Japanese male names are the hardest part to read when it comes to proper names. It happens when the same character is read in completely different ways. And behind every name hides its meaning. So if you want to know a little more about Japanese male names, as well as their meaning, come here!
Male Japanese names
Before World War II, Japan did not use restrictions on the use of signs. You can imagine what a mess it was and how many problems it caused. Because remembering 50 thousand characters is unrealistic, and those who worked with papers could only sympathize, since they had to sit with a dictionary. But this is in the past, now only 166 characters are allowed for names, which greatly simplifies everyone's life. So, your attention is given table with the most common Japanese names and their meanings.
| Name | Meaning |
| BUT cayo | clever man |
| Aki | autumn |
| Akio | handsome |
| Akihiko | bright prince |
| areta | new |
| Arata | fresh |
| Akihiro | scientist |
| G oro | fifth son |
| D aiske | good helper |
| Giro | second son |
| Daichi | great wisdom or great first son |
| June | obedient |
| Junichi | purity, obedience |
| Jero | tenth son |
| And sao | dignity |
| Isao | merit |
| Ichiro | first son boy |
| Isamu | bold |
| Yoshihiro | widespread perfection |
| Iwao | stone man |
| Yoshi | good |
| Yoshikezu | fair, good |
| Isaneji | inviting man |
| Yoshinori | fair principles |
| Yoshito | lucky |
By the way, the Japanese most often call each other by last name. If you want to address by name, then you must use a specific nominal suffix. Without a suffix, you can use the name only if it is your good friend. If we are talking about male names, then it is necessary to use the following suffixes: -sama, -san, -kun. -Sama means respect for older people, positions and so on. -San is used as a neutral address. -Kun is most often used for male names of more intimate acquaintances, such as work colleagues or classmates.
| Name | Meaning |
| To eiji | respectful (second son) |
| Katsu | victory |
| Ken | strong, healthy |
| Kent | strong |
| Kenichi | first health |
| Kazuhiro | harmony |
| Kenshin | humble truth |
| Kyo | ginger, large |
| kin | gold |
| Catsero | victorious son |
| Kunayo | compatriot |
| Kero | ninth son |
| Koji | the one who is happy is the ruler's son |
| Katashi | hardness |
| Ketsuo | victorious son |
| Kenichi | governor |
| Koheku | amber |
Men's Japanese names can be one-component and multicomponent. One-component names consist of verbs, adjectives in -si. For example, Hiroshi comes from the word wide.
| Name | Meaning |
| M akato | true |
| Mamoru | defender |
| Mikayo | tree trunk man |
| Minoru | fruitful |
| Maseyuki | right happiness |
| Masashi | luxurious |
| Mitseru | full height |
| Mazeto | graceful man |
| Meseyoshi | one who rules justly |
| Madoka | calm |
| Masumi | true clarity |
| Matheio | enlarges the world |
| Minoru | true |
| Mazaru | intellectual |
| Manebu | diligent |
| machio | man on the right track |
| H aoki | honest tree |
| Norio | man of the law |
| Set | virtuous, rise |
| Nobuo | faithful man |
| Nobu | Vera |
| Nobuyuki | devoted happiness |
| Neo | fair man |
Japanese male names that consist of two hieroglyphs, most often have indicators of the masculine principle. For example, such indicators can be the following words: husband, assistant, warrior, tree. Each such indicator has its own ending. For example, assistant has the ending -suke, and wood- ro, husband ends in -o. Of course, there are other basic components in male names, but these are the most common. And they are needed in order to understand what reading to read the name. Thus, signs with the component 朗 ro it is necessary to read according to this reading. Although sometimes there are exceptions.
| Name | Meaning |
| O zemu | the one who rules |
| Orochi | big snake |
| R and about | excellent |
| Ryu | dragon spirit |
| Raiden | Thunder and lightning |
| Rokero | sixth son |
| FROM uzumu | one who progresses |
| Setoshi | quick-witted |
| Sabero | third son |
| sora | sky |
| Sadeo | decisive man |
| T akash | worthy of praise |
| Tadao | faithful man |
| tarot | great son (as only the first son is called) |
| Tadashi | true |
| Toshayo | genius |
| Tetsuya | iron |
| Toru | wanderer |
| Takeshi | cruel, warrior |
| Tekahiro | common nobility |
| Tedeo | loyal person |
| Tetsuo | a wise man |
| Temotsu | protecting |
| Tekumi | craftsman |
| Toshiyuki | happy and emergency |
There are also three-part names. They most often have a two-component indicator. For example, "eldest son", "assistant", "fourth son" and so on. Although there are cases when the name consists of two hieroglyphs and one component.
meet and four-component names, but this is rare. Also rare are names written only in kana (alphabet).
| Name | Meaning |
| F umayyo | literary child |
| X isoca | saved |
| Hiro | wide |
| Hitoshi | balanced |
| Hiroyuki | widespread happiness |
| Hachiro | eighth son |
| Hejime | Start |
| Hiroshi | in abundance |
| hikeru | shining |
| Hizeshi | durable |
| W ijeru | one who transcends |
| Shin | true |
| Shiro | second son |
| Shoji | one who corrects |
| Shoichi | one who succeeds |
| Shichiro | seventh Son |
| E iji | second son, excellent |
| YU cayo | happy man |
| Yuudai | great hero |
| Yutaka | rich |
| Yuchi | brave |
| Yuki | happiness, snow |
| Yasuhiro | rich honesty |
| Yasushi | peaceful |
| Yasuo | fair man |
Japanese male names very difficult in their reading (because there are many exceptions), but very interesting in translation. It is always very interesting what is hidden behind the next mysterious name. They say that the fate of a person depends on his name. Perhaps that is why the Japanese put the best qualities of a person into the name, which can manifest themselves if they want to grow and develop.
