Fire is a Japanese name. Japanese names and their meanings. Male and female Japanese names: list. These mysterious Japanese first and last names

The modern Japanese name in its composition follows the tradition characteristic of Chinese, Korean and a number of other cultures. According to this tradition, a Japanese name consists of a family name or surname followed by a personal name. Names in Japan are most often written using kanji, which in different cases have different options pronunciation.

All modern Japanese have a single surname and a single first name; they do not have a patronymic. The only exception is the imperial family, whose members have only a first name without a surname.

The Japanese pronounce and write their first and last names in reverse order than is common in the West. First comes the last name, then the first name. However, in Western languages, Japanese names are written in the order familiar to Europeans - the surname follows the given name.

Japanese names are often created independently from existing characters. As a result, this country has a large number of unique, non-repetitive names. More traditional are surnames, which, by their origin, often relate to toponyms. Thus, there are much more first names in Japanese than surnames. The difference between female and male names is expressed in the use of component names and their structure characteristic of each type. It should be noted that reading Japanese names is perhaps the most difficult element in the Japanese language.

Transcription of Japanese names

Most often, in other languages ​​that use the Latin or Cyrillic alphabet, Japanese names are written according to their transcription, as well as ordinary Japanese text, according to the rules of a particular system - for example, Romaji, the Polivanov system. No less common is the recording of Japanese names in non-standard transliteration, for example, instead of “si”, “shi” is used, and instead of “ji” - “ji”, which is explained by an attempt to transliterate from the Latin spelling of the name using the romaji system. For example, the first and last name Honjou Shizuka is read by Russian-speaking readers in most cases as Honjou Shizuka, and not Honjo Shizuka.

In Latin and Cyrillic transcription, Japanese names often appear in the order familiar to Europeans - first name, then surname, i.e. Yamada Taro is usually written as Tarou Yamada. This order is found in news feeds, magazines and journalistic publications. The Japanese spelling order is less commonly used, but in this case the surname in Latin spelling is written entirely in capital letters. The Japanese traditional order of indicating surname and first name can be found in professional linguistic publications.

Sometimes you can find a Latin spelling of a name using standard Latin abbreviations of the name before the initial. Vowels in Japanese have different lengths, which may be shown orthographically in transliteration (for example, Tarou Yamada), or may not be shown at all (for example, Taro Yamada). In Cyrillic writing, the length of vowels is usually not shown. The exception is educational publications, where the length of vowel sounds is shown in brackets after writing in hieroglyphs and is indicated by a colon.

In Japanese, the relationship of interlocutors to each other is expressed by a suffix, which is added after the name. Thus, san is characteristic of respectful neutral communication, kun is used in a conversation between two men, a classmate or work colleagues of equal rank, and chan is an analogue of diminutive suffixes in Russian. The last suffix is ​​usually used during close acquaintances, when addressing girls or children.

Most Japanese people address each other by their last name. Only among friends and good acquaintances is it possible to address someone by name without a suffix; in other cases, such an address will be considered familiar.

As mentioned above, the choice of a name in Japan is not limited in any way; names can be created from any permitted hieroglyphs. Of course, many Japanese people use popular names that respect certain traditions.

Female Japanese names

Most Japanese names are easy to read and write, but a trend has emerged among parents to choose characters with an unusual spelling or reading. It is for this reason that a large number of interpretations of both the meaning and reading of Japanese names have appeared. This trend began to actively manifest itself since the end of the 20th century.

This phenomenon especially affected women's names. It is for this reason that the popularity of a particular female name is not as stable as that of a male name. Over the past 20 years, the names Misaki and Sakura have continued to remain in the top ten, but they have been supplanted by names such as Hina, Aoi, Rin and Yui, which have not appeared in the top five most popular female names in the last 100 years.

Japanese girl names have a clear and understandable meaning and are easy to read. Most female names are composed of a main component and an indicator, although there are names that do not have an indicator component. Depending on the meaning of the main component, it can be divided into several types.

