Japanese names and surnames and their meanings. Japanese names and surnames

A Japanese given name (人名 jinmei) these days usually consists of a family name (surname) followed by a personal name.

Names are usually written in kanji, which can have many different pronunciations on different occasions.

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 middle name, with the exception of the Japanese Imperial Family, whose members do not have a surname. Girls who marry princes also lose their last names.

In Japan, the surname comes first, and then the given name. At the same time, in Western languages (often in Russian), Japanese names are written in the reverse order of first name - last name - according to European tradition. For convenience, the Japanese sometimes write their last name in CAPITAL letters so that it is not confused with the given name.

Names in Japan are often created independently from existing characters, so the country has a huge number of unique names. Surnames are more traditional and most often go back to toponyms. There are more 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 elements of the Japanese language.

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 "Japanese") - native Japanese words and kango (Japanese 漢語 Chineseism) - borrowed from China. Names are also divided into the same types, although a new type is now actively expanding - gairaigo (jap. 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:
kunny (consisting of vago),
onny (consisting of kango),
mixed.
The ratio of Kun and Onn surnames is approximately 80% to 20%.

The vast majority of surnames in Japanese consist of two characters, surnames of one or three characters are less common, and four or more digit surnames are very rare.

Male names are the most difficult part of Japanese proper names to read, it is in male names that non-standard readings of nanori and rare readings are very common, strange changes in some components, although there are also easy-to-read names. For example, the names Kaworu (薫), Shigekazu (薫), and Kungoro: (薫五郎) use the same character 薫 ("flavor"), but in each name it is read differently; and the common main component of yoshi names can be written in 104 different characters and their combinations. Sometimes reading is not at all connected with written hieroglyphs, so it happens that only its bearer himself can read the name correctly.

Japanese female names, unlike male ones, in most cases have a simple kun reading and a clear and understandable meaning. Most female names are composed according to the “main component + indicator” scheme, however, there are names without an indicative component. Sometimes female names can be written entirely in hiragana or katakana. Also, sometimes, there are names with on-reading, and also only in female names there are new non-Chinese borrowings (gairaigo).

Ancient names and surnames

Before the Meiji Restoration, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had surnames. The rest of the population of Japan 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 to inherit. In 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 surnames of aristocrats has practically not increased since ancient times. Many of them date back to the priestly past of the Japanese aristocracy.

The most honored 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 kind, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and wives for emperors were chosen from among women.

The following in nobility were the Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjo, Imaidegawa, Tokudaiji, and Kaoin clans. From among them, the highest state dignitaries were appointed. So, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial stables (meryo no gogen). Then came all the other aristocratic clans.

The hierarchy of nobility of aristocratic families began to take shape in the VI century and lasted until the end of the XI century, when power in the country passed to the samurai. Among them, the clans of Genji (Minamoto), Heike (Taira), Hojo, Ashikaga, Tokugawa, Matsudaira, Hosokawa, Shimazu, Oda enjoyed special respect. A number of their representatives at different times were the shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.

The personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai were formed from two kanji (hieroglyphs) of a "noble" meaning.

The personal names of samurai servants and peasants were often given according to the "numbering" principle. The first son is Ichiro, the second is Jiro, the third is Saburo, the fourth is Shiro, the fifth is Goro, and so on. Also, in addition to "-ro", the suffixes "-emon", "-ji", "-zo", "-suke", "-be" were used for this purpose.

Upon entering the samurai during his youth, he chose a different name for himself than what he was given at birth. Sometimes samurai changed their names throughout adulthood, for example, to emphasize the onset of her new period (promotion or moving to another duty station). The lord had the right to rename his vassal. In the event of a serious illness, the name was sometimes changed to the name of the Buddha Amida in order to appeal to his mercy.

According to the rules of samurai fights, before the fight, the samurai had to give his full name so that the enemy could decide whether he was worthy of such an opponent. Of course, in life this rule was observed much less frequently than in novels and chronicles.

At the end of the names of girls from noble families, the suffix "-hime" was added. It is often translated as "princess", but in fact it was used in relation to all noble young ladies.

For the names of the wives of the samurai, the suffix "-gozen" was used. Often they were called simply by their husband's surname and rank. The 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 were given surnames. Naturally, most of them were associated with various signs of peasant life, especially with rice and its processing. These surnames, like those of the upper class, were also usually composed of two kanji.

The most common Japanese surnames now are Suzuki, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Sato, Sasaki, Kudo, Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kato, Ito, Murakami, Onishi, 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 well as the suffixes "-ji" ("second son") and "-zo" ("third son").

Most Japanese female names end in "-ko" ("child") or "-mi" ("beauty"). Girls, as a rule, are given names that are connected in meaning with everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine. Unlike male names, female names are usually written in hiragana instead of kanji.

Some modern girls do not like the "-ko" ending in their names and prefer to omit it. For example, a girl named "Yuriko" might refer to herself as "Yuri".

According to the law passed during the time of Emperor Meiji, after marriage, the husband and wife are required by law to take the same surname. In 98% of cases, this is the husband's surname.

After death, the Japanese receive a new, posthumous name (kaimyo), which is written on a special wooden tablet (ihai). This tablet is considered the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased and is used in funeral rites. Kaimyo and ihai are bought from Buddhist monks - sometimes even before a person's death.

Japanese surnames and their meaning

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
Wada - 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
Ishida - 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 - I + 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:no - 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 tree
Kondo - 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
Nakayama - 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
Oda - 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
Ooishi - 大石 - big stone
Ookubo - 大久保 - big + long + support
Oomori - 大森 - big forest
Oonishi - 大西 - big west
Oono - 大野 - large + [uncultivated] field; plain
Oosawa - 大沢／大澤 - big swamp
Ooshima - 大島 - big island
Oota - 太田 - large + 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 - helper + wisteria
Shibata - 柴田 - brushwood + rice field
Shimada - 島田 - island + rice field
Shimizu - 清水 - pure water
Shinohara - 篠原 - undersized 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) + wood
Suto / Sudo - 須藤 - by all means + wisteria
Seki - 関／關 - Outpost; barrier
Taguchi - 田口 - rice floor + mouth
Takagi - 高木 - tall tree
Takada／Takata - 高田 - tall + rice field
Takano - 高野 - high + [uncultivated] field; plain
Takahashi - 高橋 - tall + 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 + neighborhood
Tanaka - 田中 - rice field + middle
Taniguchi - 谷口 - valley + mouth, entrance
Chiba - 千葉 - a 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
Fujii - 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, input
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 + gap, 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, in most cases have a simple reading and a clear, understandable meaning. Most female names are composed according to the “main component + indicator” scheme, however, there are names without an indicative component.

