The Japanese nominal form consists of a family name and a personal name. Moreover, Japanese surname meaning prevails over the meaning of the name - the surname is written and pronounced first. Nowadays, the Japanese often write their names in Latin or Cyrillic in the order familiar to Europeans - first name, then surname. And to avoid confusion, write the last name in capital letters. In Russian declension of Japanese surnames often raises questions. More recently, there have been conflicting opinions among linguists on this issue. However, now all reference books indicate that Japanese surnames ending in “a” are changed according to cases, and the indeclinable version, for example, “visiting Kurosawa,” is considered a gross violation of the norm. Surnames ending with other vowels are not declined.
Meaning of Japanese surnames
Meaning of Japanese surnames, their appearance and distribution, developed in accordance with national traditions. Until the second half of the 19th century, only aristocrats and samurai had hereditary names; the rest of the population were content with only personal names or nicknames. Moreover, the number of aristocratic families was strictly limited and had ancient roots. “Newbies” did not appear here. Each clan had its own surnames, which were passed down by inheritance. The Emperor of Japan and his family members never had a surname.
During the Enlightened Reign in the second half of the 19th century, Emperor Mutsuhito ordered that all peasants, artisans and merchants choose surnames for themselves. Some Japanese, without further ado, wrote down the name of the locality as their surname, others - the name of the store or company where they worked. People with imagination came up with sonorous, bright surnames. Interpretation majority Japanese surnames associated with peasant life, rice cultivation and processing. For example, the familiar surname Hakamada consists of two hieroglyphs, one of which “hakama” denotes the lower part of a traditional Japanese outfit, men's pants or a woman's skirt. And the second “yes” is a rice field. It can be assumed that Irina Khakamada’s ancestors worked in the rice fields.
Family affiliation of surnames in Japan
Another feature of Japanese surnames is that they do not have a family affiliation. The same surname suits both men and women. According to Japanese law, spouses must have the same surname. In overwhelming cases ancient tradition it becomes the husband's surname, although the 1946 constitution allows for the wife's surname to be taken as well.
If you view list of Japanese surnames in alphabetical order, then you can see that Japanese surnames often have interesting, unusual meaning and musical sound - Igarashi (“50 storms”), Kikuchi (“chrysanthemum”), Katayama (“wild well”). A top popular Japanese surnames will give you the opportunity to find out which of them the Japanese themselves like the most.
Popular Japanese surnames and their meanings
The list of Japanese surnames contains the most popular beautiful Japanese surnames that are most common in Japan.
Abe- 阿部 - corner, shadow; sector
Akiyama- 秋山 - autumn + mountain
Ando: - 安藤 - calm + wisteria
Aoki- 青木 - green, young + tree
Arai- 新井 - new well
Arai- 荒井 - wild well
Araki- 荒木 - wild + tree
Asano- 浅野／淺野 - small + [uncultivated] field; plain
Baba - 馬場 - horse + place
Vada- 和田 - harmony + rice field
Watanabe- 渡辺／渡邊 - to cross + surroundings
Watanabe- 渡部 - to cross + part; sector;
Goto: - 後藤 - behind, future + wisteria
Yokota- 横田 - side + rice field
Yokoyama- 横山 - side, side of the mountain
Yoshida- 吉田 - happiness + rice field
Yoshikawa- 吉川 - happiness + river
Yoshimura- 吉村 - happiness + village
Yoshioka- 吉岡 - happiness + hill
Iwamoto- 岩本 - rock + base
Iwasaki- 岩崎 - rock + cape
Iwata- 岩田 - rock + rice field
Igarashi- 五十嵐 - 50 storms
Iendo: - 遠藤 - distant + wisteria
Iida- 飯田 - boiled rice, food + rice field
Ikeda- 池田 - pond + rice field
Imai- 今井 - now + well
Inoe- 井上 - well + top
Ishibashi- 石橋 - stone + bridge
Isis- 石田 - stone + rice field
Ishii- 石井 - stone + well
Ishikawa- 石川 - stone + river
Ishihara- 石原 - stone + plain, field; steppe
Ichikawa- 市川 - city + river
Ito- 伊東 - that, he + east
Ito: - 伊藤 - And + wisteria
Kawaguchi- 川口 - river + mouth, entrance
Kawakami- 川上 - river + top
Kawamura- 川村 - river + village
Kawasaki- 川崎 - river + cape
Kamata- 鎌田 - sickle, scythe + rice field
Kaneko- 金子 - gold + child
Katayama- 片山 - piece + mountain
Kato: - 加藤 - add + wisteria
Kikuchi- 菊地 - chrysanthemum + earth
Kikuchi- 菊池 - chrysanthemum + pond
Kimura- 木村 - tree + village
Kinoshita- 木下 - tree + under, bottom
Kitamura- 北村 - north + village
Ko:but- 河野 - river + [uncultivated] field; plain
Kobayashi- 小林 - small forest
Kojima- 小島 - small + island
Koike- 小池 - small + pond
Komatsu- 小松 - small pine
Condo- 近藤 - close + wisteria
Konishi- 小西 - small + west
Koyama- 小山 - small mountain
Kubo- 久保 - long + maintain
Kubota- 久保田 - long + maintain + rice field
Kudo:- 工藤 - worker + wisteria
Kumagai- 熊谷 - bear + valley
Kurihara- 栗原 - chestnut + plain, field; steppe
Kuroda- 黒田 - black rice field
Maruyama- 丸山 - round + mountain
Masuda- 増田 - increase + rice field
Matsubara- 松原 - pine + plain, field; steppe
Matsuda- 松田 - pine + rice field
Matsui- 松井 - pine + well
Matsumoto- 松本 - pine + base
Matsumura- 松村 - pine + village
Matsuo- 松尾 - pine + tail
Matsuoka- 松岡 - pine + hill
Matsushita- 松下 - pine + under, bottom
Matsuura- 松浦 - pine + bay
Maeda- 前田 - behind + rice field
Mizuno- 水野 - water + [uncultivated] field; plain
Minami- 南 - south
Miura- 三浦 - three bays
Miyazaki- 宮崎 - temple, palace + cape
Miyake- 三宅 - three houses
Miyamoto- 宮本 - temple, palace + base
Miyata- 宮田 - temple, palace + rice field
Mori- 森 - forest
Morimoto- 森本 - forest + base
Morita- 森田 - forest + rice field
Mochizuki- 望月 - full moon
Murakami- 村上 - village + top
Murata- 村田 - village + rice field
Nagai- 永井 - eternal well
Nagata- 永田 - eternal rice field
Naito- 内藤 - inside + wisteria
Nakagawa- 中川 - middle + river
Nakajima／Nakashima- 中島 - middle + island
Nakamura- 中村 - middle + village
Nakanishi- 中西 - west + middle
Nakano- 中野 - middle + [uncultivated] field; plain
Nakata／ Nakada- 中田 - middle + rice field
N Akayama- 中山 - middle + mountain
Narita- 成田 - to form + rice field
Nishida- 西田 - west + rice field
Nishikawa- 西川 - west + river
Nishimura- 西村 - west + village
Nishiyama- 西山 - west + mountain
Noguchi- 野口 - [uncultivated] field; plain + mouth, entrance
Noda- 野田 - [uncultivated] field; plain + rice field
Nomura- 野村 - [uncultivated] field; plain + village
Ogawa- 小川 - small river
Ode- 小田 - small rice field
Ozawa- 小沢／小澤 - small swamp
Ozaki- 尾崎 - tail + cape
Oka- 岡 - hill
Okada- 岡田 - hill + rice field
Okazaki- 岡崎 - hill + cape
Okamoto- 岡本 - hill + base
Okumura- 奥村 - deep (hidden) + village
It- 小野 - small + [uncultivated] field; plain
Ooisi- 大石 - large stone
Ookubo- 大久保 - big + long + support
Oomori- 大森 - big forest
Oonisi- 大西 - big west
Oono- 大野 - large + [uncultivated] field; plain
Oosawa- 大沢／大澤 - large swamp
Ooshima- 大島 - big island
Oota- 太田 - big + rice field
Ootani- 大谷 - big valley