Japanese male names- one of the most difficult parts in reading proper names. In this article, you learned the meaning of male Japanese names.
By the way, many names in Japan sound the same, but are written in different hieroglyphs. That is why it is important not only to know the name of your interlocutor, but also to understand what hieroglyphs it is written with. And if you don’t know Japanese characters yet, then we advise you to look, thanks to which you can already learn how to write some Japanese names and surnames.
What Japanese male names do you like? Please share in the comments.
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Thinking about strange names - which for some reason parents come up with, and then the child will suffer all his life - was prompted by today's news from the Ryazan region. The hard workers, who are experiencing an acute attack of patri(id)otism, have named their boy...United Russia. “Father Valentin from our village church fully supported and blessed this choice of name,” the happy father noted and reminded reporters that two years ago he named his daughter Putin.
In general, almost a joke. Cleaner than any, God forgive me, Dazdraperma. But, I thought, do metalists have such pushes? Well, call your son Slayer. Or daughter Sepultura. Have you heard of these...
And if you decide to stand out yourself, here is a list of "gothic baby names" compiled by wallofmetal.com for thought. The option, of course, is rather for the English-speaking, but how the idea will come down ...
Absinthe - absinthe. (I don’t think I need to explain what kind of gloomy booze this is.)
Ague is the name given to malaria in the Middle Ages.
Ahriman is a destroying spirit, the personification of the evil inclination in Zoroastrianism.
Alcina is a sorceress from Italian legends.
Amanita is the mistress of poisoned mushrooms.
Amarantha is a mythological unfading flower from Greek myths.
Amaranthus - Amaranth flower, also known as "love lies bleeding." In ancient times it was used to stop bleeding.
Amethyst - amethyst. The ability to save from drunkenness, as well as from celibacy, is associated with this stone. And astrology is considered a symbol of divine understanding.
Annabel Lee is the heroine of a tragic poem by Edgar Allan Poe.
Artemisia - character Greek mythology, as well as a variety of wormwood used to make absinthe.
Ash - ashes.
Asmodeus is one of the names of Satan.
Astaroth is a Christian demon.
Asura is a "demon" in Hinduism.
Asya - they say in Swahili means "born in a time of sadness."
Atropine is a kind of poison.
Avalon is the place where King Arthur went after his death.
Avarice - greed. One of the seven deadly sins.
Aveira means "sin" in Hebrew.
Avon - in Hebrew - impulsive sin of voluptuousness.
Azazel is a biblical demon in the form of a goat.
Azrael (Esdras) - Angel of Death according to the Qur'an.
Beelzebub is the Hebrew version of Satan.
Belial is another Satan.
Belinda is one of the moons of the planet Uranus. Presumably, the etymology of this word is based on the ancient designation of a snake.
Belladonna is a poisonous plant with purple flowers.
Blood - what a great name!..
Bran/Branwen is the Celtic word for raven.
Briar - thorn, thorn.
Chalice is a special cup for holy blood.
Chaos - Chaos. In the original meaning: the state in which the universe was before the reign of the Greek gods.
Chimera / Chimaera - Chimera. In Greek mythology, a hybrid monster with the head and neck of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake.
Chrysanthemum - chrysanthemum. A flower considered a symbol of death in Japan and some European countries.
Cinder is another name for ash.
Corvus/Cornix is Latin for "raven".
Dark/Darque/Darkling etc. - several versions of darkness...
Demon/Daemon/Demona - A variation on the theme of demons.
Dies Irae - day of wrath, judgment day.
Digitalis - digitalis, another poisonous flower.
Diti is the mother of a demon in Hinduism.
Dolores means "sorrows" in Spanish.
Draconia - From "draconian", which means "severe" or "extremely serious."
Dystopia is the opposite of Utopia. Fantastic place where everything is very bad.
Elysium - in Greek mythology, dead heroes go there.
Ember - fading embers.
Esmeree - according to legend, the daughter of the Welsh king, turned into a snake by the efforts of sorcerers. I returned to human form thanks to the kiss of the beautiful young man.
Eurydice - Eurydice, a tragic female figure in Greek mythology.
Evilyn is a beautiful female given name with the root "evil". It looks like it came from an old cartoon.
Felony - sounds almost like the common Melanie, but it also means "a serious criminal offense."
Gefjun/Gefion is a Norse goddess who took dead virgins under her care.
Gehenna is the name of Hell in the New Testament.
Golgotha is Hebrew for skull. Hill in the form of a skull, on which the crucifixion of Christ.
