Questions about names in Japanese, including how to use them and how to write them.
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1answer
109 views
Legal characters for first names include: hiragana, katakana, jinmeiyo and joyo kanji. What about latin letters?
Is it legal for parents to give to their child a first name with latin letters (romaji, I guess), instead of using katakana, hiragana, or kanji?
For example, if Japanese parents want to give their ...
2
votes
2answers
167 views
Is there some way that a Japanese (sur)name must be written for it to make sense?
I understand surnames and given names usually have some reason for existing, and have existed for several years. My question, I guess, really is: if someone were making up a completely different name ...
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votes
3answers
365 views
Can Japanese names be anything?
I've read lots of mangas and seen many animes, and it seems a Japanese person can have virtually any kind of name (the meaning of a name can be something completely ridiculous). Is it true in real ...
8
votes
1answer
285 views
What is the significance of number of Kanji in a name?
There are several one-character surnames:
[林]{はやし}
[森]{もり}
[堤]{つつみ}
Most surnames have two-characters:
[鈴木]{すずき}
[山田]{やまだ}
[藤井]{ふじい}
[酒井]{さかい}
[松村]{まつむら}
A few surnames have ...
1
vote
0answers
239 views
Help with name for boy (British and Japanese) [closed]
My wife will give birth to our son soon and I am trying to come up with a name for him.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a name which can be written and pronounced in both English and Japanese? I ...
5
votes
1answer
187 views
Is “豪斯多拉利” an ateji way to write “Australia”?
Several years ago I invested some time and energy digging up more ways to write "Australia" in Japanese than I ever expected would exist:
オーストラリア is the usual spelling these days
濠太剌利 is a rare old ...
3
votes
2answers
151 views
The surname 粂 【くめ】
The kokuji 粂 【くめ】 exists, defined only as a name. The character is clearly an amalgam of 久 and 米 used in a man'yogana-like manner, but:
Why did this particular surname get a designated character?
...
7
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2answers
166 views
Using appropriate old characters with people's names
What is the general etiquette about about using the newer characters （新字体） or even a more modern version of the old character (旧字体） when used in names? Is it generally considered rude?
For example, ...
1
vote
2answers
276 views
Which writing system (hiragana, katakana, or kanji) should we use when writing out someone's name?
I know how to read hiragana and katakana, but know nothing else. A lot of people I know want me to write their names in Japanese. Is it right to write them in any system, or are there specific rules?
9
votes
1answer
488 views
Is -さん used when referring to a celebrity or historical figures?
When referring to a celebrity or historical figure, do you use -さん?
I am listening to Yoko Shimomura.
Would it be:"下村陽子さんを聞いている。"?
Abraham Lincoln is my favorite president.
Would it ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
Is one transcription of “Andrew” more standard than another?
I recently looked at the disambiguation page for Andrew on the Japanese Wikipedia, and found that there were several "アンドルー"s, and several "アンドリュー"s.
I couldn't discern any trend that one form ...
8
votes
3answers
249 views
Describing aptronyms (names that fit their owner)
I thought of this after seeing a news article about 星出{ほしで}彰彦{あきひこ}, who is an astronaut.
Aptronym is a term for a name (often the surname) that fits a person's occupation or personality. A classic ...
0
votes
2answers
547 views
Why is there a “tsu” in Nippon (にっぽん)? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How did “little tsu” become a lengthener?
On Wikipedia and elsewhere, Japan is written like so: Nippon ( にっぽん ).
What is that tsu doing in there? Why isn't ...
8
votes
1answer
216 views
Change of kanji like 大坂 to 大阪
Wikipedia says that Osaka used to be spelt 大坂, and is now spelt 大阪. Is there a term for what happened, and does it happen often?
Related question: On the replacing of kanji obsoleted in the 1946 ...
1
vote
1answer
430 views
Why is the Japanese government considering adding kanji such as “cancer” to the jinmeiyō kanji?
The wikipedia article on jinmeiyō kanji states:
Before September 27, 2004, there were 2232 government-designated
jinmeiyō kanji used in personal and geographical names, with plans to
increase ...
3
votes
3answers
279 views
Correct kana for foreign name
I am Portuguese, and my name is João, which has a peculiar pronunciation that is very difficult for foreign people. It is the Portuguese equivalent to the English John, but the pronunciations are very ...
6
votes
0answers
164 views
What would be the Japanese name of a person with a native Chinese name? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When Chinese personal names are written in Japanese in kanji is there always an obvious reading?
What would be the common ways to convert a Chinese name for a person to ...
6
votes
1answer
224 views
Why is the affixal 子 treated specially when abbreviating people’s names?
Often, names are abbreviated using the initial letter in romanization, or some random letter, like "A". However, when the name has an affixal 子, that part is often left, like "A子". I have not seen any ...
3
votes
1answer
255 views
Why do Japanese titles often start with titles/appositions?
Sort of hinted by a recent question How would one express an opinion from the perspective of an inclusive group? .
Japanese titles in books, songs, shows, etc. are accompanied with a title (status) ...
7
votes
3answers
846 views
Address someone by their first name, or their last name?
When addressing John Doe, would you say "John-さん", or "Doe-さん"?
Does it depend on how polite or formal you're being? Does it also depend on whether the person is a nihonjin, a kankokujin (who have ...
12
votes
2answers
500 views
How do you write someone's name if you don't know what kanji to use?
Since kanji can have multiple pronunciations, how would you know how to write someone's name if you've only heard it spoken? What's the convention? Would you just guess, or maybe write it out in ...
8
votes
3answers
359 views
Alignment of people's names
When people's names are listed with both sides aligned (either in horizontal or vertical writing), for example, in the ending scroll of a movie, there is a seemingly complicated rule (to me).
When ...
9
votes
4answers
688 views
When Chinese personal names are written in Japanese in kanji is there always an obvious reading?
In their comment to an answer on the question "Are foreign personal names usually written in katakana rather than Romaji?", user sawa says:
... Chinese names should be written in kanji rather than ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Can I write Japanese name “Midori” this way - 緑?
There is female Japanese name "Midori," and I want to know the ways I can write it. I know it means "green," but maybe the name and "green" are different words sometimes.
I used google-translator to ...
9
votes
3answers
245 views
What honorifics are used with nicknames?
What honorifics, if any, are used with nicknames?
For example, would Matz-san (for Yukihiro Matsumoto) make sense (at least coming from someone new to Japanese), or would the mixture of the slightly ...
10
votes
5answers
377 views
Using Japanese honorifics with non-kana names
Some Japanese websites have no problem addressing me as Amandaさん, but how common is this in human-produced Japanese? Under what circumstances would someone refer to someone else as Amandaさん, בועזくん, ...
9
votes
4answers
196 views
Is the use of 先生 and similar titles context sensitive?
While it is generally safe to use -さん when taking to someone and the use of -先生 is appropriate for use in a school environment when talking to a teacher, would the use of -先生 carry over outside of the ...
12
votes
7answers
1k views
When should one add さん at the end of a name?
I've heard some names pronounced with an added さん such as 佐々木さん and some without. I believe it is related to respect or the age of the person named. What would be the guidelines or general principles ...