Oohashi- 大橋 - big bridge
Ootsuka- 大塚 - big + hill
Sawada- 沢田／澤田 - swamp + rice field
Saito: - 斉藤／齊藤 - equal + wisteria
Saito: - 斎藤／齋藤 - purification (religious) + wisteria
Sakai- 酒井 - alcohol + well
Sakamoto- 坂本 - slope + base
Sakurai- 桜井／櫻井 - sakura + well
Sano- 佐野 - assistant + [uncultivated] field; plain
Sasaki- 佐々木 - assistants + tree
Sato: - 佐藤 - assistant + wisteria
Shibata- 柴田 - brushwood + rice field
Shimada- 島田 - island + rice field
Shimizu- 清水 - clean water
Shinohara- 篠原 - low-growing bamboo + plain, field; steppe
Sugawara- 菅原 - sedge + plain, field; steppe
Sugimoto- 杉本 - Japanese cedar + roots
Sugiyama- 杉山 - Japanese cedar + mountain
Suzuki- 鈴木 - bell (bell) + tree
Suto/Sudo- 須藤 - certainly + wisteria
Seki- 関／關 - Outpost; barrier
Taguchi- 田口 - rice floor + mouth
Takagi- 高木 - tall tree
Takada／Takata- 高田 - high + rice field
Takano- 高野 - high + [uncultivated] field; plain
Takahashi- 高橋 - high + bridge
Takayama- 高山 - high mountain
Takeda- 武田 - military + rice field
Takeuchi- 竹内 - bamboo + inside
Tamura- 田村 - rice field + village
Tanabe- 田辺／田邊 - rice field + surroundings
Tanaka- 田中 - rice field + middle
Taniguchi- 谷口 - valley + mouth, entrance
Chiba- 千葉 - thousand leaves
Uchida- 内田 - inside + rice field
Uchiyama- 内山 - inside + mountain
Ueda/Ueta- 上田 - top + rice field
Ueno- 上野 - top + [uncultivated] field; plain
Fujiwara- 藤原 - wisteria + plain, field; steppe
Fuji- 藤井 - wisteria + well
Fujimoto- 藤本 - wisteria + base
Fujita- 藤田 - wisteria + rice field
Fukuda- 福田 - happiness, prosperity + rice field
Fukui- 福井 - happiness, prosperity + well
Fukushima- 福島 - happiness, prosperity + island
Furukawa- 古川 - old river
Hagiwara- 萩原 - bicolor lespedeza + plain, field; steppe
Hamada- 浜田／濱田 - shore + rice field
Hara- 原 - plain, field; steppe
Harada- 原田 - plain, field; steppe + rice field
Hashimoto- 橋本 - bridge + base
Hasegawa- 長谷川 - long + valley + river
Hattori- 服部 - clothes, subordinate + part; sector;
Hayakawa- 早川 - early + river
Hayashi- 林 - forest
Higuchi- 樋口 - gutter; drain + mouth, entrance
Hirai- 平井 - level well
Hirano- 平野 - flat + [uncultivated] field; plain
Hirata- 平田 - flat + rice field
Hirose- 広瀬／廣瀬 - wide fast current
Homma- 本間 - base + space, room, luck
Honda- 本田 - base + rice field
Hori- 堀 - channel
Hoshino- 星野 - star + [uncultivated] field; plain
Tsuji- 辻 - street
Tsuchiya- 土屋 - land + house
Yamaguchi- 山口 - mountain + mouth, entrance
Yamada- 山田 - mountain + rice field
Yamazaki／ Yamasaki- 山崎 - mountain + cape
Yamamoto- 山本 - mountain + base
Yamanaka- 山中 - mountain + middle
Yamashita- 山下 - mountain + under, bottom
Yamauchi- 山内 - mountain + inside
Yano- 矢野 - arrow + [uncultivated] field; plain
Yasuda- 安田 - calm + rice field
Japanese female names, unlike male ones, are read quite simply and have a clear meaning. They have interesting traditions and unforgettable translation. Female names they amaze with their sound, and one can only guess what is hidden behind it. But we suggest not to guess, but to find out what women’s words actually mean. Japanese names. It will be interesting! Do you have any doubts? Read on and check for yourself!
Female Japanese names
Japanese girl names are very easy to read and easily translated. The translation from Japanese is excellent, as always. The meaning of the name gives its owner something sublime and beautiful. You can see this for yourself, in front of you list of female Japanese names.
| Name | Meaning |
| A zoomi | safe place to live |
| Ai | indigo or love |
| Ayano | silk colors |
| Aika | love song |
| Akemi | bright beauty |
| Aimi | beauty of love |
| Asuka | aroma |
| Atsuko | kind child |
| Ameya | evening rain |
| Ayame | iris flower |
| Akane | brilliant |
| Akane | brilliant red |
| Ayame | patterned girl |
| Arizu | noble look |
| B unco | educated child |
| D Janco | pure child |
| June | obedient |
| AND zoomi | fountain |
| Yoko | ocean child |
| Yoshi | fragrant branch |
| Yoshiko | noble child |
Japanese female names are most often read by kun, so there are no difficulties with reading. And they have a simpler structure than male names. There are exceptions when female names are written exclusively in katakana or hiragana, and sometimes names can be read using onic reading. But these are just exceptions to the rule. If you also want to see Japanese male names, click on the link!
| Name | Meaning |
| TO ame |
turtle (means long life) |
| Kamiko | perfect child |
| Kyoko | child of the capital |
| Kaoru | aroma |
| Kotoon | harp sound |
| Katsumi | conquering beauty |
| Kumiko | long lasting child |
| Kyoko | child of the city |
| Koheku | amber |
| Coe | world |
| Kiku | chrysanthemum |
| M Ari | beloved woman |
| Mai | dance |
| Miwa | beautiful harmony |
| Makoto | correct and true |
| Miko | beautiful baby blessings |
| Mizuki | beautiful moon |
| Masami | elegant beauty |
| Minori | lovely harbor |
| Michiko | baby you're on the right track |
| Madoka | circle of flowers |
| Momo | peach |
| Mamoko | baby peach |
| Meyumi | true absorbing beauty |
| Meiko | child dance |
Depending on the main component, Japanese female names can be divided into several groups. Yes, it could be main component of abstract meaning. For example, “love” (ai), “mind” (ti), “beauty” (mi). Often such components indicate the desire to possess the necessary qualities in the future. The second type is animal or plant components. Thus, animal components are now practically not consumed; they are considered old-fashioned, but previously this characterized the desired health. Components of the plant world are popular today and are quite common among female Japanese names. For example, momo (peach), hana (flower) and so on.
| Name | Meaning |
| N Atsuko | summer child |
| Naoki | fair punishment |
| Natsumi | summer beauty |
| Nobuko | devoted child |
| R en | water lily |
| Ray | bell, spirit, polite woman |
| Rika | aroma that was appreciated |
| Rieux | valuable blessing |
| Ren | water lily |
| Rico | jasmine baby |
| WITH ake | cape |
| Sumiko | thinking child |
| Secker | Japanese heyday |
| Sekiko | blooming child |
| Sengo | coral |
| T omiko | child who keeps clean |
| Thacker | treasure |
| Tomoko | wise child, friendly |
| Teruko | bright child |
| U zedzhi | rabbit |
| Umeko | child of a blossoming plum |
There are names with numerals. For example, thousand (ti). There are also names that mean seasons or natural phenomena. For example, yuki (snow), natsu (summer).
| Name | Meaning |
| F umiko | child keeping beauty |
| Hideko | luxury baby |
| Haruka | distance |
| Hikari | shining |
| Hotaru | firefly |
| Hitomi | name for a girl with very beautiful eyes |
| Harumi | spring beauty |
| Hoshi | star |
| Haruki | spring tree |
| Chi | thousand blessings |
| Chiasa | a thousand wildflowers |
| Chiyoko | child of a thousand generations |
| Chow | butterfly |
| Chiharu | one thousand springs |
| Sh Ijeko | abundant child |
| Shizuka | quiet girl |
| Shinju | pearl |
| Chic | gentle deer |
Do you want to learn how to write names (and more) in hieroglyphs and learn more about hieroglyphs?