Sometimes female Japanese names can be written in full or . Also, sometimes there are names with on reading, and also only in female names there are new non-Chinese borrowings (). In female Japanese names consisting of two or more characters, there is usually a component at the end of the name that indicates that this name is precisely female. As well as in male names, the component often determines how the whole name is read - according to she or by kuna.

List of Japanese female names in translation

Azumi- safe place to live
Azami- thistle flower
Ai- Love
Ayano- silk colors
Akemi- bright beauty
Aki- autumn, bright
Akiko- autumn child or smart child
Akira- bright, clear, dawn
Akane- old Japanese female name - shiny, red
Amaterazu- bright in the sky
Amea- evening rain
Aoi- blue
Arizou- noble look
Asuka- aroma
Asemi- female morning beauty
Atsuko- hardworking, warm child
And I- colorful or woven silk
Ayaka- colorful flower, fragrant summer
Ayako- academic kid
Ayam- Iris
Banquo- literary child
Janko- pure child
June- obedient
Zhina- silver
Izumi- fountain
Izanami- a woman who invites
Yoko— ocean baby, confident baby
Yoshi- fragrant branch, good bay
Yoshiko fragrant, good, noble child
Yoshshi- good
Kam
Kayao- beautiful generation, increase generation
Keiko happy, respectful child
Kay- respectful girl
kyoko- pure child
Kiku- chrysanthemum
Kimi- abbreviation for names beginning with "Kimi"
Kimiko— beautiful child of history, dear child, ruling child
kin- golden woman
kyoko- child of the capital
catown- harp sound
Koheku- amber
Kumiko- a beautiful, long-lived child
Caed– maple
Kazu- branch, first blessed, harmonious
Kazuko- harmonious child
Kazumi- harmonious beauty
Cameio- turtle (symbol of long life)
Cameko- turtle (symbol of long life)
Keori- aroma
Keoru- aroma
Katsumi- triumphant beauty
Marie- beloved woman
Megumi- blessed
Miwa- beautiful harmony, three rings
Midori- green
Mizuki- beautiful moon
Mizeki- beauty flower
Miyoko- beautiful child of the generation, third child of the generation
Mika- nice fragrance
Miki- beautiful tree, three trees
Miko- beautiful blessing baby
Minori- beautiful harbor, village of beautiful areas
mineco- beautiful child
Mitsuko- full child (blessings), bright child
Miho- beautiful bay
Michi- trail
Michiko- the child is on the right track, a thousand beauties of the child
Miyuki- beautiful happiness
Miyako— beautiful baby in March
Mommo- peach
Momo- a hundred blessings, a hundred rivers
Momoko- baby peach
Moriko- forest child
Madoka- calm girl
Mezumi- increased beauty, true purity
Mazeko- control the child
Mathemy- correct, graceful beauty
May- dance
Meiko- child's dance
Mayumi- true bow, true absorbed beauty
maki- true report, tree
Maine- true
Manami- the beauty of love
Mariko- the real reason baby
Mesa
Nana- seventh
Naoki- honest tree
Naomi- beauty first
Nobuko- devoted child
Nori
Noriko- child of principles
Neo- honest
Neoko- honest child
netsuko- summer baby
Netsumi- summer beauty
Ran- water lily
Reiko- beautiful, courteous child
Ray- polite woman
Ren- water lily
rica- rated flavor
Rico- baby jasmine
rioko- good child
Sake- cape
Setsuko- temperate child
Sora- sky
Suzu- call
Susumu- progressive
Suzyum- sparrow
Sumiko clear, thinking child, pure child
Sayeri- small lily
Sacker- cherry blossom
Sekiko- blooming child, earlier child
Sengo– coral
Sechiko- happy child
Teruko- bright child
Tomiko- a child who kept beauty
Tomoko- friendly, wise child
Toshi- emergency
Toshiko- a child of many years, a priceless child
Tsukiko- moon child
Tekeko- a tall, noble child
Thacker- treasure
Tamiko- a child of abundance
Uzaji- rabbit
Umeko- plum blossom baby
Ume-elf- plum blossom
fuji– wisteria
Fumiko- a child who kept beauty
Hideko- gorgeous baby
Hizeko- durable baby
hickary- light or shining
hikeru- light or bright
Hiro- widespread
Hiroko- generous child
Hiromi- widespread beauty
Hitomi- the name is usually given to girls with especially beautiful eyes
Hoteru— firefly, lightning bug
Hoshi- star
Hena- favorite or flower
Haneko- loafer
Heruka- far
Heruki- springtime tree
Heruko- springtime baby
Harumi- springtime beauty
Chi- wisdom, a thousand blessings
Chiyo- a thousand generations
Chiyoko a child of a thousand generations
Chica- wisdom
Chico- wise child, a thousand blessings child
Chikako- child of wisdom
Chinatsu- a thousand years
Chiheru- one thousand springs
Chiesa morning repeated a thousand times
Cho- butterfly
Shayori— bookmark, guide
shig
Shigeko- rich child
Shizuka- quiet girl
Shizuko- soothe the child
Shika- gentle deer
Shinju– pearl
Eiko long-lived child, luxurious child
Eika- love song
Eiko- beloved child, child of love
Aimee- the beauty of love
Eyumi- walk
Amy- smile
Emiko- smiling child
Erie- lucky prize
Etsuko- joyful child
Yuka fragrant, friendly bloom
Yuki happiness, snow
Yukiko– snow child or happy child
Yuko useful, superior child
Yumi bow, useful beauty
Yumiko- a beautiful, useful child
Yuri- lily
Yuriko— lily's baby, dear baby
Yayoi- spring
Yasu- calm girl
Yasuko- an honest child, a peaceful child

Japanese female names

Popular Japanese male names are presented here in Russian. These are modern beautiful Japanese boy names that are currently used by the Japanese population.