• Many female names fall into a group of names with an abstract meaning. These names are based on components meaning “love”, “calmness”, “tenderness” and others. Such names are given as a wish to possess certain qualities in the future (Kyoko, Michi).
• The next group of names are names that contain animal or plant components. In the past, girls were often given similar names. It was believed to promote health. However, today the fashion for names with animal components has passed. Only the crane component is still popular. And hieroglyphs associated with the world of flora do not go out of fashion to this day. Very often you can find names with components denoting “chrysanthemum” or “bamboo” (Sakura, Hana, Kiku).
• It is very rare to find names with numerals that take their roots in the ancient tradition of naming girls from noble families by birth order (Nanami, Anko).
• You can also find names that have a component with the meaning of seasons, time of day, etc. (Yuki, Kasuma)
• Fashion for foreign names(Anna, Maria and others).

Beautiful Japanese names. The greatest changes have occurred among female names. New signs and hieroglyphs were added to write the name, the view on the general use of female names changed - more European-sounding names began to appear that resemble European names, although they are traditionally written in hieroglyphs and composed according to traditional Japanese traditions. Examples would be the names Naomi, Mika, Yuna.

Currently, beautiful Japanese names contain an animal or plant component less and less often, and they have increasingly begun to use abstract concepts and desired meanings of good qualities, future success (Haruto, Hina, Yuna, Yamato, Sora, Yua). Although the name Sakura does not leave the top ten most popular female names, the female name Aoi (mallow) and the male name Ren (lotus) remain firmly in the top five.

The previously common component of the name with the ending “-ko”, which literally means “child”, began to be considered unfashionable, outdated, and therefore is used less and less, although it has not completely given up its position (Asako, Yumiko, Takako).

Japanese male names

Men's names are incredibly difficult to read. It is in them that non-standard nanori reads and rare reads are used, sometimes some components change in a non-standard way. Thus, the names Kaoru, Shigekazu and Kungoro contain the same hieroglyph, but each individual name is read differently. Also, the same component of yoshi names, which is very common in Japan, can be written with 104 different characters or combinations thereof. It happens that only the native speaker can read a name correctly.

Often one-component names come from verbs or adjectives. For example, Kaoru comes from the verb “to smell,” and Hiroshi comes from the adjective “wide.” Male names that include two hieroglyphs use the hieroglyph denoting a male name as the second hieroglyph, which also shows how the name is read. Names with three components have a similar two-component indicator (Katsumi, Macao, Naoki, Sora).

Time does not stand still, and modern trends have made their own adjustments. Now traditional names continue to predominate among male names, but now they have different reading options. Popular male names in 2005 included names such as Sho, Shota, Hikaru, Tsubasa, Yamato, Takumi and various variations of the name Hiroto.

The traditional male name Hiroto now has alternative readings and “Romanized” transcriptions. In the Russian version of pronunciation and recording, it’s as if they are completely different and not at all close, not similar names, because it’s all about recording the hieroglyph and voicing it. Modern twins for the name Hiroto are Haruto, Yamato, Daito, Taiga, Sora, Taito, Masato, all of them are used in modern times on a par with their progenitor.

More often male names are divided into the following groups, but these are only the most basic.

• The name contains the component “-ro”, which is interpreted as “son” (Ichiro, Shiro, Saburo). But this part of the name is also attributed the meaning “light”, “clear”, which can add different shades to the meaning of the name.
• The “-to” component is considered masculine and is very rare among female names. It means either “person” (Yuto, Kaito) or “fly”, “soar” (Hiroto).
• The “-dai” component means “big, great.” Used only in male names (Dai, Daichi, Daisuke, Daiki).
• Aspirational names are popular, in which the boy is credited with masculine traits, future success and a wonderful life (Takeshi, Niboru, Ken).
• Traditional names for the Japanese are related to natural phenomena, seasons, natural materials(Kita, Montaro, Kohaku, Akiyama).

List of Japanese names with descriptions

List of Japanese names with meanings

Ai - love

Ayaka - colorful flower

Aiko - favorite child

Aina - loving

Akemi - dazzlingly beautiful

Aki - born in autumn

Akiko - autumn child

Akira - smart, quick-witted

Akihito – bright, friendly

Akiyama – autumn mountain

Amaya - night rain

Ami - beautiful Asian girl

Amida – Japanese name for Buddha Amitabha

Anzu - apricot

Anko (Aneko) – older sister

Aoi - pink mallow

Arisu – noble (Japanese equivalent of the name Alice)