Then sign up for a free course on effectively learning Japanese characters
What Japanese female names have you already come across, for example, when viewing Japanese films or anime? Which ones do you like best? Share in the comments, please.
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Nowadays, cartoons from Japan - anime - are very popular. The surnames and names of the characters in these cartoons attract many fans of the specific atmosphere of Japanese animation and the culture of the country rising sun. What do all these beautiful Japanese surnames and hero names mean? This question is asked by many people who have watched the masterpieces of Hayao Miyazaki at least once in their lives.
Japanese names consist of the family name and own name. They are usually written using hieroglyphs, although since 1985 it has been allowed to use other symbols to write names. Most Japanese names mean rural landscapes, for example, Yamamoto - mountain + base, Matsumoto - pine + base.
Ancient surnames can mean belonging to a place at the emperor's court or speak of services to the country and the ruling dynasty. More recently, until 1867, ordinary Japanese did not have surnames. They could add their place of birth or the name of their trading company to their name.
After 1867, the government, trying to bring Western customs to Japan, ordered everyone to come up with family names. This circumstance gave rise to many troubles associated with the incorrect spelling of a given name.
Features of surnames in Japan
According to rough estimates, there are more than 100,000 different surnames in the Land of the Rising Sun. The most common: Sato (two characters meaning helper and wisteria), Suzuki (bell + tree) and Takahashi (high bridge).
Cultural differences between Yamato and Okinawa have resulted in specific surnames common only in Okinawa. These include the following rare surnames, How:
Writing and reading Japanese surnames is not as difficult as first names. Japanese surnames and their meanings often get lost alongside given names, which are often difficult to spell and pronounce due to their variety. This does not apply to classic names, but after 1990, the names of young Japanese began to contain symbols that cannot always be read unambiguously.
Nominal suffixes
In the Japanese tradition, there are nominal suffixes -chan and -kun. With their help, diminutive names are formed. Can be taken as a basis full name or abbreviated, depending on the closeness of the relationship between the bearer of the name and the speaker.
In any conversation, one or another nominal suffix is added to the name. Without it, treatment is considered rude. Japanese often use the following suffixes:
Types of surnames
It is known that there is still one family in Japan that does not have a surname. This is the imperial family. Not everything is simple with the name of the emperor either. It is not customary to call the emperor by name. In childhood he had one name, after ascending the throne - another, and after death - a third.
All Japanese surnames are divided into kun, on and mixed. Kunnye are surnames consisting of wago, that is, traditionally Japanese words. Onny - consisting of kango - words borrowed from the Chinese dictionary.
The most common type of surnames is Kunnye, about 80% of them.
Female names in Japan
As in many cultures, names in Japan are often given in the hope that the child will have the qualities that the name indicates. Therefore, women's names often contain hieroglyphs meaning beauty, love, intelligence, calmness, tenderness, truth, and other traits necessary for any girl.
There are names with hieroglyphs meaning animals and plants. If the animals in the name are considered old-fashioned, except for the hieroglyph crane, then the plant theme is very relevant now. In popular female names you can find the characters rice, flower, chrysanthemum, bamboo, willow and peach.
In ancient families there is a tradition of naming a girl by birth order, so noble Japanese women can have numerals in their names. But there is also a tradition of including a hieroglyph in the spelling of the name, indicating the time of year or weather conditions during which the girl was born.
Nowadays it has become fashionable to call girls foreign, more often European names , for example, Anna or Maria. Such names are accompanied by beautiful Japanese surnames of girls, for example, Sato or Ito, Watari or Cho.
Until 1868, the character -ko (child) in a girl’s name could only be found in the imperial family. But after the Meiji Restoration, this prefix was very popular until 2006, when simple names came into fashion.
An indicator of belonging to the female gender is also -mi (beauty). It can appear in any part of the name.
Japanese education and publishing company Benesse Corp. conducts a study every year to find out which names were popular among newborns. Popular girl names include Yui (to bind + clothes), Aoi (geranium) and Yua (to connect + love).
Male names in Japan
Some male names after 1990 received a new reading for the old spelling, for example: 大翔 - previously read as Hiroto. Now this name can also be read as Haruto, Yamato and even Daito.
Often male names contain:
Popular male names now are: Hiroto (big + flying), Ren (lotus), and Yuma (calm + honest).
Due to difficulties in spelling and reading, Japanese surnames in English do not always accurately convey their meaning. After all, many names are written in pairs of hieroglyphs, and any Asian language has little in common with English, Russian or any other European language. Sometimes it is almost impossible for Europeans to understand the meaning embedded in the names of the Chinese or Japanese. After all, in Russia a pair of letters is a set of 2-4 sounds, and in Japan it is a whole sentence.
Attention, TODAY only!
Japanese names and their meanings...The Japanese name (人名 jinmei?) these days usually consists of family name(surname), and the following personal name. This is a very common practice in East and Southeast Asia, including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and some other cultures.
Names are usually written using kanji, which in different cases can have a variety of various options pronunciation.
Modern Japanese names can be compared to names in many other cultures. All Japanese have a single surname and a single given name without a patronymic, with the exception of the Japanese imperial family, whose members do not have a surname.
In Japan, the surname comes first, and then the given name. At the same time, in Western languages (often also in Russian), Japanese names are written in the reverse order first name - last name - according to European tradition.
Names in Japan are often created independently from existing characters, so the country has huge amount unique names. Surnames are more traditional and most often go back to place names. There are significantly more first names in Japanese than surnames. Male and female names differ due to their characteristic components and structure. Reading Japanese proper names is one of the most difficult parts of the Japanese language.
