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Jorogumo Names: 60 Names for the Japanese Spider Woman, With Meanings
By Metavulgar · updated 2026-11-12 · 5 min read
Jorogumo names are a matter of choice, because the spider woman of Japanese folklore is almost never named. The jorōgumo ("binding bride" or "entangling woman", depending on the kanji) is a yokai: a spider that reaches great age, in some tellings four hundred years, and takes the form of a beautiful woman. The most famous setting is Jōren Falls in Izu, Shizuoka, where the spider is said to be the mistress of the waterfall. This list takes real Japanese words and names and marks which are folklore, which are real given names and which are invented.
What the legend gives you
The Joren Falls tale has a few versions. In one, a woodcutter resting by the falls finds a sticky thread wrapped around his leg; he tries to throw it around a tree stump, and the stump is dragged into the water. In another, a man falls in love with a woman he meets at the falls and is entangled in silk when he tries to leave. A similar story is told at a ravine near Sendai. Sources differ on the details, and many online retellings are loose, so treat any single version with caution.
What the legend does not give is a name. The woman is the jorōgumo, a title, which is why every name below is built or borrowed.
Folklore terms and titles
- Jorōgumo (女郎蜘蛛, or 絡新婦): the standard title. Two writings, two meanings: "courtesan spider" or "entangling bride".
- Tsuchigumo (土蜘蛛): "earth spider", a different, much older spider yokai, also used for people who resisted the court in ancient texts. Different creature; use as a title only with care.
- Kumo-hime (蜘蛛姫): "spider princess", a fan title, not a folklore one.
- Kumo no Okami: "mistress of the spiders", a fan title.
- Joren no Taki (浄蓮の滝): the falls themselves; the place is a good name for a story location.
- Kashikobuchi (賢淵): the ravine near Sendai where a similar tale is told.
Real Japanese words for spider and silk
- Kumo (蜘蛛): spider.
- Kumoko: "spider woman", a name-like form; invented as a given name.
- Ito (糸): thread.
- Itoko: thread woman, an invented name.
- Aya (綾): woven pattern, twill; a real given name.
- Ayame (菖蒲 or 綾女): iris, or "woven woman"; a real given name.
- Orie (織恵): weaving blessing.
- Orihime (織姫): "weaving princess", the weaver star in the Tanabata legend.
- Kinu (絹): silk.
- Kinuko: silk woman, a real old-fashioned name.
- Shiori (栞): bookmark; a real name that sounds like threading.
- Tsumugi (紬): pongee silk; a real given name.
- Nui (縫): to sew.
- Ami (網): a net or web.
- Amiko: net woman, an invented name.
- Kumoi (雲居): a poetic word for the clouds; sounds like kumo.
Waterfall and water names
- Taki (滝): waterfall.
- Takiko: waterfall woman, an invented name.
- Mizuho (瑞穂): fresh rice ears, a real name containing water.
- Mizuki (水月): water and moon, a real name.
- Shizuku (雫): a drop.
- Fuchi (淵): a deep pool, from the ravine tale.
- Kawa (川): river.
- Kiri (霧): mist.
- Nagare (流れ): flow.
Alluring and dangerous names
For the courtesan side of the spider:
- Yūgiri (夕霧): evening mist, the name of famous courtesans in Japanese history and theatre.
- Takao, Usugumo (薄雲, "thin cloud"), Katsuragi: courtesan names from Edo-period tradition, used here as real historical-style names.
- Tamamo: the fox-woman of legend, not a spider; use with care to avoid mixing creatures.
- Hana (花): flower.
- Kurenai (紅): crimson.
- Yoizuki (宵月): evening moon.
- Sayo (小夜): small night.
- Mayu (繭): cocoon, a lovely real name for a silk spinner.
- Mayuko: cocoon woman.
Invented jorogumo names
These are mine:
- Kumohana: spider flower.
- Itohime: thread princess.
- Amikage: web shadow.
- Takiito: waterfall thread.
- Yamikumo: dark spider.
- Itosayo: thread night.
- Mayuyo: cocoon night.
- Kinuhana: silk blossom.
How to choose
- Decide the version. The Joren Falls tale suits a water name; the courtesan reading suits a title like Yūgiri.
- Use a real word where you can. Ito, Mayu and Tsumugi are real names with a silk meaning.
- Mark invented names as invented.
- Say it aloud. Names ending in -ko feel old-fashioned and soft; -ka and -mi feel modern.
- Keep her an adult. The jorōgumo is a creature of centuries, not a youth.
The jorōgumo in later Japanese art
The spider woman has a long life in Japanese art and storytelling beyond the waterfall legend. In Edo-period prints and picture books of yokai, the jorōgumo appears as an elegant woman with a spider's shadow behind her, or as a spider with a woman's face. Kabuki and noh plays use spider spirits in stories of hunters and lovers. Modern manga, games and film borrow her constantly, usually as a seductive and dangerous woman with silk and extra legs.
For naming, this history is useful. A name taken from the Edo courtesan tradition, such as Yūgiri or Usugumo, links her to the world of the Floating World that Edo prints celebrate. A name taken from weaving, such as Orihime or Tsumugi, links her to craft and to the star-crossed weaver of the Tanabata story. A water name links her to the falls. Each choice tells the audience which part of her history you are drawing on.
Naming a pair or a family
If your story has more than one spider woman, names can echo each other. A set of sisters might share a root: Itoka, Itomi and Itose, all from ito, thread. A mother and daughter might share a kumo element: Kumoha and Kumoka. A rival pair can use contrasting words: Mayu (cocoon) and Taki (waterfall), one soft and enclosed, the other fast and open. As always, if the names are invented, say so, and keep every character an adult with her own mind and history.
How she compares with other spider women
A jorōgumo is a Japanese yokai who passes as a woman, while an arachne is a Greek weaver turned spider, and a drider is a game creature. See jorogumo vs arachne, arachne vs drider and arachne names. For the whole spider-woman family, the arachne spider girl guide is the pillar.
Where to go next
For the audio version, Web: Wrapped in the Spider Queen's Cave is my spider session, slow and silken. For other name lists, try monster girl names and yuki onna names. The monster girl bestiary puts her with the family, and Start Here is the gentle first route.
A short note on tone
The jorōgumo is the most seductive spider in folklore, and her stories turn on a man who ignores a warning. In a monster girl telling the lure becomes an invitation: she is patient, her silk is soft and her cave is warm. Pick a name that sounds like that, one that a listener would be pleased to hear whispered in the dark.
Frequently asked questions
What does jorogumo mean?
Jorōgumo is a Japanese spider yokai. The name is written 女郎蜘蛛, "courtesan spider", or 絡新婦, "entangling bride". It names a spider that has lived for centuries and takes a woman's form.
Does the jorogumo have a name in the legends?
Rarely. The woman in the Joren Falls tale is simply the jorogumo. Names for her are a modern choice, so this list uses real Japanese words and marks invented names.
What are good jorogumo names?
Real words and names such as Ito (thread), Mayu (cocoon), Tsumugi (silk), Orihime (weaving princess) and Yugiri (evening mist) work well. Invented ones include Kumohana and Itohime.
Where is Joren Falls?
Jōren Falls is in Izu, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In legend, a jorōgumo lives at the falls and traps those who linger.
Is a jorogumo the same as a tsuchigumo?
No. A tsuchigumo is an older, separate spider yokai, the "earth spider", and the word was also used in ancient texts for people who opposed the court. The jorogumo is the spider woman.
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