Atsuko (Azuko) - kind child

Ayame – iris

Ayana – beautiful sounding

Bachiko – happy child

Botan – long life, longevity

Gin/Gin – silver

Goro – fifth son

Daiki - great tree, great shine

Daisuke - great help

Izumi - fountain

Ima – now

Isamu - cheerful

Itsu (Etsu) – delightful, charming

Ichiro – first son

Ishi – stone

Yoko (Yuko) – light/sunny child

Yori – trustworthy

Yoshi – reed

Kagami – mirror

Kazuko – harmonious child

Kazuo – man of peace

Kaze – wind

Kazuki – hope for peace

Kazuya - harmonious, cheerful

Kaito - elusive

Kameko – child of the turtle (symbol of longevity)

Kana - diligent

Kano – male power, opportunity

Kasumi - haze, fog

Katashi – hardness

Katsu – victory

Katsuo – victorious child

Katsuro – victorious son

Keiko – blessed child, happy child

Ken – strong, healthy

Kenji – strong second son

Kenshin - the heart of the sword

Kenta - healthy and brave

Kiyoko – purity

Kiyoshi – quiet

Kiku – chrysanthemum

Kimiko – child of noble blood

Kin – gold

Kino – aerial, forest

Kita – north

Kichiro – lucky son

Koko – stork

Koto - the name of the national musical instrument Japanese – “koto”, melodic

Kohaku – amber

Kohana – small flower

Kumiko - forever beautiful

Kuri – chestnut

Mai – bright, leaf, dance

Maeko – an honest child

Makoto - sincere, true, truthful

Mami - true beauty

Mamoru – earth, protector

Manami – the beauty of love

Marise – infinity

Matsuo – pine

Maemi – sincere smile

Midori – green

Mika – first sound, three trees

Mina - beauty

Mirai – treasure

Misaki – flowering of beauty, beautiful flowering

Miu - beautiful feather

Mitsuki - beautiful moon

Mitsuko – child of light

Michi – fair, road

Miya – three arrows

Montaro – mountains

Momoko – child peach

Nami – wave

Nana – apple, seven

Nanami - seven seas

Naoki - straight tree

Naoko – obedient child, honest child

Naomi – beautiful

Nara – oak

Nariko – sissy, thunder

Natsuko – year old child

Natsumi – beautiful summer

Nibori – famous, rising

Nikki – new hope

Nori - law, ceremony, rite

Nyoko – gem

Oki – middle of the ocean

Osamu – law-abiding

Reiko – grateful child, child of thanksgiving

Renzo – third son

Ryo – distant reality

Ryota – corpulent, fat

Riko – child of jasmine, child of reason

Riku - earth, dry land

Rin - unfriendly, cold

Rini - little bunny

:rice_ball: Japanese female names, unlike male ones, are read quite simply and have a clear meaning. They have interesting traditions and unforgettable translation. Women's names are striking in their sound, and one can only guess what is hidden behind it. But I suggest not to guess, but to find out what Japanese female names actually mean. I hope you find this interesting!

:rice_ball: Japanese female names are very easy to read and easy to translate. The meaning of the name gives the owner something sublime and beautiful. You can see this for yourself, here is a list of female Japanese names.

Azumi is a safe place to live

Ai - indigo or love

Ayano - silk colors

Aika - love song

Akemi - bright beauty

Aimi - the beauty of love

Asuka - fragrance

Atsuko - kind child

Ameya - evening rain

Ayame - iris flower

Akane - brilliant

Akane - brilliant red

Ayame - patterned girl

Arizu - noble appearance

Bunko - educated child

Janko is a pure child

June - obedient

Izumi - fountain

Yoko - child of the ocean

Yoshi - fragrant branch

Yoshiko - noble child

:rice_ball: . Depending on the main component, Japanese female names can be divided into several groups. Thus, this may be the main component of an abstract meaning. For example, “love” (ai), “mind” (ti), “beauty” (mi). Often such components indicate the desire to possess the necessary qualities in the future. The second type is components of animals or plants. Thus, animal components are now practically not consumed; they are considered old-fashioned, but previously this characterized the desired health. Components of the plant world are popular today and are quite common among female Japanese names. For example, momo (peach), hana (flower), etc...