Using the tables below you can see how preferences have changed when choosing names over the past almost 100 years:
Popular names for boys
Year/Place 1 2 3 4 5
1915 Kiyoshi Saburou Shigeru Masao Tadashi
1925 Kiyoshi Shigeru Isamu Saburou Hiroshi
1935 Hiroshi Kiyoshi Isamu Minoru Susumu
1945 Masaru Isamu Susumu Kiyoshi Katsutoshi
1955 Takashi Makoto Shigeru Osamu Yutaka
1965 Makoto Hiroshi Osamu Naoki Tetsuya
1975 Makoto Daisuke Manabu Tsuyoshi Naoki
1985 Daisuke Takuya Naoki Kenta Kazuya
1995 Takuya Kenta Shouta Tsubasa Daiki
2000 Shou Shouta Daiki Yuuto Takumi
Popular names for girls
Year/Place 1 2 3 4 5
1915 Chiyo Chiyoko Fumiko Shizuko Kiyo
1925 Sachiko Fumiko Miyoko Hirsako Yoshiko
1935 Kazuko Sachiko Setsuko Hiroko Hisako
1945 Kazuko Sachiko Youko Setsuko Hiroko
1955 Youko Keiko Kyouko Sachiko Kazuko
1965 Akemi Mayumi Yumiko Keiko Kumiko
1975 Kumiko Yuuko Mayumi Tomoko Youko
1985 Ai Mai Mami Megumi Kaori
1995 Misaki Ai Haruka Kana Mai
2000 Sakura Yuuka Misaki Natsuki Nanami
Ai - F - Love
Aiko - F - Favorite child
Akako - F - Red
Akane - F - Sparkling red
Akemi - F - Dazzlingly beautiful
Akeno - M - Clear morning
Aki - F - Born in autumn
Akiko - F - Autumn child
Akina – F – Spring flower
Akio - M - Handsome
Akira - M - Smart, quick-witted
Akiyama - M - Autumn, mountain
Amaya - F - Night rain
Ami - F - Friend
Amida - M - Name of Buddha
Anda - F - Met in the field
Aneko - F - Older sister
Anzu - F - Apricot
Arata - M - Inexperienced
Arisu - F - Japanese. form of the name Alice
Asuka – F – Scent of Tomorrow
Ayame - F - Iris
Azarni – F – Thistle flower
Benjiro - M - Enjoying the World
Botan - M - Peony
Chika - F - Wisdom
Chikako - F - Child of Wisdom
Chinatsu - F - Thousand Years
Chiyo - F - Eternity
Chizu - F - Thousand storks (implies longevity)
Cho - F - Butterfly
Dai - M/F - Great
Daichi - M - Great First Son
Daiki - M - Great Tree
Daisuke - M - Great Help
Etsu - F - Delightful, charming
Etsuko - F - Delightful child
Fudo - M - God of fire and wisdom
Fujita – M/F – Field, meadow
Gin - F - Silver
Goro - M - Fifth Son
Hana - F - Flower
Hanako - F - Flower Child
Haru - M - Born in spring
Haruka - F - Distant
Haruko - F - Spring
Hachiro - M - Eighth Son
Hideaki - M - Brilliant, excellent
Hikaru – M/F – Light, shining
Hide - F - Fertile
Hiroko - F - Generous
Hiroshi - M - Generous
Hitomi - F - Doubly beautiful
Hoshi - F - Star
Hotaka - M - Name of a mountain in Japan
Hotaru - F - Firefly
Ichiro - M - First son
Ima - F - Gift
Isami - M - Bravery
Ishi - F - Stone
Izanami - F - Attractive
Izumi - F - Fountain
Jiro - M - Second Son
Joben - M - Loving cleanliness
Jomei - M - Bringing Light
Junko - F - Pure child
Juro - M - Tenth Son
Kado - M - Gate
Kaede - F - Maple leaf
Kagami - F - Mirror
Kameko - F - Turtle Child (symbol of longevity)
Kanaye - M - Diligent
Kano - M - God of Water
Kasumi - F - Fog
Katashi - M - Hardness
Katsu - M - Victory
Katsuo - M - Victorious Child
Katsuro - M - Victorious Son
Kazuki - M - Joyful World
Kazuko - F - Cheerful child
Kazuo - M - Dear son
Kei - F - Respectful
Keiko - F - Adored
Keitaro - M - Blessed One
Ken - M - Big Man
Ken`ichi - M - Strong first son
Kenji - M - Strong second son
Kenshin - M - Heart of the Sword
Kenta – M – Healthy and brave
Kichi - F - Lucky
Kichiro - M - Lucky Son
Kiku - F - Chrysanthemum
Kimiko - F - Child of noble blood
Kin - M - Golden
Kioko - F - Happy child
Kisho - M - Having a head on his shoulders
Kita - F - North
Kiyoko - F - Clean
Kiyoshi - M - Quiet
Kohaku – M/F – Amber
Kohana - F - Small flower
Koko - F - Stork
Koto - F - Japanese. musical instrument"koto"
Kotone - F - Sound of koto
Kumiko - F - Forever beautiful
Kuri - F - Chestnut
Kuro - M - Ninth Son
Kyo - M - Agreement (or red)
Kyoko - F - Mirror
Leiko - F - Arrogant
Machi - F - Ten thousand years
Machiko - F - Lucky child
Maeko - F - Honest child
Maemi - F - Sincere smile
Mai - F - Bright
Makoto - M - Sincere
Mamiko - F - Child Mami
Mamoru - M - Earth
Manami – F – Beauty of love
Mariko - F - Child of Truth
Marise – M/F – Infinite
Masa – M/F – Straightforward (person)
Masakazu - M - First son of Masa
Mashiro - M - Wide
Matsu - F - Pine
Mayako - F - Child Maya
Mayoko - F - Child Mayo
Mayuko - F - Child Mayu
Michi - F - Fair
Michie - F - Gracefully hanging flower
Michiko - F - Beautiful and wise
Michio - M - A man with the strength of three thousand
Midori - F - Green
Mihoko - F - Child Miho
Mika – F – New moon
Miki – M/F – Stem
Mikio – M – Three woven trees
Mina - F - South
Minako - F - beautiful child
Mine - F - Brave Defender
Minoru - M - Seed
Misaki – F – The Bloom of Beauty
Mitsuko - F - Child of Light
Miya - F - Three arrows
Miyako - F - Beautiful child of March
Mizuki – F – Beautiful Moon
Momoko - F - Child Peach
Montaro - M - Big Guy
Moriko - F - Child of the Forest
Morio - M - Forest boy
Mura - F - Village
Mutsuko - F - Child Mutsu
Nahoko - F - Child Naho
Nami - F - Wave
Namiko - F - Child of the Waves
Nana - F - Apple
Naoko - F - Obedient child
Naomi – F – “First of all, beauty”
Nara - F - Oak
Nariko - F - Sissy
Natsuko - F - Summer child
Natsumi – F – Wonderful summer
Nayoko - F - Baby Nayo
Nibori - M - Famous
Nikki – M/F – Two trees
Nikko - M - Daylight
Nori - F - Law
Noriko - F - Child of the Law
Nozomi - F - Nadezhda
Nyoko - F - Gemstone
Oki - F - Middle of the ocean
Orino – F – Peasant meadow
Osamu - M - Firmness of the Law
Rafu - M - Network
Rai - F - Truth
Raidon - M - God of Thunder
Ran - F - Water lily
Rei - F - Gratitude
Reiko - F - Gratitude
Ren - F - Water lily
Renjiro - M - Honest
Renzo - M - Third Son
Riko - F - Child of Jasmine
Rin - F - Unfriendly
Rinji - M - Peaceful Forest
Rini - F - Little bunny
Risako - F - Child Risa
Ritsuko - F - Child Ritsu
Roka - M - White wave crest
Rokuro - M - Sixth Son
Ronin - M - Samurai without a master
Rumiko - F - Child Rumi
Ruri - F - Emerald
Ryo - M - Excellent
Ryoichi - M - First son of Ryo
Ryoko - F - Child Ryo
Ryota - M - Strong (fat)
Ryozo - M - Third son of Ryo
Ryuichi - M - First son of Ryu
Ryuu - M - Dragon
Saburo - M - Third Son
Sachi - F - Happiness
Sachiko - F - Child of Happiness
Sachio - M - Fortunately born
Saeko - F - Child Sae
Saki - F - Cape (geographical)
Sakiko - F - Child Saki
Sakuko - F - Child Saku
Sakura – F – Cherry blossoms
Sanako - F - Child Sana
Sango - F - Coral
Saniiro - M - Wonderful
Satu - F - Sugar
Sayuri - F - Little lily
Seiichi - M - Sei's first son
Sen - M - Spirit of the Tree
Shichiro - M - Seventh Son
Shika - F - Deer
Shima - M - Islander
Shina - F - Decent
Shinichi - M - First son of Shin
Shiro - M - Fourth Son
Shizuka - F - Quiet
Sho - M - Prosperity
Sora - F - Sky
Sorano - F - Heavenly
Suki - F - Favorite
Suma - F - Asking
Sumi - F - Purified (religious)
Susumi - M - Moving forward (successful)
Suzu - F - Bell (bell)
Suzume - F - Sparrow
Tadao - M - Helpful
Taka - F - Noble
Takako - F - Tall child
Takara - F - Treasure
Takashi - M - Famous
Takehiko - M - Bamboo Prince
Takeo - M - Bamboo-like
Takeshi - M - Bamboo tree or brave
Takumi - M - Craftsman
Tama – M/F – Gemstone
Tamiko - F - Child of Abundance
Tani - F - From the valley (child)
Taro - M - Firstborn
Taura - F - Many lakes; many rivers
Teijo - M - Fair
Tomeo - M - Cautious person
Tomiko - F - Child of Wealth
Tora - F - Tigress
Torio - M - Bird's tail
Toru - M - Sea
Toshi - F - Mirror image
Toshiro - M - Talented
Toya – M/F – House door
Tsukiko - F - Moon Child
Tsuyu - F - Morning dew
Udo – M – Ginseng
Ume - F - Plum blossom
Umeko – F – Plum Blossom Child
Usagi - F - Rabbit
Uyeda - M - From the rice field (child)
Yachi - F - Eight thousand
Yasu - F - Calm
Yasuo - M - Peaceful
Yayoi - F - March
Yogi – M – Yoga practitioner
Yoko - F - Child of the Sun
Yori - F - Trustworthy
Yoshi - F - Perfection
Yoshiko - F - Perfect Child
Yoshiro - M - Perfect Son
Yuki - M - Snow
Yukiko - F - Snow Child
Yukio - M - Cherished by God
Yuko - F - Kind child
Yumako - F - Child Yuma
Yumi - F - Bow-like (weapon)
Yumiko – F – Arrow Child
Yuri - F - Lily
Yuriko - F - Child of the Lily
Yuu - M - Noble Blood
Yuudai - M - Great Hero
Nagisa - "coast"
Kaworu - “to smell”
Ritsuko - "science", "attitude"
Akagi - "mahogany"
Shinji - "death"
Misato - "beautiful city"
Katsuragi - "fortress with walls entwined with grass"
Asuka - lit. "love-love"
Soryu - "central current"
Ayanami - “strip of fabric”, “wave pattern”
Rei - “zero”, “example”, “soul”
KENSHIN name means "Heart of the Sword".