Grendel is the monster in Beowulf.
Griffin/Gryphon is a mythological monstrous hybrid: the body of a lion, wings and the head of an eagle.
Grigori are fallen angels in the Bible.
Grimoire is a grimoire. A book describing magical rituals and spells, containing magical recipes.
Hades- greek god afterlife.
Hecate is the ancient Greek deity of moonlight, a powerful sorceress.
Hellebore - hellebore. A flower blooming in the snow in the middle of winter. According to medieval belief, it saves from leprosy and insanity.
Hemlock - hemlock. Strong poison. They poisoned, for example, Socrates.
Inclementia is Latin for cruelty.
Innominata is the name of the embalming agent.
Isolde is a Celtic name meaning "beauty", "she who is looked at". Gained fame thanks to the medieval chivalric romance of the XII century, Tristan and Isolde.
Israfil / Rafael / Israfel - an angel who must cut through the beginning of the Day of Judgment.
Kalma is an ancient Finnish goddess of death. Her name means "dead stench".
Lachrimae means "tears" in Latin.
Lamia - "witch", "sorceress" in Latin.
Lanius means "executioner" in Latin.
Leila means "night" in Arabic.
Lenore is the heroine of the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.
Lethe - Summer. The river of oblivion in the underworld in Greek mythology.
Lilith is Adam's notorious first wife. Very sinister.
Lily - lily. Traditional funeral flower.
Lucifer is a fallen angel, often associated with the Devil.
Luna - "moon", Latin.
Malady is practically Melody, but no. The word means "illness".
Malice - bad intentions.
Malik is the angel who rules over Hell according to the Qur'an.
Mara - in Scandinavian mythology, a demon who sits on his chest at night and causes bad dreams (nightmare). The Greeks knew this demon under the name of Ephialtes, and the Romans called it an incubo. Among the Slavs, this role is played by kikimora. In Hebrew "mara" means "bitter".
Melancholia is a very gothic doom name for a girl. Or a boy...
Melania/Melanie - "black" in Greek.
Melanthe means "black flower" in Greek.
Merula means "black bird" in Latin.
Mephistopheles / Mephisto - in the Renaissance, this was the name of the Devil.
Minax is Latin for "threat".
Misericordia is Latin for compassionate heart.
Mitternacht means "midnight" in German.
Miyuki means "silence of deep snow" in Japanese.
Moon, Moonless, Moonlight - everything that concerns the Moon. By the way, the moon is an ancient symbol of fertility.
Moirai - Moirai. Greek goddesses of fate.
Monstrance is an empty cross, inside of which the holy spirit is "sealed".
Morrigan is the Celtic goddess of war and fertility.
Mort(e) - "death", "dead" in French.
Mortifer / Mortifera - Latin equivalents of the words "lethal", "fatal", "deadly".
Mortis is a form of the Latin word for death.
Mortualia - grave pit.
Natrix is Latin for "water snake".
Nephilim - Nephilim. Representative of the race of giants, the sons of fallen angels.
Nocturne - nocturne. Romantic "night" genre of music.
obsidian - obsidian. Black stone formed from volcanic eruptions. Used in surgery, because. is sharper than steel.
Oleander - oleander. A beautiful poisonous flower.
Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing the end, the end.
Orchid - an orchid. Exotic rare flower. Often used as decoration in glamorous western gothic clubs.
Osiris is the Egyptian lord of the underworld.
Penance - repentance, penance.
Perdita - sounds great in Russian!!! This name was coined by Shakespeare, in Latin it means "lost".
Pestilentia is a Latin term meaning "plague", "unhealthy atmosphere".
Reaper - aka Great Reaper, Grim Reaper. English - male - a variant of a bony old woman with a scythe.
Sabine / Sabina - Sabines or Sabines. The people of the Italian group. According to legend, the Romans kidnapped the Sabine women during one of the festivities in order to take them as their wives. About a year later, the Sabin army approached Rome to free the captives, but they entered the battlefield with babies from new husbands in their arms and achieved reconciliation of the parties.
Sabrina/Sabre/Sabrenn - Celtic goddess of the River Severn.
Salem is a popular witch massacre in Massachusetts.
Samael is the Angel of Death according to the Talmud.
Samhain is similar to Halloween.
Sanctuary - a sanctuary.
Serpent - "serpent". A symbol of evil in many cultures.
Shadow - "shadow". By the way, a common nickname for black cats.
Tansy - tansy. According to legend, its seeds provoke miscarriages.
Tartarus is the Greek equivalent of Hell.
Tenebrae is Latin for "darkness".
Thorn(e) - thorn.
Tristesse/Tristessa - "sorrow" in French and Italian.
Umbra is another word meaning "darkness".
Vespers are morning prayers in Catholicism.
Willow - willow. "Weeping tree", a symbol of mortal sadness.
Wolf (e) - how could it be without a wolf ...
Xenobia means "outsider" in Greek.
Yama/Yamaraja is the lord of death in Hinduism.
Do you know Japanese names and their meanings? What names are popular in Japan today? We will answer these and other questions in the article. Japanese given names these days tend to include a family name (surname) followed by a personal name. This practice is common in East and Southeast Asia, including in Korean, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and other cultures.
