Names in Japanese

Names in Japanese

You might expect names to be relatively straightforward, but in Japanese they can actually be quite complex. What makes them so challenging is that their readings are not standardized and can take on various, unexpected forms. This leads to the fact that even for native speakers, reading names can be difficult.

For example, 中田​ can be read as either なかた​ or なかだ​. Some names can be even less predictable, such as the name 八月一日​, which appears to be the calendar date August first and is read as はちがつついたち​, but as a name is actually read as ほずみ​.

This should tell you that memorizing names is not a productive use of your time as a beginner.

Special Note

Japanese people have two names: a surname and a given name. The surname is usually inherited from the father, and women typically take their husband's surname upon marriage. In Japanese, the surname comes first and the given name second. Thus, someone with the surname 山本(やまもと) and given name 綾子(あやこ) would be referred to as 山本(やまもと)綾子(あやこ), while in English this would be Ayako Yamamoto.

Japanese people do not have middle names and they are not legally recognized in Japan with the exception of foreigners.

Surnames

Japanese surnames (名字(みょうじ)) are almost exclusively written in kanji. There are a huge number of surnames in Japan, with some dictionaries containing over 138,500 surnames. The typical Japanese surname consists of two kanji, but single and multi-kanji surnames exist. Examples include: 日紫鬼(ひしき), 鈴木(すずき), 原(はら) and 所(ところ). Most surnames have a single reading, but some have multiple.

Traditional forms of characters may be used in some surnames, rather than the modern simplified forms.

Given names

Given names (名前(なまえ)) are written in kanji the vast majority of the time, though they can be written in hiragana or katakana as well, which happens most commonly for female names.

In Japan, given names are rarely used when addressing people, except in the case of children. Most of the time, people are referred to by their surname plus an honorific title, such as さん​, くん​, or 様(さま).

Special Note

In Japan, it is common for politicians to use hiragana versions of their names instead of kanji ones. This is due to the voting process in Japanese elections, where voters are required to write the name of the person they want to elect. Since some Japanese citizens may not be proficient in writing kanji characters, using hiragana can reduce the risk of errors. Consequently, politicians often opt for simpler kanji or hiragana versions of their names to make it easier for voters to choose them.

Boy Names

Names ending in ひこ, such as 勝彦(かつひこ), すけ, such as 慶介(けいすけ) or へい, such as 淳平(じゅんぺい), tend to be male.

Another common male ending is お, written in kanji as 夫, 雄, or 男, as in 鷹雄(たかお). Male names also often contain characters such as 勇​ brave, 勝​ win, or 正​ correct. Boys may also be named according to a numbering system, with the kanji 一(いち) one appearing in the name of the first son, the character for 二(に) two appearing in the second son's name, and so on.

Girl Names

Names that end in 美​ (read as え, よ or み) or 子(こ) are typically female names.

Due to hiragana having a soft feeling, female names are more likely to be written in hiragana than male names.

Special Note

Names for foreigners are usually written in katakana. For example, Tom Hanks is written as トム・ハンクス.

Special Note

Because the readings of many names are unclear, forms where you fill in your name usually have a separate row for furigana.