Akito - Sparkling Man
Kuramori Reika - "Treasure Protector" and "Cold Summer" Rurouni - Wandering Wanderer
Himura - "Burning Village"
Shishio Makoto - True Hero
Takani Megumi - "Love Sublime"
Shinomori Aoshi - "Green Bamboo Forest"
Makimachi Misao - "Run the City"
Saito Hajime - "The Beginning of Human Life"
Hiko Seijuro - "Justice Prevailed"
Seta Sojiro - “Comprehensive Forgiveness”
Mirai - the future
Hajime - boss
Mamoru - protector
Jibo - earth
Hikari - light
Atarashiki - transformations
Namida - tears
Sora - sky
Ginga - the universe
Eva - alive
Izya is a doctor
Usagi - hare
Tsukino - Lunnaya
Rey - soul
Hino - fire
Ami - rain
Mitsuno - merman
Corey - ice, icy
Makoto is true
Cinema - aerial, forest
Minako - Venus
Aino - loving
Setsuna - guard
Mayo - castle, palace
Haruka - 1) distant, 2) heavenly
Teno - heavenly
Michiru - the way
Kayo - sea
Hotaru - light
Tomo is a friend.
Kaori - soft, affectionate
Yumi - "Fragrant Beauty"
Hakufu - Noble Sign
What to name the child?
For future parents in Japan, special collections of names are published - just like here in general - so that they can choose the most suitable one for their child. In general, the process of choosing (or coming up with) a name comes down to one of the following ways:
1. can be used in the name keyword- seasonal phenomenon, shade of color, gemstone, etc.
2. the name may contain the parents’ wish to become strong, wise or brave, for which the hieroglyphs of strength, wisdom and courage are used, respectively.
3. You can also go from choosing the hieroglyphs you like most (in different spellings) and combining them with each other.
4. It has recently become popular to name a child based on hearing, i.e. depending on how pleasant the desired name is to the ear. Having chosen the desired pronunciation, they determine the hieroglyphs with which this name will be written.
5. It has always been popular to name a child after celebrities - heroes historical chronicles, politicians, pop stars, TV series heroes, etc.
6. Some parents rely on various fortune-telling, believing that the number of traits in the hieroglyphs of the first and last names should be combined with each other.
The most common endings for Japanese names are:
Male names: ~aki, ~fumi, ~go, ~haru, ~hei, ~hiko, ~hisa, ~hide, ~hiro, ~ji, ~kazu, ~ki, ~ma, ~masa, ~michi, ~mitsu , ~nari, ~nobu, ~nori, ~o, ~rou, ~shi, ~shige, ~suke, ~ta, ~taka, ~to, ~toshi, ~tomo, ~ya, ~zou
Female names: ~a, ~chi, ~e, ~ho, ~i, ~ka, ~ki, ~ko, ~mi, ~na, ~no, ~o, ~ri, ~sa, ~ya, ~yo
Nominal suffixes
Personal pronouns
Japanese nominal suffixes and personal pronouns
Nominal suffixes
In Japanese, there is a whole set of so-called nominal suffixes, that is, suffixes added to colloquial speech to first names, last names, nicknames and other words designating an interlocutor or a third party. They are used to indicate the social relationship between the speaker and the one being spoken about. The choice of suffix is determined by the character of the speaker (normal, rude, very polite), their attitude towards the listener (common politeness, respect, ingratiation, rudeness, arrogance), their position in society and the situation in which the conversation takes place (one-on-one, in a circle of loved ones friends, between colleagues, between strangers, in public). What follows is a list of some of these suffixes (in order of increasing respectfulness) and their usual meanings.
Tian (chan) - A close analogue of the “diminutive” suffixes of the Russian language. Usually used in relation to a junior or inferior in a social sense, with whom a close relationship develops. There is an element of baby talk in the use of this suffix. Typically used when adults address children, boys address their girlfriends, girlfriends address each other, and small children address each other. The use of this suffix in relation to people who are not very close, equal in status to the speaker, is impolite. Let’s say, if a guy addresses a girl his age in this way, with whom he is not “having an affair,” then he is being inappropriate. A girl who addresses a guy of her own age in this way, with whom she is not “having an affair,” is essentially being rude.
Kun (kun) - An analogue of the address “comrade”. Most often used between men or in relation to guys. Indicates, rather, a certain “officiality” of, nevertheless, close relationships. Let's say, between classmates, partners or friends. It can also be used in relation to juniors or inferior in a social sense, when there is no need to focus on this circumstance.
Yang (yan) - Kansai analogue of "-chan" and "-kun".
Pyon (pyon) - Children's version"-kun."
Tti (cchi) - Children's version of "-chan" (cf. "Tamagotti".
Without a suffix - Close relationships, but without “lisping.” The usual address of adults to teenage children, friends to each other, etc. If a person does not use suffixes at all, then this is a clear indicator of rudeness. Calling by last name without a suffix is a sign of familiar, but “detached” relationships ( typical example- relations of schoolchildren or students).
San (san) - An analogue of the Russian “Mr./Madam”. General information about respectful attitude. Often used to communicate with strangers, or when all other suffixes are inappropriate. Used in relation to elders, including older relatives (brothers, sisters, parents).
Han (han) - Kansai equivalent of "-san".
Si (shi) - “Master”, used exclusively in official documents after the surname.
Fujin - “Lady”, used exclusively in official documents after the surname.
Kouhai - Appeal to the younger. Especially often - at school in relation to those who are younger than the speaker.
Senpai (senpai) - Appeal to an elder. Especially often - at school in relation to those who are older than the speaker.
Dono (dono) - Rare suffix. Respectful address to an equal or superior, but slightly different in position. Currently considered obsolete and practically not found in communication. In ancient times, it was actively used when samurai addressed each other.