Male Japanese names are the most difficult part of Japanese writing to read, it is in male Japanese names that non-standard readings are very common. nanori and rare reads, strange changes to some components. Although there are also easy-to-read names.

For example, the names Kaworu, Shigekazu, and Kungoro all use the same character for "aroma", but each name reads it differently. A common component of names yoshi can be written in 104 different characters and their combinations. Often, the reading of a Japanese male name is not at all connected with the written hieroglyphs of names, so it happens that only the carrier himself can read the name correctly.

List of Japanese male names in translation

Akayo- clever man
Aki- autumn, bright
Akira- bright, clear, dawn
Akihiko- shining prince
Akihiro smart, savvy, bright
areta- new
Atsushi- cordial, hardworking
Goro- fifth son
Jero- tenth son
Giro- second son
June- obedient
Junichi- obedient, purity, first
Dykes- of great value
Daisuke- great helper
Daichi- great first son or big earth
Izamu- brave man, warrior
Isao- honor, merit
Isanagi- the man who invites
Yoichi- male, first (son)
Iori- addiction
Yoshayo- good man
Yoshi- good
Yoshikezu- good and harmonious, fair, first (son)
Yoshinori- noble dignity, fair principles
Yoshiro- good son
Yoshito- a good, lucky person
Yoshihiro- widespread perfection
Yoshieki- fair fame, bright luck
Yoshiyuki- righteous happiness
Iwoo- stone man
Ichiro- first boy son
Kayoshi- quiet
Keiji- respectful, second (son)
Keiichi- respectful, first (son)
Ken- healthy and strong
kenji- intelligent ruler
Kenichi- the first builder, governor
Kent- healthy, strong
Kenshin- humble truth
Kero- ninth son
Kiyoshi- pure, holy
Kyo- endorsements, ginger, or larger
Kichiro- lucky son
Koji- filial ruler, happy, second (son)
Koichi- bright, widespread, first (son)
Koheku- amber
Kunayo— compatriot
Kazuki- the beginning of a new generation, a pleasant world, or radiance
Kazuo- harmonious person
Kazuhiko- the first, harmonious prince
Kazuhiro- harmony, widespread
Katashi- hardness
Catsero- victorious son
Katsu- victory
Ketsuo- winning child
Makoto- true man
Masashi- correct, luxurious official
Mikayo- tree trunk man
Minori- a beautiful harbor, a village of beautiful people
Minoru- fruitful
Mitseru- full height
Mitsuo- bright man, third man (son)
Michio a person on the (correct) path
Michi- trail
Madoka- calm
Masuio- magnifying world
Mazeki- correct report, graceful tree
Masanori- correct principles, prosperous government
Matheo- fix the person
Mazaru- intellectual, victorious
Mazeto- correct, graceful person
Mazehiko- fix prince
Mezehiro- drive wide
Matheaki- correct brightness
Memoru- protect
Manebu- diligent
Mesa- abbreviation for names beginning with "Maes"
Meseyoshi- steward fairly, bright perfection
Maseyuki- proper happiness
Naoki- honest tree
Noboru- rise, rise, virtuous
Nobu- faith
Nobuo- dedicated person
Nobuyuki- devoted happiness
norio- man of principles
Nori- shorthand for names beginning with "Nori"
Neo- honest boy
Ozemu- male ruler
Rio- excellent
Riota- strong, strong
Rokero- sixth son
Raiden- Thunder and lightning
Ryuu- the Dragon
Seiji- warning, second (son)
Seiichi- warning, clean, first (son)
Susumu- progressive
Sabero- third son
Sadeo- decisive person
Satoru- enlightened
Setoshi- clear thinking, quick-witted, wise
Takashi- filial official, worthy of praise
Takayuki- filial happiness, noble
tarot- great son (this name is given only to the first son)
Teruo- bright person
Tetsuo- clear (thinking) man, iron man
Tetsuya- become iron, clear evening
tomayo- the man who kept
Toru- penetration, wanderer
Toshayo- a man of anxiety, a genius
Toshi- emergency
Toshieki- emergency and bright, mature brightness
Toshiyuki- emergency and happy
Tsuyoshi- strong
Tsuneo- general person
Tsutomu- working man
Tedeo- loyal person
Tedashi- correct, loyal, fair
Takeo- male warrior
Takehiko- soldier prince
Takeshi- fierce warrior
Tekumi- craftsman
Takeo- tall, noble person
Tekahiro- widespread nobility
Temotsu- complete, protective
Tetsuo- dragon man
Tetsuya- the dragon one becomes (and possesses its wisdom and longevity)
Hideki- luxury opportunity
Hideo- luxury person
Khidiki- bright superiority, luxurious brightness
Hizoka- saved
Hiseo- durable person
Hizeshi- durable
hikeru- light or shining
Hiro- wide, widespread
Hiroaki- widespread brightness
Hiroyuki- widespread happiness
Hiroki- rich joy, strength
Hiromi- wide observation, widespread beauty
Hiroshi- abundant, widespread
Hitoshi- balanced, level
Hoteka- step by step
Hejime- Start
Heruo- springtime man
Hachiro- eighth son
shig- shorthand for names beginning with "Shij"
Shigeru- excellent, plentiful
Shijo- rich person
Shin- true man
shinji- devotee, second (son)
Shinichi- devotee, first (son)
Shiro- fourth son
Shichiro- seventh Son
Shoji- correcting, shining, second (son)
Shoichi- correct, successful, first (son)
Shuji- excellent, second (son)
Shuichi- excellent, manager, first (son)
eiji- excellent second son, magnificent ruler
Yuichi- brave, friendly, first (son)
Yukayo- happy man
Yuki happiness, snow
Yutaka- in abundance, prosperous
Yuu- superior
Yuudei- great hero
Yuchi- brave, second, son
Yasuo- an honest, peaceful person
Yasuhiro rich honesty, widespread peace
Yasushi- fair and peaceful

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 is a character from 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. She returned to human form thanks to the kiss of a 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 is the Greek god of the underworld.
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 upon". 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.