Kame - turtle (means long life)

Kamiko is a perfect child

Kyoko - child of the capital

Kaoru - aroma

Kotoon - the sound of a harp

Katsumi - conquering beauty

Kumiko - long-lasting child

Kyoko - child of the city

Koheku - amber

Kou - peace

Kiku - chrysanthemum

Marie - beloved woman

Mai - dance

Miwa - beautiful harmony

Makoto - correct and faithful

Miko - beautiful baby blessings

Mizuki - beautiful moon

Masami - elegant beauty

Minori - a beautiful harbor

Michiko is a child who is on the right track

Madoka - circle of flowers

Momo - peach

Mamoko - baby peach

Meyumi - true consuming beauty

Meiko - child's dance

Natsuko - Summer Child

Naoki - fair punishment

Natsumi - summer beauty

Nobuko - a devoted child

Ran - water lily

Ray - bell, spirit, polite woman

Rika - a fragrance that was appreciated

Rie - a valuable blessing

Ren - water lily

Rico - Jasmine's child

Sake - cape

Sumiko is a thinking child

Sekera - Japanese heyday

Sekiko - blooming child

Sengo - coral

Tomiko - the child who keeps things clean

Thackera is a treasure

Tomoko - wise child, friendly

Teruko is a bright child

Uzeji - rabbit

Umeko - child of the blossoming plum tree

:rice_ball: There are names with numerals. For example, thousand (ti). There are also names that mean seasons or natural phenomena. For example, yuki (snow), natsu (summer).

Fumiko - the child who preserves beauty

Hideko is a gorgeous child

Haruka - distance

Hikari - shining

Hotaru - firefly

Hitomi is a name for a girl with very beautiful eyes.

Harumi - spring beauty

Hoshi is a star

Haruki - spring tree

Chi - a thousand blessings

Chia - a thousand flowers

Chiyoko - child of a thousand generations

Chow butterfly

Chiharu - one thousand springs

Shijeko - abundant child

Shizukai is a quiet girl

Shinju - pearl

Shika - a gentle deer

:rice_ball: . A name made up of two or more hieroglyphs has an exponential component, usually at the end. The most common indicator is "ko", meaning child. But now it is considered unfashionable, so the girl can discard this indicator. For example, the name Yuriko can be written as Yuri. However, "ko" remains the most common indicator. Another of the most common indicators is “mi” (beauty). This indicator can be at the beginning of the name, or in the middle, or at the end. For example, Mie, Eyumi. Another of the most used indicators is “ka” (flower), ё (era) and some others.

Kotone - F - Sound of koto

Kumiko - F - Forever beautiful

Kuri - F - Chestnut

Kuro - M - Ninth Son

Kyo - M - Agreement (or redhead)

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 - Infinite

Masa - M/F - Straightforward (person)

Masakazu - M - First son of Masa

Mashiro - M - Wide

Matsu - F - Pine

Mayako - F - Child Maya

Mayoko - F - Child Mayo

Mayuko - F - Child Mayu

Michi - F - Fair

Michie - F - Gracefully hanging flower

Michiko - F - Beautiful and wise

Michio - M - A man with the strength of three thousand

Midori - F - Green

Mihoko - F - Child Miho

Mika - F - New Moon

Miki - M/F - Stalk

Mikio - M - Three woven trees

Mina - F - South

Minako - F - Beautiful child

Mine - F - Brave Defender

Minoru - M - Seed

Misaki - F - The Bloom of Beauty

Mitsuko - F - Child of Light

Miya - F - Three arrows

Miyako - F - Beautiful child of March

Mizuki - F - Beautiful Moon

Momoko - F - Child Peach

Montaro - M - Big Guy

Moriko - F - Child of the Forest

Morio - M - Forest Boy

Mura - F - Country

Mutsuko - F - Child Mutsu

Nahoko - F - Child Naho

Nami - F - Wave

Namiko - F - Child of the Waves

Nana - F - Apple

Naoko - F - Obedient child

Naomi - F - “First of all, beauty”

Nara - F - Oak

Nariko - F - Sissy

Natsuko - F - Summer child

Natsumi - F - Wonderful 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 - Nadezhda

Nyoko - F - Gemstone

Oki - F - Middle of the 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 - Child of Jasmine

Rin - F - Unfriendly

Rinji - M - Peaceful Forest

Rini - F - Little bunny

Risako - F - Child Risa

Ritsuko - F - Child Ritsu

Roka - M - White wave crest

Rokuro - M - Sixth Son

Ronin - M - Samurai without a master

Rumiko - F - Child Rumi

Ruri - F - Emerald

Ryo - M - Excellent

Ryoichi - M - First son of Ryo

Ryoko - F - Child Ryo

Ryota - M - Strong (fat)

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 - Fortunately born

Saeko - F - Child Sae

Saki - F - Cape (geographic)

