably to be X and Z or can also be XYZ.
• Grease - English slang for "grease monkey', which means mechanic.
• Rogue - means "dishonesty" which refers to the character's status and behavior as a defector.
• MadRogue - combined meaning of very angry and dishonesty that refers to the character's motive for revenge.
• Evol - short for "evolution".
• Blood - based from blood tribe DNA powers.
• Metal Build - metallic version of Build.
• Killbus - shortened and reworded from "substitute killing", which refers to his destructive nature and him taking over as the main antagonist after the defeat of his younger brother, Evolt.

Zi-O series (2018-2019)

• Zi-O - combination of the Japanese character Zi for "time (時 Ji)" and O for "king (王 Ō)", meaning "King of time".
• Ohma Zi-O - Read as "Demon King of Time", since Ohma stands for demon king in Japanese.
• Geiz - English pun for "gates". 
• Woz - derived from his name.
• Tsukuyomi - comes from the moon god "Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto". 
• Shinobi - Japanese word for "male ninja".
• Hattari - an allusion to "Hattori Hanzo", a famous ninja in the Sengoku period.
• Kikai - Japanese word for "machine".
• Quiz - based from his "question and answer" ability.
• Ginga - homophone of the Japanese word for "galaxy".
• Barlckxs - anagram for "Black RX".
• Zonjis - combined name of the 3 Showa Kamen Riders: "ZO, Shin and J".
• Zamonas - anagram for "amazons", which refers to his Ride Watch ability from the Kamen Rider Amazons

Reiwa Kamen Riders

Zero-One series (2019-2020)

• Zero-One - can be read as Rei Wan in Japanese, referencing that he is the 1st Kamen Rider in the Reiwa era.
• Vulcan - comes from the "M61 Vulcan", a gatling gun. 
• Valkyrie - comes from the ".224 Valkyrie, a type of ammunition used in assault rifles.
• Thouser - derived from the English word "thousand".
• Jin - Japanese for "quick".
• Horobi - Japanese for "destroy".
• Naki - Japanese for "death".
• Ikazuchi - Japanese for "thunder".
• Ark - taken from the iconic biblical "Noah's Ark". Symbolizes the Genesis flood to punish humanity.
• Eden - came from the "Garden of Eden" that appears in the Bible, meaning paradise.

Saber series (2020-2021)

*Theme of the names are based from swords.

• Saber - type of cavalry sword with a curved blade and a single cutting edge.
• Blades - plural form of cutting edge swords.
• Espada - Spanish term for "sword".
• Buster - refers to an enormous broadsword.
• Kenzan - Japanese term for "sword slash".
• Calibur - named after "Excalibur", a legendary holy sword wielded by King Arthur.
• Slash - based from sound of the sword when swung, which represents him being the "Sword of Sound".
• Falchion - named after the one-handed, singled-edged European sword.
• Saikou - Japanese for "brightest", which refers to him being the Sword of Light.
• Sabela - derived from "szablya", the Hungarian word for saber.
• Durendal - named after the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin in French literature.
• Solomon - named after the biblical figure, King Solomon of Israel.
• Storious - combination of the words "stories" and "deus", the Latin word for god. So his name can be translated as "god of stories".

Revice series (2021-2022)

• Revi - derived from the Hebrew word, Levi meaning "connection".
• Vice - defined as immoral or wicked behavior, which refers to the lead character's inner demon. So when combined, the name Revice translates to "connecting with evil".
• Live/Evil - same person, but has two personas. Live is the good version and read it backwards as Evil for the bad version.
• Jeanne - as a female Kamen Rider, her name is in reference to the legendary heroine of France, "Jeanne d'Arc".
• Demons - based from the plural form of demon.
• Century - means 100, which represents him as the 100th Kamen Rider. (movie exclusive: Kamen Rider Beyond Generations).