Kotone - F - Koto sound

Kumiko - F - Forever beautiful

Kuri - F - Chestnut

Kuro - M - Ninth son

Kyo - M - Consent (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 - Baby Mami

Mamoru - M - Earth

Manami - F - The beauty of love

Mariko - F - Child of Truth

Marise - M/F - Endless

Masa - M/F - Straight (human)

Masakazu - M - First son of Masa

Mashiro - M - Wide

Matsu - F - Pine

Mayako - F - Child Maya

Mayoko - F - Baby Mayo

Mayuko - F - Baby Mayu

Michi - F - Fair

Michie - F - Gracefully dangling flower

Michiko - F - Beautiful and wise

Michio - M - Man with the strength of three thousand

Midori - F - Green

Mihoko - F - Baby Miho

Mika - F - New Moon

Miki - M/F - Stalk

Mikio - M - Three woven trees

Mina - F - South

Minako - F - Beautiful child

Mine - F - Brave Protector

Minoru - M - Seed

Misaki - F - Bloom of Beauty

Mitsuko - F - Child of Light

Miya - F - Three arrows

Miyako - F - Beautiful baby March

Mizuki - F - Beautiful moon

Momoko - F - Peach Child

Montaro - M - Big guy

Moriko - F - Child of the Forest

Morio - M - Forest boy

Mura - F - Rustic

Mutsuko - F - Baby Mutsu

Nahoko - F - Baby Naho

Nami - F - Wave

Namiko - F - Child of the Waves

Nana - F - Apple

Naoko - F - Obedient child

Naomi - F - "Beauty First"

Nara - F - Oak

Nariko - F - Sissy

Natsuko - F - Summer child

Natsumi - F - Beautiful 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 - Hope

Nyoko - F - Jewel

Oki - F - Mid 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 - Jasmine Child

Rin - F - Unfriendly

Rinji - M - Peaceful forest

Rini - F - Little Bunny

Risako - F - Child Risa

Ritsuko - F - Child of Ritsu

Roka - M - White wave crest

Rokuro - M - Sixth son

Ronin - M - Samurai without a master

Rumiko - F - Baby Rumi

Ruri - F - Emerald

Ryo - M - Superb

Ryoichi - M - First son of Ryo

Ryoko - F - Baby Ryo

Ryota - M - Strong (obese)

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 - Luckily Born

Saeko - F - Baby Sae

Saki - F - Cape (geographical)

Sakiko - F - Baby Saki

Sakuko - F - Baby Saku

Sakura - F - Cherry blossoms

Sanako - F - Baby Sana

Sango - F - Coral

Saniiro - M - Wonderful

Satu - F - Sugar

Sayuri - F - Little lily

Seiichi - M - First son of Sei

Sen - M - Spirit of the tree

Shichiro - M - Seventh son

Shika - F - Deer

Shima - M - Islander

Shina - F - Worthy

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 - Like Bamboo

Takeshi - M - Bamboo tree or brave

Takumi - M - Artisan

Tama - M/F - Jewel

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 reflection

Toshiro - M - Talented

Toya - M/F - House door

Tsukiko - F - Child of the moon

Tsuyu - F - Morning dew

Udo - M - Ginseng

Ume - F - Plum Blossom

Umeko - F - Child of Plum Blossoms

Usagi - F - Rabbit

Uyeda - M - From the rice field (child)

Yachi - F - Eight thousand

Yasu - F - Calm

Yasuo - M - Mirny

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 - Baby Yuma

Yumi - F - Like a bow (weapon)

Yumiko - F - Arrow Child

Yuri - F - Lily

Yuriko - F - Child of a lily

Yuu - M - Noble blood

Yuudai - M - Great Hero

Nagisa - "coast"

Kaworu - "to smell sweet"

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 - "Ruling the City"

Saito Hajime - "The Beginning of Human Life"

Hiko Seijuro - "Justice Triumphed"

Seta Sojiro - "Comprehensive Forgiveness"

Mirai is the future

Hajime - boss

Mamoru - protector

Jibo - earth

hikari - light

Atarashiki - transformations

Namida - tears

Sora - sky

Ginga - the universe

Eve is alive

Izzy - doctor

Usagi the rabbit

Tsukino - Lunar

Ray - soul

Hino - fire

Ami - rain

Mitsuno - water

Corey - ice, icy

makoto is true

Cinema - air, forest

Minako - Venus

Aino - loving

Setsuna - Guard

Mayo - castle, palace

Haruka - 1) distance, 2) heavenly

Teno - heavenly

Michiru - way

Cayo - sea

Hotaru - light

Tomo is a friend.

Kaori - soft, affectionate

Yumi - "Perfumed Beauty"

Hakufu - Noble Sign

How to name a child?

For future parents in Japan, they release special collections of names - like ours in general - so that they can choose the most suitable for their child. In general, the process of choosing (or inventing) a name comes down to one of the following ways:

1. A keyword can be used in the name - a seasonal phenomenon, a shade of color, a precious stone, etc.

2. The name may contain the wish of the parents to become strong, wise or courageous, for which the hieroglyphs of strength, wisdom and courage are used, respectively.

3. you can also go from choosing the hieroglyphs you like the most (in various spellings) and combining them with each other.

4. Recently, it has become popular to name a child, focusing 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 of historical chronicles, politicians, pop stars, TV series heroes, etc.

6. Some parents rely on various fortune-telling, they believe that the number of features in the hieroglyphs of the first and last name 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 in colloquial speech to names, surnames, nicknames and other words denoting an interlocutor or a third person. They are used to indicate the social relationship between the speaker and the one being spoken about. The choice of a suffix is determined by the character of the speaker (normal, rude, very polite), his attitude towards the listener (usual politeness, respect, fawning, rudeness, arrogance), their position in society and the situation in which the conversation takes place (one on one, in the circle of loved ones friends, between colleagues, between strangers, in public). What follows is a list of some of these suffixes (in ascending order of "respect" and their usual meanings.

