Shigeru

Shigeru most often carries kanji meaning to grow thickly or to flourish, a name that gestures toward lush vegetation and vigorous life. It belongs to Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo designer who created Mario and Zelda, and to Shigeru Mizuki, the manga master behind GeGeGe no Kitaro, a duo that has quietly made the name internationally recognizable. Three syllables move smoothly, the sh opening into softer consonants before resolving on a gentle ru. Popular in mid-century Japan and still in steady use, it combines the warmth of a garden metaphor with the grounding of a solid, unshowy sound. Fertile, generous, content.