Sensei - “Teacher”. Used to refer to teachers and lecturers themselves, as well as doctors and politicians.
Senshu - “Sportsman.” Used to refer to famous athletes.
Zeki - “Sumo wrestler”. Used to refer to famous sumo wrestlers.
Ue (ue) - “Elder”. A rare and outdated respectful suffix used for older family members. Not used with names - only with designations of position in the family (“father”, “mother”, “brother”).
Sama - The highest degree of respect. Appeal to gods and spirits, to spiritual authorities, girls to lovers, servants to noble masters, etc. Roughly translated into Russian as “respected, dear, venerable.”
Jin (jin) - “One of.” "Saya-jin" means "one of Saya."
Tachi (tachi) - “And friends.” "Goku-tachi" - "Goku and his friends."
Gumi - “Team, group, party.” "Kenshin-gumi" - "Team Kenshin".
Japanese names and their meanings
Personal pronouns
In addition to nominal suffixes, Japan also uses many in various ways addressing each other and calling themselves using personal pronouns. The choice of pronoun is determined by the social laws already mentioned above. The following is a list of some of these pronouns.
Group with the meaning "I"
Watakushi - A very polite female version.
Washi - An outdated polite option. Doesn't depend on gender.
Wai - Kansai equivalent of washi.
Boku - Familiar youth male version. Rarely used by women, in this case “unfemininity” is emphasized. Used in poetry.
Ore - Not a very polite option. Purely masculine. Like, cool. ^_^
Ore-sama - "Great Self". A rare form, an extreme degree of boasting.
Daiko or Naiko (Daikou/Naikou) - Similar to “ore-sama”, but somewhat less boastful.
Sessha - Very polite form. Typically used by samurai when addressing their masters.
Hishou - “Insignificant.” A very polite form, now practically not used.
Gusei - Similar to hisho, but somewhat less derogatory.
Oira - Polite form. Typically used by monks.
Chin - A special form that only the emperor has the right to use.
Ware (Ware) - Polite (formal) form, translated as [I/you/he] “himself.” Used when the importance of “I” needs to be particularly expressed. For example, in spells (“I conjure.” In modern Japanese it is rarely used in the meaning of “I”. It is more often used to form a reflexive form, for example, “forgetting about oneself” - “ware wo wasurete.”
[Speaker's name or position] - Used by or when communicating with children, usually within the family. Let's say a girl named Atsuko might say "Atsuko is thirsty." Or her older brother, addressing her, may say, “Brother will bring you juice.” There is an element of “lisping” in this, but such treatment is quite acceptable.
Group meaning “We”
Watashi-tachi - Polite option.
Ware-ware - Very polite, formal option.
Bokura - Impolite option.
Touhou - Regular option.
Group with the meaning “You/You”:
Anata - General polite option. It is also common for a wife to address her husband (“dear”).
Anta - Less polite option. Typically used by young people. A slight hint of disrespect.
Otaku - Literally translated as "Your home." Very polite and rare form. Due to the ironic use by Japanese informals in relation to each other, the second meaning was fixed - “feng, crazy.”
Kimi - Polite option, often between friends. Used in poetry.
Kijou - “Mistress”. A very polite form of addressing a lady.
Onushi - “Insignificant.” An outdated form of polite speech.
Omae - Familiar (when addressing an enemy - offensive) option. Usually used by men in relation to a socially younger person (father to daughter, say).
Temae/Temee (Temae/Temee) - Insulting male version. Usually in relation to the enemy. Something like “bastard” or “bastard.”
Honore (Onore) - Insulting option.
Kisama - A very offensive option. Translated with dots. ^_^ Oddly enough, it literally translates as “noble master.”
Japanese names
Modern Japanese names consist of two parts - the surname, which comes first, and the given name, which comes second. True, the Japanese often write their names in “European order” (first name - surname) if they write them in romaji. For convenience, the Japanese sometimes write their last name in CAPITAL letters so that it is not confused with their first name (due to the inconsistency described above).
The exception is the emperor and members of his family. They don't have a last name. Girls who marry princes also lose their surnames.
Ancient names and surnames
Before the Meiji Restoration, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had surnames. The rest of the Japanese population was content with personal names and nicknames.
Women of aristocratic and samurai families also usually did not have surnames, since they did not have the right of inheritance. In those cases where women did have surnames, they did not change them upon marriage.
Surnames were divided into two groups - the surnames of aristocrats and the surnames of samurai.
Unlike the number of samurai surnames, the number of aristocratic surnames has practically not increased since ancient times. Many of them went back to the priestly past of the Japanese aristocracy.
The most respected and respected clans of aristocrats were: Konoe, Takashi, Kujo, Ichijo and Gojo. All of them belonged to the Fujiwara clan and had a common name - “Gosetsuke”. From among the men of this family, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and from among the women, wives for the emperors were chosen.
The next most important clans were the Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjo, Imaidegawa, Tokudaji and Kaoin clans. The highest state dignitaries were appointed from among them.
Thus, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial grooms (meryo no gogen). Next came all the other aristocratic clans.
The hierarchy of nobility of aristocratic families began to take shape in the 6th century and lasted until the end of the 11th century, when power in the country passed to the samurai. Among them, the clans Genji (Minamoto), Heike (Taira), Hojo, Ashikaga, Tokugawa, Matsudaira, Hosokawa, Shimazu, Oda enjoyed special respect. A number of their representatives in different times were the shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.
The personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai were formed from two kanji (hieroglyphs) with a “noble” meaning.
Personal names of samurai servants and peasants were often given according to the principle of "numbering". The first son is Ichiro, the second is Jiro, the third is Saburo, the fourth is Shiro, the fifth is Goro, etc. Also, in addition to “-ro”, the suffixes “-emon”, “-ji”, “-zo”, “-suke”, “-be” were used for this purpose.
Upon entering the period of adolescence, the samurai chose a different name for himself than the one given to him at birth. Sometimes samurai changed their names throughout adult life, for example, to emphasize the onset of her new period (promotion or move to another duty station). The master had the right to rename his vassal. In cases of serious illness, the name was sometimes changed to that of Amida Buddha to appeal to his mercy.
According to the rules of samurai duels, before the fight, the samurai had to say his full name so that the opponent could decide whether he was worthy of such an opponent. Of course, in life this rule was observed much less often than in novels and chronicles.
The suffix "-hime" was added to the end of the names of girls from noble families. It is often translated as "princess", but in fact it was used to refer to all noble ladies.
The suffix “-gozen” was used for the names of samurai wives. They were often called simply by their husband's surname and rank. Personal names of married women were practically used only by their close relatives.
For the names of monks and nuns from the noble classes, the suffix “-in” was used.
Modern names and surnames
During the Meiji Restoration, all Japanese people were given surnames. Naturally, most of them were associated with various signs of peasant life, especially with rice and its processing. These surnames, like the surnames of the upper class, were also usually made up of two kanji.
The most common Japanese surnames now are Suzuki, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Sato, Sasaki, Kudo, Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kato, Ito, Murakami, Oonishi, Yamaguchi, Nakamura, Kuroki, Higa.
Men's names have changed less. They also often depend on the “serial number” of the son in the family. The suffixes "-ichi" and "-kazu" meaning "first son" are often used, as are the suffixes "-ji" ("second son" and "-zō" ("third son").
Most Japanese female names end in “-ko” (“child” or “-mi” (“beauty”). Girls, as a rule, are given names associated with everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine. Unlike male names, female names names are usually written in hiragana rather than kanji.
Some modern girls They don’t like the ending “-ko” in their names and prefer to omit it. For example, a girl named "Yuriko" might call herself "Yuri".
According to a law passed during the time of Emperor Meiji, after marriage, husband and wife are legally required to adopt the same surname. In 98% of cases this is the husband's last name. For several years now, parliament has been discussing an amendment to the Civil Code allowing spouses to keep premarital surnames. However, so far she cannot get the required number of votes.