Tyan (chan) - A close analogue of the "diminutive" suffixes of the Russian language. Usually used in relation to the younger or lower in the social sense, with whom one develops a close relationship. In the use of this suffix, the element of "lisping" is felt. Usually used when referring to adults to children, boys to their beloved girls, girlfriends to each other, small children to each other. The use of this suffix in relation to people who are not very close, equal in position to the speaker, is impolite. For example, if a guy refers to a peer of the same age with whom he does not “twist an affair”, then he shows incorrectness. A girl who addresses a fellow peer with whom she doesn’t “twist an affair” is, in fact, rude.

Kun (kun) - An analogue of the appeal "comrade". Most often used between men or in relation to guys. Indicates, rather, some "official", however, close relations. Say, between classmates, partners or friends. It can also be used in relation to the younger or lower in the social sense, when this circumstance does not need to be emphasized.

Yang (yan) - Kansai analogue of "-chan" and "-kun".

Tti (cchi) - Children's version of "-chan" (cf. "Tamagotti".

Without suffix - Close relationship, 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. Addressing by surname without a suffix is a sign of familiar, but "detached" relationships (a typical example is the relationship of schoolchildren or students).

San (san) - An analogue of the Russian "mister / madam". A general indication of respect. Often used to communicate with strangers, or when all other suffixes do not fit. Used in relation to elders, including older relatives (brothers, sisters, parents).

Han (han) - Kansai equivalent of "-san".

Xi (shi) - "Sir", is used exclusively in official documents after the surname.

Fujin (fujin) - "Lady", is used exclusively in official documents after the surname.

Kohai (kouhai) - Appeal to the younger. Especially often - at school in relation to those who are younger than the speaker.

Senpai (senpai) - Appeal to the 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. It is now considered obsolete and almost never occurs in communication. In ancient times, it was actively used when samurai addressed each other.

Sensei (sensei) - "Teacher". Used in relation to the actual teachers and professors, as well as to doctors and politicians.

Senshu (senshu) - "Athlete". Used in relation to famous athletes.

Zeki (zeki) - "Sumo wrestler". Used in relation to famous sumo wrestlers.

Ue (ue) - "Senior". A rare and obsolete respectful suffix used for older family members. Not used with names - only with designations of position in the family ("father", "mother", "brother".

Sama (sama) - The highest degree of respect. Appeal to gods and spirits, to spiritual authorities, a girl to her lover, servants to noble masters, etc. It roughly translates into Russian as "respected, dear, venerable."

Jin (jin) - "One of". "Saya-jin" - "one of the Sai".

Tachi (tachi) - "And friends." "Goku-tachi" - "Goku and his friends."

Gumi (gumi) - "Team, group, party." "Kenshin-gumi" - "Team Kenshin".

Japanese names and their meanings

Personal pronouns

In addition to nominal suffixes, Japan also uses many different ways to address each other and refer to oneself using personal pronouns. The choice of a 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 - Obsolete polite variant. Does not depend on gender.

Wai (Wai) - Kansai analogue of "washi".

Boku (Boku) - Familiar youth male version. It is rarely used by women; in this case, “non-femininity” is emphasized. Used in poetry.

Ore (Ore) - Not a very polite option. Purely masculine. Kind of cool. ^_^

Ore-sama (Ore-sama) - "Great I". A rare form, an extreme degree of boasting.

Daikou or Naikou (Daikou/Naikou) - An analogue of "ore-sama", but somewhat less boastful.

Sessha - A very polite form. Usually used by samurai when addressing their masters.

Hisyo (Hishou) - "Insignificant." A very polite form, now practically not used.

Gusei (Gusei) - An analogue of "hisyo", but somewhat less pejorative.

Oira (Oira) - Polite form. Commonly used by monks.

Chin (Chin) - A special form that only the emperor has the right to use.

Ware (Ware) - Polite (formal) form, translated as [I / you / he] “himself”. It is used when it is necessary to especially express the importance of "I". 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 return form, for example, “forgetting about yourself” - “ware in vasurete”.

[Speaker's name or position] - Used by or with children, usually within a family. Let's say a girl named Atsuko can say "Atsuko is thirsty". Or her older brother, referring to her, can say "Brother will bring you juice." There is an element of "lisping" in this, but such an appeal is quite acceptable.

Group with the meaning "We"

Watashi-tachi - A polite option.

Ware-ware (Ware-ware) - A very polite, formal option.

Bokura - An impolite variant.

Touhou - Common variant.

Group with the meaning "You / You":

Anata (Anata) - General polite option. Also, the usual address of a wife to her husband ("dear".

Anta (Anta) - Less polite option. Usually used by young people. A slight hint of disrespect.

Otaku (Otaku) - Literally translated as "your home". Very polite and rare form. Due to the arrogant use of Japanese informals in relation to each other, the second meaning was fixed - “fan, crazy”.

Kimi - A polite variant, often between friends. Used in poetry.

Kijo (Kijou) - "Mistress". A very polite way of addressing a lady.

Onushi (Onushi) - "Insignificant". An obsolete form of polite speech.

Omae (Omae) - Familiar (when referring to an enemy - insulting) option. Usually used by men in relation to the socially younger (father to daughter, say).

Temae/Temee (Temae/Temee) - Offensive male version. Usually towards the enemy. Something like "bastard" or "bastard".

Onore (Onore) - Offensive variant.

Kisama - Very offensive. Translated with dots. ^_^ Oddly enough, it literally translates as "noble lord."

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 - last name) 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 the name (due to the above-described inconsistency).

The exception is the emperor and members of his family. They don't have a last name. Girls who marry princes also lose their last names.

Ancient names and surnames

Before the Meiji Restoration, only aristocrats (kuge) and samurai (bushi) had surnames. The rest of the population of Japan was content with personal names and nicknames.