Sakiko - F - Child Saki

Sakuko - F - Child Saku

Sakura - F - Cherry blossoms

Sanako - F - Child Sana

Sango - F - Coral

Saniiro - M - Wonderful

Satu - F - Sugar

Sayuri - F - Little lily

Seiichi - M - Sei's first son

Sen - M - Spirit of the Tree

Shichiro - M - Seventh Son

Shika - F - Deer

Shima - M - Islander

Shina - F - Decent

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 - Bamboo-like

Takeshi - M - Bamboo tree or brave

Takumi - M - Craftsman

Tama - M/F - Gemstone

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 tail

Toru - M - Sea

Toshi - F - Mirror image

Toshiro - M - Talented

Toya - M/F - House door

Tsukiko - F - Moon Child

Tsuyu - F - Morning Dew

Udo - M - Ginseng

Ume - F - Plum blossom

Umeko - F - Plum Blossom Child

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 - Child Yuma

Yumi - F - Bow-like (weapon)

Yumiko - F - Child of the Arrow

Yuri - F - Lily

Yuriko - F - Lily's Child

Yuu - M - Noble Blood

Yuudai - M - Great Hero

Nagisa - "coast"

Kaworu - "to smell"

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 - "Sublime Love"

Shinomori Aoshi - "Green Bamboo Forest"

Makimachi Misao - "Run the City"

Saito Hajime - "The Beginning of Human Life"

Hiko Seijuro - "Justice Prevailed"

Seta Sojiro - “Comprehensive Forgiveness”

Mirai - the future

Hajime - boss

Mamoru - protector

Jibo - earth

Hikari - light

Atarashiki - transformations

Namida - tears

Sora - sky

Ginga - the universe

Eva - alive

Izya is a doctor

Usagi - hare

Tsukino - Lunnaya

Rey - soul

Hino - fire

Ami - rain

Mitsuno - merman

Corey - ice, icy

Makoto is true

Cinema - aerial, forest

Minako - Venus

Aino - loving

Setsuna - guard

Mayo - castle, palace

Haruka - 1) distant, 2) heavenly

Teno - heavenly

Michiru - the way

Kayo - sea

Hotaru - light

Tomo is a friend.

Kaori - soft, affectionate

Yumi - "Fragrant Beauty"

Hakufu - Noble Sign

What to name the child?

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

1. can be used in the name keyword- seasonal phenomenon, shade of color, gemstone, etc.

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

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

4. It has recently become popular to name a child based 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 characters, etc.

6. Some parents rely on various fortune-telling, believing that the number of traits in the hieroglyphs of the first and last names 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 the Japanese language, there is a whole set of so-called nominal suffixes, that is, suffixes added in colloquial speech to first names, surnames, nicknames and other words denoting an interlocutor or a third party. They are used to indicate the social relationship between the speaker and the one being spoken about. The choice of suffix is ​​determined by the character of the speaker (normal, rude, very polite), their attitude towards the listener (common politeness, respect, ingratiation, rudeness, arrogance), their position in society and the situation in which the conversation takes place (one-on-one, in a circle of loved ones friends, between colleagues, between strangers, in public). What follows is a list of some of these suffixes (in order of increasing respectfulness) and their usual meanings.

Tian (chan) - A close analogue of the “diminutive” suffixes of the Russian language. Usually used in relation to a junior or inferior in a social sense, with whom a close relationship develops. There is an element of baby talk in the use of this suffix. Typically used when adults address children, boys address their girlfriends, girlfriends address each other, and small children address each other. The use of this suffix in relation to people who are not very close and equal to the speaker in position is impolite. Let’s say, if a guy addresses a girl his age in this way, with whom he is not “having an affair,” then he is being inappropriate. A girl who addresses a guy of her own age in this way, with whom she is not “having an affair,” is, in essence, being rude.

Kun (kun) - An analogue of the address “comrade”. Most often used between men or in relation to guys. Indicates, rather, a certain “officiality” of, nevertheless, close relationships. Let's say, between classmates, partners or friends. It can also be used in relation to juniors or inferior in a social sense, when there is no need to focus on this circumstance.

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

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

Without a suffix - Close relationships, 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. Calling by last name 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 “Mr./Madam”. A general indication of respect. Often used to communicate with strangers, or when all other suffixes are inappropriate. Used in relation to elders, including older relatives (brothers, sisters, parents).