After death, a Japanese person receives a new, posthumous name (kaimyo), which is written on a special wooden tablet (ihai). This tablet is considered to be the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased and is used in funeral rites. Kaimyo and ihai are purchased from Buddhist monks - sometimes even before the person's death.
The surname in Japanese is called "myoji" (苗字 or 名字), "uji" (氏) or "sei" (姓).
The vocabulary of the Japanese language has long been divided into two types: wago (Japanese 和語?) - native Japanese words and kango (Japanese 漢語?) - borrowed from China. Names are also divided into these types, although a new type is now actively expanding - gairaigo (Japanese 外来語?) - words borrowed from other languages, but components of this type are rarely used in names.
Modern Japanese names are divided into the following groups:
kunnye (consisting of vago)
onny (consisting of kango)
mixed
The ratio of kun and on surnames is approximately 80% to 20%.
The most common surnames in Japan:
Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 Sato:?)
Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木?)
Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋?)
Tanaka (Japanese: 田中?)
Watanabe (Japanese: 渡辺?)
Ito (Japanese: 伊藤 Ito:?)
Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本?)
Nakamura (Japanese: 中村?)
Ohayashi (Japanese: 小林?)
Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林?) (different surnames, but spelled the same and have approximately the same distribution)
Kato (Japanese: 加藤 Kato:?)
Many surnames, although read according to the onon (Chinese) reading, go back to ancient Japanese words and are written phonetically, and not by meaning.
Examples of such surnames: Kubo (Japanese 久保?) - from Japanese. kubo (Japanese 窪?) - hole; Sasaki (Japanese 佐々木?) - from the ancient Japanese sasa - small; Abe (Japanese: 阿部?) - from ancient word ape - to combine, mix. If we take into account such surnames, then the number of native Japanese surnames reaches 90%.
For example, the character 木 (“tree”) is read in kun as ki, but in names it can also be read as ko; The character 上 (“up”) can be read in kun as either ue or kami. There are two different surnames Uemura and Kamimura, which are written the same way - 上村. In addition, there are dropouts and fusions of sounds at the junction of components, for example, in the surname Atsumi (Japanese 渥美?), the components individually are read as atsui and umi; and the surname 金成 (kana + nari) is often read simply as Kanari.
When combining hieroglyphs, it is typical to alternate the endings of the first component A/E and O/A - for example, 金 kane - Kanagawa (Japanese 金川?), 白 shiro - Shiraoka (Japanese 白岡?). In addition, the initial syllables of the second component often become voiced, for example 山田 Yamada (yama + ta), 宮崎 Miyazaki (miya + saki). Also, surnames often contain the remainder of the case indicator but or ha (in ancient times it was customary to place them between the first and last names). Usually this indicator is not written, but is read - for example, 一宮 Ichinomiya (ichi + miya); 榎本 Enomoto (e + moto). But sometimes the case indicator is displayed in writing in hiragana, katakana or hieroglyph - for example, 井之上 Inoue (and + no + ue); 木ノ下 Kinoshita (ki + katakana no + shita).
The vast majority of surnames in Japanese consist of two characters; surnames with one or three characters are less common, and surnames with four or more characters are very rare.
One-component surnames are mainly of Japanese origin and are formed from nouns or medial forms of verbs. For example, Watari (Japanese 渡?) - from watari (Japanese 渡り crossing?), Hata (Japanese 畑?) - the word hata means “plantation, vegetable garden.” Significantly less common are surnames consisting of one hieroglyph. For example, Cho (Japanese 兆 Cho:?) means “trillion”, In (Japanese 因?) means “reason”.
The majority of Japanese surnames consisting of two components are reported as 60-70%. Of these, the majority are surnames from Japanese roots - it is believed that such surnames are the easiest to read, since most of them are read according to the usual kuns used in the language. Examples - Matsumoto (Japanese 松本?) - consists of the nouns matsu “pine” and moto “root” used in the language; Kiyomizu (Japanese: 清水?) - consists of the adjective stem 清い kiyoi - “pure” and the noun 水 mizu - “water”. Chinese two-part surnames are less numerous and usually have one single reading. Often Chinese surnames contain numbers from one to six (excluding four 四, since this number is read in the same way as “death” 死 si and they try not to use it). Examples: Ichijo: (Japanese: 一条?), Saito: (Japanese: 斉藤?). There are also mixed surnames, where one component is read as on, and the other as kun. Examples: Honda (Japanese 本田?), hon - “base” (on reading) + ta - “rice field” (kun reading); Betsumiya (Japanese 別宮?), betsu - “special, different” (on reading) + miya - “temple” (kun reading). Also, a very small part of surnames can be read both in onam and kun: 坂西 Banzai and Sakanishi, 宮内 Kunai and Miyauchi.
Three-component surnames often contain Japanese roots written phonetically. Examples: 久保田 "Kubota (probably the word 窪 kubo "hole" is written phonetically as 久保), 阿久津 Akutsu (probably the word 明く aku "to open" is written phonetically as 阿久). However, ordinary three-component surnames consisting of three kun readings are also common. Examples: 矢田部 Yatabe, 小野木 Onoki. There are also three-component surnames with Chinese reading.
Four or more component surnames are very rare.
There are surnames with very unusual readings that look like puzzles. Examples: 十八女 Wakairo - written in hieroglyphs for “eighteen-year-old girl”, and read as 若色 “young + color”; The surname denoted by the hieroglyph 一 “one” is read as Ninomae, which can be translated as 二の前 ni no mae “before two”; and the surname 穂積 Hozue, which can be interpreted as “gathering ears of grain”, is sometimes written as 八月一日 “the first day of the eighth lunar month” - apparently on this day in ancient times the harvest began.
Many of us are familiar with Japanese names from anime, literary and artistic characters, by famous Japanese actors and singers. But what do these sometimes beautiful and sweet, and sometimes completely dissonant Japanese names and surnames mean to our ears? What is the most popular Japanese name? How can you translate Russian names into Japanese? What is the meaning of the characters in a Japanese name? What Japanese names are rare? I will try to talk about this and much more based on personal experience living in the Land of the Rising Sun. Since this topic is very extensive, I will divide it into three parts: the first will talk about Japanese names and surnames in general, and the last will talk about beautiful female names and their meanings.
A Japanese name consists of a surname and a given name. Sometimes a nickname is inserted between them, for example Nakamura Nue Satoshi (here Nue is a nickname), but, naturally, it is not in the passport. Moreover, during roll call and in the list of authors of documents, the order will be exactly this: first the last name, then the first name. For example, Yosuke's Honda, not Yosuke's Honda.
In Russia, as a rule, it’s the other way around. Compare for yourself, which is more familiar: Anastasia Sidorova or Anastasia Sidorova? Russian names and surnames are generally different from Japanese themes that we have many people with the same names. Depending on the generation, at one time or another among our classmates or classmates there were three Natashas, four Alexanders, or all Irinas. The Japanese, on the contrary, have the same surnames.
According to the site version myoji-yurai Japanese “Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov” are:
- Satō (佐藤 – helper + wisteria, 1 million 877 thousand people),
- Suzuki (鈴木 - bell + tree, 1 million 806 thousand people) and
- Takahashi (高橋 – high bridge, 1 million 421 thousand people).
The same names (not only in sound, but also with the same hieroglyphs) are very rare.
How do Japanese parents come up with names for their children? The most reliable answer can be obtained by looking at one of the typical Japanese name aggregator sites (yes, such exist!) bi-name.
- First, the parents' surname is specified (women do not always change their surname when married, but children have their father's surname), for example, Nakamura 中村, then their names (for example, Masao and Michiyo - 雅夫 and 美千代) and the gender of the child (boy). The surname is specified in order to select names that go with it. This is no different from Russia. The parents' names are needed in order to use one of the hieroglyphs from the father's name (in the case of a boy) or from the mother's hieroglyphs (in the case of a girl) in the child's name. This is how continuity is maintained.