Surnames were divided into two groups - the surnames of aristocrats and the surnames of samurai.

The most revered 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 kind, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and wives for emperors were chosen from among women.

The following in nobility were the Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjo, Imaidegawa, Tokudaiji, and Kaoin clans. From among them, the highest state dignitaries were appointed.

So, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial stables (meryo no gogen). Then came all the other aristocratic clans.

The personal names of aristocrats and high-ranking samurai were formed from two kanji (hieroglyphs) of a "noble" meaning.

At the end of the names of girls from noble families, the suffix "-hime" was added. It is often translated as "princess", but in fact it was used in relation to all noble young ladies.

For the names of monks and nuns from the noble classes, the suffix "-in" was used.

Modern names and surnames

The most common Japanese surnames now are Suzuki, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Sato, Sasaki, Kudo, Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kato, Ito, Murakami, Onishi, Yamaguchi, Nakamura, Kuroki, Higa.

Most Japanese female names end in “-ko” (“child” or “-mi” (“beauty”). Girls are usually given names that are related in meaning to everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine. Unlike male names, female names are usually written not in kanji, but in hiragana.

Some modern girls do not like the "-ko" ending in their names and prefer to omit it. For example, a girl named "Yuriko" might refer to herself as "Yuri".

According to the law passed during the time of Emperor Meiji, after marriage, the husband and wife are required by law to take the same surname. In 98% of cases, this is the husband's surname. For several years now, an amendment to the Civil Code has been discussed in Parliament, allowing spouses to keep premarital surnames. However, while she can not 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 the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased and is used in funeral rites. Kaimyo and ihai are bought from Buddhist monks - sometimes even before a 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 (jap. 和語?) - native Japanese words and kango (jap. 漢語?) - borrowed from China. Names are also divided into the same types, although a new type is now actively expanding - gairaigo (jap. 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 Onn surnames is approximately 80% to 20%.

The most common surnames in Japan are:

Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 Sato:?)

Suzuki (jap. 鈴木?)

Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋?)

Tanaka (Japanese: 田中?)

Watanabe (jap. 渡辺?)

Ito (Japanese: 伊藤 Itō:?)

Yamamoto (jap. 山本?)

Nakamura (Japanese: 中村?)

Ohayashi (Jap. 小林?)

Kobayashi (Jap. 小林?) (different surnames, but spelled the same and have roughly the same distribution)

Kato (Jap. 加藤 Kato:?)

Many surnames, although they are read according to the on (Chinese) reading, go back to ancient Japanese words and are written phonetically, and not in meaning.

Examples of such surnames: Kubo (jap. 久保?) - from jap. kubo (jap. 窪?) - a hole; Sasaki (jap. 佐々木?) - from the ancient Japanese sasa - small; Abe (jap. 阿部?) - from the ancient word ape - to connect, mix. If we take into account such surnames, then the number of native Japanese surnames reaches 90%.

For example, the hieroglyph 木 ("tree") is read in kun as ki, but in names it can also be read as ko; The hieroglyph 上 ("up") can be read in kun as both ue and kami. There are two different surnames Uemura and Kamimura, which are written the same - 上村. In addition, there are dropping out and merging of sounds at the junction of components, for example, in the surname Atsumi (Japanese 渥美?), the components separately are read as atsui and umi; and the surname 金成 (kana + nari) is often read simply as Kanari.

When combining hieroglyphs, the alternation of the ending of the first component A / E and O / A is typical - for example, 金 kane - Kanagawa (jap. 金川?), 白 shiro - Shiraoka (jap. 白岡?). In addition, the initial syllables of the second component often become voiced, for example 山田 Yamada (pit + ta), 宮崎 Miyazaki (miya + saki). Also, surnames often contain the remainder of the case indicator no or ha (in ancient times it was customary to put them between the given name and surname). Usually this indicator is not written, but 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 a hieroglyph - for example, 井之上 Inoue (and + but + ue); 木ノ下 Kinoshita (ki + katakana no + sita).

The vast majority of surnames in Japanese consist of two characters, surnames of one or three characters are less common, and four-digit or more surnames are very rare.

One-component surnames are mainly of Japanese origin and are formed from nouns or medial forms of verbs. For example, Watari (jap. 渡?) - from watari (jap. 渡り crossing?), 　hata (jap. 畑?) - the word hata means "plantation, vegetable garden". Onn surnames consisting of one hieroglyph are much less common. For example, Cho (Jap. 兆 Cho:?) - means "trillion", Ying (Jap. 因?) - "reason".

Japanese surnames consisting of two components, the majority, are called numbers in 60-70%. Of these, most of them 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 (jap. 松本?) - consists of the nouns used in the language of matsu "pine" and moto "root"; Kiyomizu (Jap. 清水?) - consists of the stem of the adjective 清い kiyoi - "clean" and the noun 水 mizu - "water". Chinese two-component surnames are less numerous and usually have a single reading. Often Chinese surnames contain numbers from one to six (excluding four 四, since this number is read the same 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 by on, and the other by kun. Examples: Honda (jap. 本田?), hon - "base" (on reading) + ta - "rice field" (kun reading); Betsumiya (jap. 別宮?), betsu - “special, different” (on reading) + miya - “temple” (kun reading). Also, a very small part of the surnames can be read both by ons and by kuns: 坂西 Banzai and Sakanishi, 宮内 Kunai and Miyauchi.

In three-component surnames, Japanese roots are often found phonetically recorded by onami. Examples: 久保田 "Kubota (probably the word 窪 kubo "fossa" is spelled phonetically as 久保), 阿久津 Akutsu (probably the word 明く aku "open" is spelled phonetically as 阿久). However, common three-component surnames consisting of three kun readings are also common. Examples: 矢田部 Yatabe, 小野木 Ōnoki 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 characters "eighteen-year-old girl", and read as 若色 "young + color"; The surname denoted by the character 一 "one" is read as Ninomae, which can be translated as 二の前 ni no mae "before the deuce"; and the surname 穂積 Hozue, which can be interpreted as "gathering ears" is sometimes written as 八月一日 " the first day of the eighth lunar month" - apparently on this day the harvest began in ancient times.