Name comparison
- Akayo is an intelligent man;
- Aki - bright, autumn;
- Akio is a charmer;
- Akira - clear, brilliant;
- Akihiko is a colorful prince;
- Akihiro - spectacular, learned, smart;
- Areta - the newest;
- Goro is the fifth son;
- Jero is the tenth son;
- Jun - obedient;
- Daisyuk is a great helper;
- Izamu - daring, warrior;
- Isao - merit, honor;
- Iori - addiction;
- Yoshieki - true glory, spectacular luck;
- Ichiro is the first heir;
- Kayoshi - calm;
- Ken is healthy and strong;
- Kero is the ninth son;
- Kichiro is a lucky son;
- Katsu - triumph;
- Makoto - true;
- Mitseru - complete;
- Memoru is a protector;
- Naoki is an honest tree;
- Nobu - faith;
- Norio is a man of principles;
- Ozemu - autocrat;
- Rio is magnificent;
- Raiden - thunder and lightning;
- Ryuu is a dragon;
- Seiji - warning, second (son);
- Suzumu - progressive;
- Takayuki - noble, filial happiness;
- Teruo is a flamboyant person;
- Toshi - emergency;
- Temotsu - protecting, full;
- Tetsuo - dragon man;
- Tetsuya is the dragon one transforms into (and possesses his longevity and wisdom);
- Fumayo is an academic, literary child;
- Hideo is a luxury person;
- Hizoka - saved;
- Hiroki - rich fun, strength;
- Hechiro is the eighth son;
- Shin - true;
- Shoichi - correct;
- Yukayo is a happy person;
- Yuki - grace, snow;
- Yuudei is a great hero;
- Yasuhiro - rich honesty;
- Yasushi - honest, peaceful.
Beautiful names of men in Japan are usually divided into two types: single-component and multi-component. The composition of names with one element includes a verb, as a result of which the name has an ending - for example, Mamoru (intercessor). Or an adjective with an ending - si, for example, Hiroshi (spacious).
Sometimes you can find names with one sign that have an on-reading. Names made up of a pair of hieroglyphs usually indicate the masculine principle. For example: son, warrior, man, husband, courageous and so on. Each of these indicators has its own ending.
In the structure of such names, there is usually a hieroglyph that reveals what reading the name should be read. There are also names consisting of three elements. In this episode, the indicator will be two-link. For example, "eldest son", "youngest son" and so on. It is rare to find a person with a three-link name and a one-component indicator. Infrequently, there are names that contain four components, written in Japanese alphabet, and not in hieroglyphs.
Name Shizuka
The Japanese name meaning "dragon" is popular with locals and foreigners alike. What is the name Shizuka? Interpretation of this name: quiet. The meanings of the letters in this name are as follows:
- Ш - developed intuition, impulsiveness, ambition, diligence, independence.
- And - intelligence, emotionality, kindness, pessimism, uncertainty, creative inclinations.
- Z - independence, developed intuition, intelligence, diligence, pessimism, secrecy.
- U - kindness, developed intuition, sincerity, creative inclinations, spirituality, optimism.
- K - developed intuition, ambition, impulsiveness, practicality, kindness, sincerity.
- A - selfishness, activity, creative inclinations, impulsiveness, ambition, sincerity.
The number of the name Shizuka is 7. It hides the ability to direct abilities into the world of philosophy or art, into religious activity, the sphere of science. But the results of the activities of people with this name largely depend on a deep analysis of already accomplished victories and on the true planning of their own future. Knowing other people, they often turn into leaders and teachers of the highest class. But if they are engaged in commercial or financial affairs, then here they themselves will need someone's help.
The planet named Shizuka is Mercury, the element is cold dry air, the sign of the zodiac is Virgo and Gemini. The color of this name is changeable, colorful, mixed, day - Wednesday, metals - bismuth, mercury, semiconductors, minerals - agate, emerald, topaz, porphyry, rock crystal, glass, sardonyx, plants - parsley, basil, celery, walnut tree, valerian , animals - weasel, monkey, fox, parrot, stork, thrush, nightingale, ibis, lark, flying fish.
Japan is a unique country. What is behind these words? A special, unlike anything nature, culture, religion, philosophy, art, lifestyle, fashion, cuisine, the harmonious coexistence of high technology and ancient traditions, as well as the Japanese language itself - is as difficult to learn as it is fascinating. One of the most important parts of the language are names and surnames. They always carry a piece of history, and the Japanese ones are doubly curious.
Decode name
Why do we, foreigners, know all this? Firstly, because it is informative and interesting, because Japanese culture has penetrated into many areas of our modern life. It's fun to decipher names. famous people: for example, cartoonist Miyazaki is "temple, palace" + "cape" and writer Murakami is "village" + "top". Secondly, all this has long and firmly become part of the youth subculture.
Fans of comics (manga) and animation (anime) simply love to take various Japanese names and surnames as pseudonyms. Sump and other online games also make extensive use of such aliases for player characters. And no wonder: such a nickname sounds beautiful, exotic and memorable.
