Minamoto (surname)

Minamoto (源) is an ancient and noble Japanese family name that is mostly known for its history as a powerful clan during the Heian period.

The name itself is not common today as most of the descendant families have taken other surnames, usually from their places of residence.

Historical figures

 * Minamoto no Makoto (源 信), seventh son of the Japanese Emperor Saga
 * Minamoto no Tōru (源 融), Japanese poet and statesman, son of Emperor Saga of Japan
 * Minamoto no Yoshiari (源 能有), Japanese court official during the Heian period and son of Emperor Montoku of Japan
 * Minamoto no Muneyuki (源 宗于), early Heian waka poet and Japanese nobleman, also known as Minamoto no Muneyuki Ason (源宗于朝臣)
 * Minamoto no Hitoshi (源 等), Japanese waka poet of the mid-Heian period
 * Minamoto no Kintada (源 公忠), middle Heian waka poet and Japanese nobleman, also known as Miyamoto no Kintada Ason (源公忠朝臣)
 * Minamoto no Korezane (源 維城), birth name of Emperor Daigo of Japan until 887
 * Minamoto no Chikako (源 周子), court attendant (Koui) of Emperor Daigo of Japan
 * Minamoto no Saneakira (源 信明), middle Heian waka poet and Japanese nobleman
 * Minamoto no Kanemasa (源 兼昌), waka poet and Japanese nobleman active in the Heian period
 * Minamoto no Shitagō (源 順), Japanese mid Heian waka poet, scholar and nobleman, descendant of Emperor Saga of Japan
 * Minamoto no Hiromasa (源 博雅), Japanese nobleman and gagaku musician in the Heian period
 * Minamoto no Shigeyuki (源 重之), early Heian waka poet and Japanese nobleman
 * Minamoto no Takakuni (源 隆国), Japanese noble and a scholar of ancient Japan, also known as Uji Dainagon (宇治大納言)
 * Minamoto no Tsunemoto (源 経基), Japanese samurai and Imperial Prince during Heian period
 * Minamoto no Mitsunaka (源 満仲), Japanese samurai and court official of the Heian period
 * Minamoto no Yorimitsu (源 頼光), Japanese samurai served the regents of the Fujiwara clan along with his brother Yorinobu
 * Minamoto no Yorinobu (源 頼信), Japanese samurai commander and member of the powerful Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Tsuna (源 綱), Japanese samurai, companion of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, also known as Watanabe no Tsuna
 * Minamoto no Yoriyoshi (源 頼義), Japanese samurai lord and the Chinjufu-shōgun head of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Yorimasa (源 頼政), prominent Japanese poet whose works appeared in various anthologies
 * Minamoto no Shunrai (源 俊頼), important and innovative Japanese poet, who compiled the Gosen Wakashū
 * Minamoto no Tsunenobu (源 経信), Japanese nobleman and waka poet in the Heian period
 * Minamoto no Nakatsuna (源 仲綱), Japanese samurai in the Battle of Uji in 1180 during that part of Genpei War
 * Minamoto no Kanetsuna (源 兼綱), Japanese samurai in the Battle of Uji in 1180 during that part of Genpei War
 * Minamoto no Yoshiie (源 義家), Japanese samurai and the Chinjufu-shōgun head of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Yoshitsuna (源 義綱), Japanese samurai of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Tameyoshi (源 為義), Japanese samurai and head of the Minamoto clan during his lifetime
 * Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (源 義光), Japanese samurai lord during the Heian period
 * Minamoto no Yoshikiyo (源 義清), Japanese samurai warlord of the late Heian period, founder of the Takeda Clan (武田氏) of Japan
 * Minamoto no Yoshikuni (源 義国), Japanese samurai who first implored the spirit of the Iwashimizu Shrine
 * Minamoto no Yoshishige (源 義重), Japanese progenitor of the Nitta branch family of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Yoshiyasu (源 義康), Japanese samurai, founder of the Ashikaga clan of Japan (also known as Ashikaga Yoshiyasu (足利 義康))
 * Minamoto no Yoshitomo (源 義朝), Japanese general of the late Heian period and head of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Tametomo (源 為朝), Japanese samurai who fought in the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156
 * Minamoto no Yukiie (源 行家), brother of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and commanders in the Genpei War
 * Minamoto no Yoshinaka (源 義仲), Japanese samurai lord in the late Heian period
 * Minamoto no Yoshihira (源 義平), Japanese samurai of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Tomonaga (源 朝長), Japanese samurai of the Minamoto clan of the late Heian period
 * Minamoto no Yoritomo (源 頼朝), Japanese samurai, founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan
 * Minamoto no Noriyori (源 範頼), Japanese general during late Heian period of the Minamoto clan
 * Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源 義経), Japanese commander of the Minamoto clan in the late Heian and early Kamakura periods
 * Minamoto no Mochimitsu (源 以光), son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan, also known as Prince Mochihito
 * Minamoto no Mitsuyuki (源 光行), Japanese governor in Kawachi province
 * Minamoto no Ienaga (源 家長), waka poet and Japanese nobleman active in the early Kamakura period
 * Minamoto no Michitomo (源 通具), waka poet and Japanese nobleman active in the early Kamakura period
 * Minamoto no Sanetomo (源 実朝), third shōgun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan
 * Minamoto no Ichiman (源 一幡), eldest son of the 2nd Kamakura shōgun Minamoto no Yoriie
 * Minamoto no Yoshinari (源 頼暁), second son of 2nd Kamakura shōgun Minamoto no Yoriie, also known as the priest Kugyō (公暁)
 * Minamoto no Chikako (源 親子), daughter of Kitabatake Morochika, and Imperial consort to Emperor Go-Daigo of Japan

Modern era

 * Minamoto Yoko (源 洋子), Japanese sport shooter
 * Minamoto Sumika (源 純夏), Japanese freestyle swimmer

Fictional characters

 * Minamoto Kō (源 光), in Japanese manga Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
 * Minamoto Kouji (源 輝二), in anime television series Digimon Frontier
 * Minamoto Raikou (源 頼光), in Japanese manga Tactics
 * Minamoto Tadakatsu (源 忠勝), in the visual novel Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!
 * Minamoto Sakura (源 さくら), in anime television series Zombie Land Saga
 * Minamoto Shizuka (源 静香), in Japanese manga and anime Doraemon

Others

 * Minamoto clan, the most powerful and most important clan of all four great clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi and Edo periods in Japanese history.