Japanese names consist of a family name followed by a given name, and as a rule, Japanese names are written in kanji. However, parents may also occasionally use Japanese hiragana and katakana to write their children's names. Moreover, in 1985, the list of officially allowed characters for writing Japanese names was expanded and now you can use Latin characters (romanji), hentaiganu, manyoganu (syllabic alphabet), as well as special characters and characters like * % $ ^ and the like. But in practice, characters are almost always used to write Japanese names.

In the past, people in Japan were the property of the emperor, and the surname reflected their role in the government. For example, Otomo (大友 "great friend, comrade"). Names were also given to let people know that the person had made some great achievement, contribution, etc.

Before the Meiji Restoration, the common people did not have surnames, and if necessary used the name of the place of birth. For example, a person named Ichiro: could introduce himself as: "Ichiro: from the village of Asahi, Musashi Province. Merchants used the names of their stores or brands. For example, Denbei, the owner of Sagamiya - could introduce himself as "Sagamiya Denbei." Peasants could call themselves after their father (for example, Isuke, whose father was called Genbei, could say: "Iseke, son of Genbei").

After the Meiji Restoration, the government ordered all commoners to come up with a last name as part of a plan to modernize and westernize. Some people chose historical names, others simply invented, for example, fortune-telling, or turned to priests to choose a surname. This explains the fact that there are a lot of different surnames in Japan, both in pronunciation and spelling, and makes it difficult to read.

Japanese surnames are extremely diverse, with an estimated over 100,000 different surnames. Typical, most common Japanese surnames include: Satō (佐藤), Suzuki (铃木) and Takahashi (高桥).

However, Japanese surnames are distributed differently in different regions of Japan. For example, the surnames Chinen (知念), Higa (比嘉), and Shimabukuro (岛袋) are common in Okinawa but not in other parts of Japan. This is due mainly to differences between the language and culture of the Yamato people and Okinawa.

Many Japanese surnames come from the characteristic features of the rural landscape, for example: Ishikawa (石川) means "stone river", Yamamoto (山本) - "base of the mountain", Inoue (井上) - "above the well".

In general, surnames usually have some patterns and their reading does not cause any particular difficulties, but Japanese names are very diverse both in pronunciation and spelling.

While many typical Japanese names can be easily spelled and read, many parents choose names with unusual characters or pronunciations. Such names do not have an unambiguous reading or spelling.

Especially the tendency to give such names appeared since 1990. For example, the popular name 大翔 for boys is traditionally read as Hiroto, but alternative readings of this name have also appeared: Haruto, Yamato, Daito, Taiga, Sora, Taito, Masato, and all of them have come into use.

Male names often end in –ro: (郎 "son", but also 朗 "clear, light", e.g. Ichiro), -ta (太 "big, fat", e.g. Kenta), contain ichi (一 "first [ son]), ji (二 - second [son]", or 次 "next", eg "Jiro"), or dai (大 "great, big", eg "Daiichi").

In addition, in male names with two hieroglyphs, hieroglyphs-indicators of the male name are often used: 夫 (o) - "husband", 男 (o) - "man", 雄 (o) - "hero", 朗 (ro :) - " cheerful" , 樹 (ki) - "tree", 助 (suke) "helper" and many others.

Japanese female names

Most Japanese female names have an abstract meaning. Usually such characters are used in such names as 美 mi "beauty", 愛 ai "love", 安 en "calm", 知 ti "mind", 優 yu: "tenderness", 真 ma "truth" and others. As a rule, names with similar hieroglyphs are given to girls as a wish to possess these qualities in the future.

There is another type of female names - names with hieroglyphs of animals or plants. Animal names with the characters 虎　 "tiger" or 鹿 "deer" were thought to be healthful, but these names are now considered old-fashioned and almost never used, with the exception of the character 鶴 "crane". Names containing hieroglyphs associated with the plant world are still often used, for example, 花 hana - "flower", 稲 ine - "rice", 菊 kiku - "chrysanthemum", 竹 take - "bamboo", 桃 momo - "peach ", 柳 yanagi - "willow", and others.

There are still names with numerals, but they are very few in number and are quite rare. Such names most likely come from the old tradition of naming the girls of noble families in order of birth. Currently, the commonly used characters for numerals are 千 ti "thousand", 三 mi "three", 五 go "five", and 七 nana "seven".

Quite often there are also names with the meanings of the seasons, natural phenomena, time of day and many others. For example: 雪 yuki "snow", 夏 natsu "summer", 朝 asa "morning", 雲 kumo "cloud".

It happens that syllabic alphabets are used instead of hieroglyphs. At the same time, the record of such a name is constant, unlike words that can be written in different ways (alphabet, hieroglyphs, mixed). For example, if a female name is written in hiragana, then it will always be written that way, although it can be written in a hieroglyph in its meaning.

By the way, it is very fashionable and exotic instead of classic female names to use foreign names: あんな Anna, まりあ Maria, えみり Emiri, れな Rena, りな Rina and others.

An indicator of Japanese female names.

A typical Japanese female name ends with the character -子 (child) - ko. (Maiko, Haruko, Hanako, Takako, Yoshiko, Asako, Naoko, Yumiko, etc.). And currently, about a quarter of Japanese female names end in -ko. Until 1868, this name was used only by members of the imperial family, but after the revolution, this name became quite popular, especially in the middle of the 20th century. However, after 2006, this indicator of a female name ceased to be fashionable due to the emergence of a new fashion for names, and many girls searched for it from the name, and began to call them simply Yumi, Hana, Haru, etc.

The second most used character is 美 mi "beauty" (up to 12%), unlike many other indicators of the gender of the name, it can occur anywhere in the name (Fumiko, Mie, Kazumi, Miyuki).

Also, about 5% of Japanese female names contain the component 江 e "bay" (Mizue, 廣江 Hiroe).

Many other characters are used to indicate that this is a female name, each of which occurs in less than 4% of female names: 代 yo "era", 香 ka "smell", 花 ka "flower", 里 ri "measure of the length of ri" ( often used phonetically), 奈 na is used phonetically, 織 ori "cloth" and others.