These mysterious Japanese names and surnames
The Land of the Rising Sun will always find something to surprise an ignorant foreigner. It is noteworthy that when recording or formally introducing a person, his last name comes first, and then his first name, for example: Sato Aiko, Tanaka Yukio. For the Russian ear, this sounds unusual, and therefore it can be quite difficult for us to distinguish Japanese names and surnames from each other. The Japanese themselves, in order to avoid confusion when communicating with foreigners, often write down their surname in capital letters. And it really makes things easier. Fortunately, it is customary for the Japanese to have only one given name and one surname. And such a form as a patronymic (patronymic) is absent from this people at all.
Another unusual feature of Japanese communication is the active use of prefixes. Moreover, these prefixes are most often attached to the surname. European psychologists say that there is nothing more pleasant for a person than the sound of his name - but the Japanese, apparently, think otherwise. Therefore, names are used only in situations of very close and personal communication.
What attachments are available
- (surname) + dignity - universal polite address;
- (surname) + sama - an appeal to members of the government, directors of companies, clerics; also used in stable combinations;
- (last name) + sensei - an appeal to martial arts masters, doctors, as well as professionals in any field;
- (surname) + kun - an appeal to teenagers and young men, as well as an elder to a younger or superior to a subordinate (for example, a boss to a subordinate);
- (name) + chan (or chan) - an appeal to children and among children under 10 years old; appeal of parents to their offspring of any age; in an informal setting - to beloved and close friends.
How often are Japanese names and surnames used? Surprisingly, even family members rarely call each other by their first names. Instead, special words are used that mean "mother", "dad", "daughter", "son", "older sister", "younger sister", "big brother", "little brother", etc. To these words prefixes "chan (chan)" are also added.
Women's names
Girls in Japan are most often called by names that mean something abstract, but at the same time beautiful, pleasant and feminine: "flower", "crane", "bamboo", "water lily", "chrysanthemum", "moon" and so on. similar. Simplicity and harmony - that's what distinguishes Japanese names and surnames.
Women's names in many cases contain syllables (hieroglyphs) "mi" - beauty (for example: Harumi, Ayumi, Kazumi, Mie, Fumiko, Miyuki) or "ko" - child (for example: Maiko, Naoko, Haruko, Yumiko, Yoshiko, Hanako, Takako , Asako).
Interestingly, some girls in modern Japan consider the “ko” ending unfashionable and omit it. So, for example, the name "Yumiko" turns into the everyday "Yumi". And friends of this girl are turning "Yumi-chan."
All of the above are quite common female Japanese names in our time. And the names of the girls are also distinguished by amazing poetry, especially if you translate an exotic combination of sounds into Russian. Most often they convey the image of a typical Japanese rural landscape. For example: Yamamoto - "the base of the mountain", Watanabe - "to cross the neighborhood", Iwasaki - "rocky cape", Kobayashi - "small forest".
A whole poetic world is opened by Japanese names and surnames. Women's pieces are especially similar to haiku pieces, surprising with their beautiful sound and harmonious meaning.
Male names
Men's names are the most difficult to read and translate. Some of them are formed from nouns. For example: Moku ("carpenter"), Akio ("handsome"), Ketsu ("victory"), Makoto ("truth"). Others are formed from adjectives or verbs, for example: Satoshi ("smart"), Mamoru ("protect"), Takashi ("high"), Tsutomu ("try").
Very often, Japanese male names and surnames include characters that indicate gender: “man”, “husband”, “hero”, “assistant”, “tree”, etc.
Often used This tradition originated in the Middle Ages, when there were many children in families. For example, the name Ichiro means "first son", Jiro means "second son", Saburo means "third son", and so on up to Juro, which means "tenth son".
Japanese boy names and surnames can be created simply on the basis of the hieroglyphs available in the language. During the imperial dynasties, they gave great importance how to call yourself and your children, but in modern Japan, the advantage is given simply to what you like in sound and meaning. At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary for children from the same family to have names with a common hieroglyph, as was traditionally practiced in the imperial dynasties of the past.
All Japanese male names and surnames have two features in common: the semantic echoes of the Middle Ages and the difficulty of reading, especially for a foreigner.
Common Japanese surnames
Surnames are distinguished by a large number and variety: according to linguists, in total Japanese more than 100,000 surnames. For comparison: there are 300-400 thousand Russian surnames.
The most common Japanese surnames at present are: Sato, Suzuki, Takahashi, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Kudo, Sasaki, Kato, Kobayashi, Murakami, Ito, Nakamura, Oonishi, Yamaguchi, Kuroki, Higa.
An interesting fact: Japanese names and surnames have different popularity, depending on the area. For example, in Okinawa (the country's southernmost prefecture), the surnames Chinan, Higa, and Shimabukuro are quite common, while very few people carry them in the rest of Japan. Experts attribute this to differences in dialects and culture. Thanks to these differences, the Japanese, by the name of their interlocutor alone, can tell where he comes from.
Such different names and surnames
In European culture, certain traditional names are characteristic, from which parents choose the most suitable for their baby. Fashion trends often change, and one or the other becomes popular, but rarely does anyone specifically invent unique name. AT Japanese culture things are different: there are many more single or rarely occurring names. Therefore, there is no traditional list. Japanese names (and surnames too) are often formed from any beautiful words or phrases.
