Language Japanese: Names And Words

Japanese names have some rather special features. A very brief explanation: Most Japanese given names are written in kanji, a script of Chinese origin where each single character stands for a whole word or concept. Most names have two kanji characters, some three, some only one.

If you see only the name written in kanji you do not yet know how it is pronounced because each kanji character has several possible pronounciations. The other way round is difficult as well: If you hear a name you cannot be sure how to write it in kanji. (Many names have several writings, with different meanings according to the actual kanji used.) To resolve such ambiguities the Japanese use Hiragana where the characters stand for syllables.

You can read more about Japanese baby names here. Other lists of Japanese given names are e.g. here and here.

If you see only "boxes" instead of Kanji and Hiragana characters in the name tables below the most likely reason is missing Unicode support in your browser and/or operating system. Some information about Unicode and how to add Unicode support can be found here.

In addition to the names, there are Japanese hitparades.

If you want your own name written in kanji, created by a qualified translator and verified by native Japanese speakers, have a look at My Name in Japanese and Genuine Japanese Kanji Translation