However, there are female names consisting of several hieroglyphs that do not have indications that this is a female name. Examples: 皐月 Satsuki, 小巻 Komaki.

Popular Japanese names and their meanings

Since 2005, the Japanese company Benesse Corporation has annually published a ranking of popular Japanese names among newborns. In 2011, from January 1 to May 31, 34,500 people were born, of which 17,959 were boys and 16,541 were girls.

Popular Japanese names for men

№	Name hieroglyphs	Name reading	The meaning of the hieroglyphs of the name	Number of boys	% boys
1	大翔	Hiroto	big + flying	119	0,66
2	蓮	Ren	lotus	113	0,63
3	悠真	Yuma	calm + honest	97	0,54
4	颯太	So:ta	dashing + big, fat, great	92	0,51
5	蒼空	Sora	blue sky	84	0,47
6	翔太	Sho:ta	flying + big, fat, great	79	0,44
7	大和	Yamato	big + peaceful, soft, gentle	73	0,41
8	陽斗	Haruto	solar + measure of capacity, ladle	79	0,44
9	陸	Riku	dry land	64	0,36
10	陽翔	Haruto	sunny, positive + flying	64	0,36

Popular Japanese female names

№	Name hieroglyphs	Name reading	The meaning of the hieroglyphs of the name	Number of girls	% girls
1	結衣	Yui	tie+clothes	109	0,66
2	葵	Aoi	mallow, marshmallow, geranium, etc.	104	0,63
3	結愛	Yua	connect + love	102	0,62
4	凛	Rin	majestic; imposing	100	0,60
5	陽菜	hina	sunny, positive + vegetable, greenery	99	0,60
6	結菜	Yuina	connect, form, finish + vegetable, greens	99	0,60
7	さくら	Sakura	Sakura	74	0,45
8	愛菜	mana	love + vegetable, greens	74	0,45
9	咲希	saki	bloom + rarely, desire	71	0,43
10	優奈	Yu:on	excellent, graceful, friendly + phonetic NA	66	0,40

Japanese nicknames/nicknames/nicknames

From each name, one or more diminutive names can be formed by adding the nominal suffix -chan or -kun to the base. There are two types of name stems. One consists of a full name, for example Taro: -chan (Taro:), Kimiko-chan (Kimiko) and Yasunari-chan (Yasunari).

Another type of stem is an abbreviation for the full name. Ta:-chan (Taro:), Kii-chan (Kimiko), Ya:-chan (Yasunari), Ko:-kun, Ma:-kun, Sho:-chan, etc. The second type of abbreviation has a closer relationship (for example, between friends).

There are other ways of forming short names, for example, a girl with the name Megumi can be called Kei-chan, since the character that begins the name Megumi (恵) can also be read as Kei.

The common Japanese practice of creating abbreviations, which is to combine the first two syllables of two words, is sometimes applied to names (usually celebrities).

For example, Kimura Takuya (木村拓哉), a famous Japanese actor and singer, becomes Kimutaku (キムタク). This is sometimes applied to foreign celebrities as well: Brad Pitt, whose full name in Japanese is Buraddo Pitto (ブラッドピット) is rather known as Burapi (ブラピ), while Jimi Hendrix is shortened to Jimihen (ジミヘン). Another slightly less common method is to double one or two syllables in a person's name. For example, Mamiko Noto, may be called MamiMami.

Japanese names in Chinese

As a rule, Japanese names are written in hieroglyphs. And the hieroglyphs, like many other things, the Japanese borrowed from the Chinese. Those. Japanese and Chinese will read the same hieroglyph differently. For example, 山田太郎 (Yamada Taro:) the Chinese will read something like "Shantien Tailang", and 鳩山由紀夫 (Hatoyama Yukio) - "Jiushan Youjifu". That's why the Japanese don't understand their names when they read them in Chinese."

Reading Japanese names and surnames

Reading names in Japanese is very difficult. The hieroglyphs of the same name can be read in different ways, and at the same time, the pronunciation of the same name can also be written in different ways ... More about the features of reading Japanese names can be

Japanese nominal suffixes

In Japan, when referring to a person, it is customary to use a surname or a given name (usually the Japanese refer to each other by their surname) to use nominal suffixes, more about them in brief written

Names and Surnames of Japanese Emperors

Japanese emperors do not have surnames, and their lifetime Japanese names are tabooed and not used in official Japanese documents, and instead the emperor is addressed by a title without a name. When an emperor dies, he receives a posthumous name, which consists of two parts: the name of the virtue that glorifies him and the tenno title: "emperor". For example:

During the life of the emperor, it is also not customary to address him by name, since in general it is not polite to address him by name, and even more so to the emperor, and various titles are used instead. For example, as a child, Akihito had a title - Tsugu-no-miya (Prince Tsugu). Such titles are mostly used as long as the person is an heir or has not received a special name.

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 is very exciting to decipher the names of famous people: for example, the cartoonist Miyazaki - "temple, palace" + "cape", and the writer Murakami - "village" + "top". Secondly, all this has long and firmly become part of

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 a 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 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.

Female names in many cases contain the 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. In the days of the imperial dynasties, great importance was attached to how to name yourself and your children, but in modern Japan, preference 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, there are more than 100,000 surnames in the Japanese language. 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 come up with a unique name on purpose. In Japanese culture, things are different: there are many more singular or rare names. Therefore, there is no traditional list. Japanese names (and surnames too) are often formed from some 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 beautiful Japanese 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 in the Middle Ages 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.

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 is very exciting to decipher the names of famous people: for example, the cartoonist Miyazaki - “temple, palace” + “cape”, and the writer Murakami - “village” + “top”. Secondly, all this has long and firmly become part of the youth subculture.

These mysterious Japanese names and surnames

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 a 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.

Women's names

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

Very often, Japanese male names and surnames include characters that indicate gender: “man”, “husband”, “hero”, “assistant”, “tree”, etc.

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

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.

Such different names and surnames

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.

Interesting facts about Japanese names and surnames

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".

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.