Name poetry
First of all, female names are distinguished by a pronounced poetic meaning. For example:
- Yuri - "Water Lily".
- Hotaru - "Firefly".
- Izumi - "Fountain".
- Namiko - "Child of the Waves".
- Aika - "Song of Love".
- Natsumi - "Summer Beauty".
- Chiyo - "Eternity".
- Nozomi - "Hope".
- Ima - "Gift".
- Rico - "Jasmine Child".
- Kiku - "Chrysanthemum".
However, among the male names you can find beautiful meanings:
- Keitaro - "Blessed".
- Toshiro - "Talented".
- Yuki - "Snow";.
- Yuzuki - "Crescent".
- Takehiko - "Bamboo Prince".
- Raydon - "God of Thunder".
- Toru - "Sea".
Family poetry
There are not only names. And last names can be very poetic. For example:
- Arai - "Wild Well".
- Aoki - "Young (green) tree."
- Yoshikawa - "Lucky River".
- Ito - "Wisteria".
- Kikuchi - "Pond with chrysanthemums."
- Komatsu - "Little Pine".
- Matsuura - "Pine Bay".
- Nagai - "Eternal well".
- Ozawa - "Little swamp".
- Oohashi - "Big Bridge".
- Shimizu - "Pure water".
- Tiba - "Thousand leaves".
- Furukawa - "Old River".
- Yano - "Arrow on the Plain".
bring a smile
Sometimes there are funny Japanese names and surnames, or rather, funny-sounding for the Russian ear.
Among these, masculine names can be noted: Bank, Quiet (emphasis on "a"), Usho, Joban, Sosi (emphasis on "o"). Among women, it’s funny for a Russian-speaking person to sound: Hey, Wasp, Ori, Cho, Ruka, Rana, Yura. But such funny examples are extremely rare, given the rich variety of Japanese names.
As for the surnames, it is more likely to find a strange and difficult to pronounce combination of sounds here than a funny one. However, this is easily compensated by numerous funny parodies of Japanese names and surnames. Of course, they are all invented by Russian-speaking jokers, but there is still some phonetic similarity with the originals. For example, such a parody: Japanese racer Toyama Tokanawa; or Tokhripo Tovizgo. Behind all these "names" a phrase in Russian is easily guessed.
Interesting facts about Japanese names and surnames
In Japan, there is still a law that has been preserved since the Middle Ages, according to which a husband and wife must have the same surname. Almost always this is the husband's surname, but there are exceptions - for example, if the wife is from a noble, famous family. However, so far in Japan it does not happen that spouses have a double surname or each has their own.
In general, in the Middle Ages, only Japanese emperors, aristocrats and samurai had surnames, and ordinary people were content with nicknames, which were often attached to names. For example, the place of residence, or even the name of the father, was often used as a nickname.
Japanese women also often did not have surnames: it was believed that they did not need anything, because they were not heirs. The names of girls from aristocratic families often ended in "hime" (which means "princess"). Samurai wives had names ending in gozen. Often they were addressed by the surname and title of the husband. But personal names, both then and now, are used only in close communication. Japanese monks and nuns from the nobility had names ending in "in".
After death, every Japanese acquires a new name (it is called "kaimyo"). It is written on a sacred wooden tablet called "ihai". The nameplate is used in burial rites and memorial rituals, as it is considered the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased person. People often acquire kaimyo and ihai u during their lifetime. In the views of the Japanese, death is not something tragic, but rather one of the stages on the path of an immortal soul.
Learning more about Japanese names and surnames, you can not only learn the basics of the language in a peculiar way, but also better understand the philosophy of this people.
The modern Japanese name in its composition follows the tradition characteristic of Chinese, Korean and a number of other cultures. According to this tradition, a Japanese name consists of a family name or surname followed by a personal name. Names in Japan are most often written in kanji, which have different pronunciations in different cases.
All modern Japanese have a single surname and a single given name; they do not have a patronymic. The only exception is the imperial family, whose members have only a first name without a surname.
The Japanese pronounce and write their last name and first name in reverse order than is customary in the West. Last name comes first, then first name. However, in Western languages, Japanese names are written in the order familiar to Europeans - the surname follows the given name.
Often Japanese names are created independently from existing characters. As a result, this country has a large number of unique, non-recurring names. More traditional are surnames, which by their origin often belong to toponyms. Thus, there are more names in Japanese than surnames. The difference between female and male names is expressed in the use of component names characteristic of each species and their structure. It should be noted that reading Japanese names is perhaps the most difficult element in the Japanese language.
Transcription of Japanese names
Most often, in other languages that use the Latin or Cyrillic alphabet, Japanese names are written according to their transcription, as well as ordinary Japanese text, according to the rules of a particular system - for example, romaji, the Polivanov system. Not less common is the recording of Japanese names in non-standard transliteration, for example, “shi” is used instead of “si”, and “ji” instead of “ji”, which is explained by an attempt to transliterate from the Latin spelling of the name according to the romaji system. For example, the name and surname Honjou Shizuka by Russian-speaking readers in most cases is read as Honjo "at Shizu" ka, and not Honjou Shizuka.