- Next, select the number of hieroglyphs in the name. Most often there are two: 奈菜 - Nana, less often one: 忍 - Shinobu or three: 亜由美 - Ayumi, and in exceptional cases four: 秋左衛門 - Akisaemon.
- The next parameter is the type of characters that the desired name should consist of: these will be only hieroglyphs: 和香 - Waka, or hiragana for those who want to quickly write the name: さくら - Sakura, or katakana used to write foreign words: サヨリ - Sayori. Also, the name can use a mixture of hieroglyphs and katakana, hieroglyphs and hiragana.
When selecting hieroglyphs, it is taken into account how many features it consists of: a distinction is made between favorable and unfavorable quantities. There is a formed group of hieroglyphs that are suitable for composing names.
So, the first result of my hypothetical query is Nakamura Aiki 中村合希 (the meaning of the hieroglyphs is the one who realizes dreams). This is just one among hundreds of options.
Hieroglyphs can also be selected by sound. This is where the main difficulty arises in comparing Russian and Japanese names. What if names have similar sounds but different meanings? This issue is resolved in different ways. For example, my sons’ names are Ryuga and Taiga, but Russian grandparents call them Yurik and Tolyan, and it’s more convenient for me to call them Ryugasha and Taigusha.
The Chinese, who use hieroglyphs exclusively, simply write down Russian names according to their sound, choosing hieroglyphs with more or less good value. In my opinion, the most consistent translation of Russian names into Japanese should be based on their meanings. The most popular example of the implementation of this principle is the name Alexander, that is, protector, which in Japanese sounds like Mamoru, means the same thing and is written with the same hieroglyph 守.
Now regarding the use of names in everyday life. In Japan, just like in America, surnames are used in formal communication: Mr. Tanaka 田中さん, Mrs. Yamada 山田さん. Female friends call each other by name + suffix -san: Keiko-san, Masako-san.
In families, when family members address each other, their family status is used, not their name. For example, a husband and wife do not call each other by name, they call each other "supurug" and "wife": danna-san 旦那さん and oku-san 奥さん.
It's the same with grandparents, brothers and sisters. The emotional coloring and this or that status of a household member is emphasized by the well-known suffixes -kun, -chan, -sama. For example, “granny” is baa-chan ばあちゃん, a wife as beautiful as a princess is “oku-sama” 奥様. That rare case when a man can call his girlfriend or wife by name is in a fit of passion, when he can no longer control himself. It is permissible for women to address themselves as “anta” - あなた or “dear”.
Only children are called by name, and not only their own. Suffixes are also used, the eldest daughter, for example, Mana-san, youngest son- Sa-chan. At the same time real name"Saiki" is shortened to "Sa". It's cute from a Japanese point of view. Boys from infancy to adulthood are called na-kun, for example: Naoto-kun.
In Japan, as well as in Russia, there are strange and even vulgar names. Often such names are given by short-sighted parents who want to somehow distinguish their child from the crowd. Such names are called in Japanese “kira-kira-nemu” キラキラネーム (from Japanese “kira-kira” - a sound conveying shine and from English name), that is, “brilliant name”. They enjoy some popularity, but like all controversial things, there are good and bad examples of using such names.
A scandalous incident that was widely discussed in the Japanese press was when a son was given a name that literally means “demon” - Japanese. Akuma 悪魔. This name, as well as the use of similar hieroglyphs in the name, was banned after this incident. Another example is Pikachu (this is not a joke!!!) Japanese. ピカチュウ named after the anime character.
Speaking about successful “kira-kira-nemu”, one cannot fail to mention female name Rose, which is written with the hieroglyph “rose” - 薔薇 in Japanese. "bara", but pronounced in a European manner. I also have one of my Japanese nieces (because I have 7 of them!!!) with a brilliant name. Her name is pronounced June. If you write it in Latin, then June, that is, “June”. She was born in June. And the name is written 樹音 - literally “sound of wood”.
To summarize the story about such different and unusual Japanese names, I will give tables of popular Japanese names for girls and boys for 2017. These tables are compiled every year based on statistics. Often, it is these tables that become the last argument for Japanese parents choosing a name for their child. Perhaps the Japanese really like to be like everyone else. These tables display the ranking of names by hieroglyphs. There is also a similar rating based on the sound of the name. It is less popular because choosing characters is always a very difficult task for a Japanese parent.
| Place inranking 2017 | Hieroglyphs | Pronunciation | Meaning | Frequency of occurrence in 2017 |
| 1 | 蓮 | Ren | Lotus | 261 |
| 2 | 悠真 | Yuma / Yūma | Calm and truthful | 204 |
| 3 | 湊 | Minato | Safe Harbor | 198 |
| 4 | 大翔 | Hiroto | Big spread wings | 193 |
| 5 | 優人 | Yuto / Yūto | Gentle man | 182 |
| 6 | 陽翔 | Haruto | Sunny and free | 177 |
| 7 | 陽太 | Yōta | Sunny and courageous | 168 |
| 8 | 樹 | Itski | Stately like a tree | 156 |
| 9 | 奏太 | Sōta | Harmonious and courageous | 153 |
| 10 | 悠斗 | Yuto / Yūto | Calm and eternal like the starry sky | 135 |
| 11 | 大和 | Yamato | Great and reconciling, ancient name Japan | 133 |
| 12 | 朝陽 | Asahi | morning sun | 131 |
| 13 | 蒼 | Sō | Green meadow | 128 |
| 14 | 悠 | Yu / Yū | Calm | 124 |
| 15 | 悠翔 | Yuto / Yūto | Calm and free | 121 |
| 16 | 結翔 | Yuto/Yūto | Unifying and free | 121 |
| 17 | 颯真 | Sōma | Fresh wind, truthful | 119 |
| 18 | 陽向 | Hinata | Sunny and purposeful | 114 |
| 19 | 新 | Arata | Updated | 112 |
| 20 | 陽斗 | Haruto | Eternal like the sun and stars | 112 |
| Place in the ranking2017 | Hieroglyphs | Pronunciation | Meaning | Frequency of occurrence in 2017 |
| 1 | 結衣 | Yui / Yūi | Warming with her hugs | 240 |
| 2 | 陽葵 | Himari | Flower facing the sun | 234 |
| 3 | 凜 | Rin | Tempered, bright | 229 |
| 4 | 咲良 | Sakura | Charming smile | 217 |
| 5 | 結菜 | Yuna | Captivating like a spring flower | 215 |
| 6 | 葵 | Aoi | Delicate and elegant, the trefoil from the coat of arms of the Tokugawa family | 214 |
| 7 | 陽菜 | Hina | Sunny, spring | 192 |
| 8 | 莉子 | Rico | Soothing, like the scent of jasmine | 181 |
| 9 | 芽依 | Mai | Independent, with great life potential | 180 |
| 10 | 結愛 | Yua / Yūa | Uniting people, awakening love | 180 |
| 11 | 凛 | Rin | Majestic | 170 |
| 12 | さくら | Sakura | Sakura | 170 |
| 13 | 結月 | Yuzuki | Possessing charm | 151 |
| 14 | あかり | Akari | Light | 145 |
| 15 | 楓 | Kaede | Bright as an autumn maple | 140 |
| 16 | 紬 | Tsumugi | Sturdy and durable as a sheet | 139 |
| 17 | 美月 | Mitski | Beautiful as the moon | 133 |
| 18 | 杏 | An | Apricot, fertile | 130 |
| 19 | 澪 | Mio | A waterway that brings tranquility | 119 |
| 20 | 心春 | Miharu | Warms people's hearts | 116 |
What Japanese names did you like?