In Latin and Cyrillic transcription, Japanese names most often go in the usual order for Europeans - first the first name, then the surname, i.e. Yamada Taro is usually written as Tarou Yamada. This order is found in news feeds, magazines and journalistic publications. Less commonly, the Japanese spelling order is used, but in this case, the surname in Latin spelling is written in full capital letters. The Japanese traditional order of indicating the surname and name can be found in professional linguistic publications.
Sometimes you can find the Latin spelling of the name using standard Latin abbreviations of the name to the initial. Vowel lengths in Japanese have different lengths, which may be shown in transliteration in a spelling way (eg Tarou Yamada) or may not be shown at all (eg Taro Yamada). In Cyrillic writing, vowel length is usually not shown. The exception is educational publications, where the length of vowels is shown in brackets after writing in hieroglyphs and is indicated by a colon.
In Japanese, the relationship of interlocutors to each other is expressed by a suffix that is added after the name. So, san is typical for respectful neutral communication, kun is used in a conversation between two men, a classmate or work colleagues of equal rank, and tyan is an analogue of diminutive suffixes in Russian. The last suffix is usually used in close acquaintance, when referring to girls or children.
Most Japanese refer to each other by their last names. Only in the circle of friends and good acquaintances is it possible to address by name without a suffix, in other cases such an appeal will be considered familiar.
As mentioned above, the choice of a name in Japan is not limited by anything, names can be created from any hieroglyphs allowed for this. Of course, many Japanese use popular names that take into account certain traditions.
Female Japanese names
Most Japanese names are easy to read and write, but there is a trend among parents to choose characters with unusual spellings or readings. It is for this reason that a large number of interpretations of both the meaning and reading of Japanese names have appeared. This trend has been actively manifested since the end of the 20th century.
This phenomenon was especially active in women's names. It is for this reason that the popularity of a particular female name is not as stable as that of a male one. For the past 20 years, Misaki and Sakura have continued to stay in the top 10, but they have been squeezed out by names such as Hina, Aoi, Rin and Yui, who have not been in the top five most popular female names in the last 100 years.
Japanese girl names have a clear and understandable meaning and are easy to read. Most of the female names are composed of the main component and the indicator, although there are names that do not have an indicative component. Depending on the value of the main component, it can be divided into several types.
- Many female names fall into the group of names with an abstract meaning. These names are based on components meaning "love", "calm", "tenderness" and others. Such names are given as a wish to possess certain qualities in the future (Kiyoko, Michi).
- The next group of names are names that have animal or plant components in their composition. In the past, girls were often given similar names. It was believed to promote health. However, today the fashion for names with animal components has passed. Only the component denoting "crane" is still popular. And the hieroglyphs associated with the world of flora do not go out of fashion to this day. Very often you can find names with components denoting "chrysanthemum" or "bamboo" (Sakura, Hana, Kiku).
- It is very rare to find names with numerals that take their roots in the ancient tradition of naming girls from noble families in order of birth (Nanami, Anko).
- You can also find names that have in their composition a component with the meaning of seasons, time of day, etc. (Yuki, Kasuma)
- Fashion for foreign names (Anna, Maria and others).
Beautiful Japanese names. The greatest changes have occurred among female names. New characters and hieroglyphs were added to record the name, the view on the general use of female names changed - more European-sounding names began to appear that resemble European names, although they are traditionally written in hieroglyphs and compiled according to traditional Japanese traditions. Examples would be the names - Naomi, Mika, Yuna.
At present, beautiful Japanese names contain less and less animal or plant components, and more and more abstract concepts and aspirational meanings have begun to be used. good qualities, future success (Haruto, Hina, Yuna, Yamato, Sora, Yua). Although the name Sakura does not leave the top ten most popular female names, the female name Aoi (mallow) and the male name Ren (lotus) are firmly in the top five.
The previously common component of the name with the ending “-ko”, which literally means “child”, has become considered unfashionable, out of date, therefore it is used less and less, although it has not completely lost its position (Asako, Yumiko, Takako).
Male Japanese names
Male names are incredibly difficult to read. It is in them that non-standard readings of nanori and rare readings are used, sometimes some components change in a non-standard way. So, the names Kaoru, Shigekazu and Kungoro have the same hieroglyph in their composition, but in each individual name it is read differently. Also, the same component of yoshi names, which is very common in Japan, can be written with 104 different characters or their combinations. It happens that only its bearer can read the name correctly.
Often one-component names come from verbs or adjectives. For example, Kaoru comes from the verb “to smell sweet”, and Hiroshi comes from the adjective “wide”. Male names that include two hieroglyphs use the hieroglyph denoting the male name as the second hieroglyph, showing also the way the name is read. Three-component names have a similar two-component index (Katsumi, Macao, Naoki, Sora).
Time does not stand still, and modern trends have made their own adjustments. Now, among the male names, traditional ones continue to prevail, but now they have different reading options. Popular male names in 2005 were such names as Sho, Shota, Hikaru, Tsubasa, Yamato, Takumi and various variations of the name Hiroto.
The traditional male name Hiroto now has alternative readings and "romanized" transcriptions. In the Russian version of pronunciation and recording, these are as if completely different and not at all close, not similar names, because the whole thing is in writing the hieroglyph and voicing it. Modern twins for the name Hiroto - Haruto, Yamato, Daito, Taiga, Sora, Taito, Masato, all of them are used in modern times along with their progenitor.
Most often, male names are divided into the following groups, but these are only the most basic ones.
- The name contains the "-ro" component, which is interpreted as "son" (Ichiro, Shiro, Saburo). But also this part of the name is assigned the meaning of “light”, “clear”, which can add various shades to the meaning of the name.
- The "-to" component is considered masculine and is very rare among female names. Means either "person" (Yuto, Kaito), or "fly", "soar" (Hiroto).
- The "-dai" component means "big, great". Used only in male names (Dai, Daichi, Daisuke, Daiki).
- Desirable names are popular, in which the boy is credited with masculine features, future successes and a wonderful life (Takeshi, Niboru, Ken).
- Traditional Japanese names are related to natural phenomena, seasons, natural materials (Kita, Montaro, Kohaku, Akiyama).
List of Japanese names with descriptions
List of Japanese names with meanings
Ai (Ai) - love
Ayaka - colorful flower
Aiko - beloved child
Aina (Aina) - loving
Akemi - dazzlingly beautiful
Aki (Aki) - born in autumn
Akiko (Akiko) - autumn child
Akira (Akira) - smart, quick-witted
Akihito - bright, friendly
Akiyama - autumn mountain
Amaya (night rain)
Ami (Ami) - beautiful Asian
Amida is the Japanese name for Buddha Amitabha.
Anzu - apricot
Anko (Aneko) - older sister
Aoi (Aoi) - pink mallow
Arisu (Arisu) - noble (Japanese analogue of the name Alice)
Atsuko (Azuko) - a kind child
Ayame - iris
Ayana - beautiful sounding
Bachiko - happy child
Botan (Botan) - long life, longevity
Gin / Gin (Gin) - silver
Goro - fifth son
Daiki - great tree, great radiance
Daisuke - great help
Izumi - fountain
Ima (Ima) - now
Isamu - peppy
Itsu (Etsu) - delightful, charming
Ichiro (Ichiro) - the first son
Ishi - stone
Yoko (Yuko) - bright / sunny child
Yori - trustworthy
Yoshi - reeds
Kagami - mirror
Kazuko (Kazuko) - a harmonious child
Kazuo - the man of the world
Kaze - wind
Kazuki - hope for the world
Kazuya (Kazuya) - harmonious, cheerful
Kaito (Kaito) - elusive
Kameko (Turtle child) (symbol of longevity)
Kana - diligent
Kano (Kano) - male power, opportunity
Kasumi (Kasumi) - haze, fog
Katashi (hardness)
Katsu (Katsu) - victory
Katsuo (Katsuo) - victorious child
Katsuro - victorious son
Keiko - blessed child, happy child
Ken (Ken) - strong, healthy
Kenji - strong second son
Kenshin - the heart of the sword
Kenta (Kenta) - healthy and bold
Kiyoko - purity
Kiyoshi (quiet)
Kiku (Kiku) - chrysanthemum
Kimiko (child of noble blood)
Kin - gold
Cinema (Kino) - air, forest
Kita - North
Kichiro (Kichiro) - a lucky son
Koko - stork
Koto (Koto) - the name of the national musical instrument Japanese - "koto", melodic
Kohaku - amber
Kohana - small flower
Kumiko - forever beautiful
Kuri - chestnut
Mai (Mai) - bright, leaf, dance
Maiko (Maeko) - an honest child
Makoto (Makoto) - sincere, true, truthful
Mami (Mami) - true beauty
Mamoru - earth, protector
Manami - the beauty of love
Marise - infinity
Matsuo - pine
Maemi (sincere smile)
Midori - green
Mika - first sound, three trees
Mina (Mina) - beauty
Mira (Mirai) - treasure
Misaki - flowering of beauty, beautiful flowering
Miu (Miu) - a beautiful feather
Mizuki - beautiful moon
Mitsuko - child of light
Michi (Michi) - fair, road
Miya (Miya) - three arrows
Montaro - mountains
Momoko (Peach Child)
Nami (Nami) - wave
Nana (Nana) - apple, seven
Nanami - seven seas
Naoki - straight tree
Naoko - obedient child, honest child
Naomi (Naomi) - beautiful
Nara - oak
Nariko - sissy, thunder
Natsuko - summer child
Natsumi - beautiful summer
Niboru - famous, rising
Nikki - new hope
Nori (Nori) - law, ceremony, rite
Nyoko - gemstone
Oki (Oki) - the middle of the ocean
Osamu (observant of the law)
Reiko - grateful child, thanksgiving child
Renzo - third son
Ryo (remote reality)
Ryota - obese, fat
Riko - child of jasmine, child of reason
Riku (Riku) - land, land
Rin (Rin) - unfriendly, cold
Rini (Rini) - little bunny