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

Si (shi) - “Master”, used exclusively in official documents after the surname.

Fujin - “Lady”, used exclusively in official documents after the surname.

Kouhai - Appeal to the younger. Especially often - at school in relation to those who are younger than the speaker.

Senpai (senpai) - Appeal to an 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. Currently considered obsolete and practically not found in communication. In ancient times, it was actively used when samurai addressed each other.

Sensei - “Teacher”. Used to refer to teachers and lecturers themselves, as well as doctors and politicians.

Senshu - “Sportsman”. Used to refer to famous athletes.

Zeki - “Sumo wrestler”. Used to refer to famous sumo wrestlers.

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

Sama - The highest degree of respect. Appeal to gods and spirits, to spiritual authorities, girls to lovers, servants to noble masters, etc. Roughly translated into Russian as “respected, dear, venerable.”

Jin (jin) - “One of.” "Saya-jin" - "one of Saya."

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 themselves using personal pronouns. The choice of 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 - An outdated polite option. Doesn't depend on gender.

Wai - Kansai equivalent of washi.

Boku (Boku) - Familiar youth male version. Rarely used by women, in this case “unfemininity” is emphasized. Used in poetry.

Ore (Ore) - Not a very polite option. Purely masculine. Like, cool. ^_^

Ore-sama - "Great Self". A rare form, an extreme degree of boasting.

Daiko or Naiko (Daikou/Naikou) - Analogous to “ore-sama”, but somewhat less boastful.

Sessha - Very polite form. Typically used by samurai when addressing their masters.

Hishou - “Insignificant.” A very polite form, now practically not used.

Gusei - Similar to hisho, but somewhat less derogatory.

Oira - Polite form. Typically used by monks.

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

Ware (Ware) - Polite (formal) form, translated as [I/you/he] “himself.” Used when the importance of “I” needs to be particularly expressed. 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 reflexive form, for example, “forgetting about yourself” - “ware in wasurete.”

[Speaker's name or position] - Used by or when communicating with children, usually within the family. Let's say a girl named Atsuko might say "Atsuko is thirsty." Or her older brother, addressing her, may say, “Brother will bring you juice.” There is an element of “lisping” in this, but such treatment is quite acceptable.

Group meaning “We”

Watashi-tachi - Polite option.

Ware-ware - Very polite, formal option.

Bokura - Impolite option.

Touhou - Regular option.

Group with the meaning “You/You”:

Anata - General polite option. It is also common for a wife to address her husband (“dear”).

Anta - Less polite option. Typically used by young people. A slight hint of disrespect.

Otaku - Literally translated as “Your home.” A very polite and rare form. Due to the ironic use by Japanese informals in relation to each other, the second meaning was fixed - “feng, crazy.”

Kimi - Polite option, often between friends. Used in poetry.

Kijo (Kijou) - “Mistress”. A very polite form of addressing a lady.

Onushi - “Insignificant.” An outdated form of polite speech.

Omae - Familiar (when addressing an enemy - offensive) option. Usually used by men in relation to a socially younger person (father to daughter, say).

Temae/Temee - Offensive male version. Usually in relation to the enemy. Something like “bastard” or “bastard.”

Honore (Onore) - Insulting option.

Kisama - A very offensive option. Translated with dots. ^_^ Oddly enough, it literally translates as “noble master.”

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 - surname) 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 their first name (due to the inconsistency described above).

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

Ancient names and surnames

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

The most respected and respected clans of aristocrats were: Konoe, Takashi, Kujo, Ichijo and Gojo. They all belonged to the Fujiwara clan and had common name- “Gosetsuke.” From among the men of this family, regents (sessho) and chancellors (kampaku) of Japan were appointed, and from among the women, wives for the emperors were chosen.

The next most important clans were the Hirohata, Daigo, Kuga, Oimikado, Saionji, Sanjo, Imaidegawa, Tokudaji and Kaoin clans. From among them, the highest state dignitaries were appointed.

Thus, representatives of the Saionji clan served as imperial grooms (meryo no gogen). Next came all the other aristocratic clans.

The hierarchy of nobility of aristocratic families began to take shape in the 6th century and lasted until the end of the 11th century, when power in the country passed to the samurai. Among them, the clans Genji (Minamoto), Heike (Taira), Hojo, Ashikaga, Tokugawa, Matsudaira, Hosokawa, Shimazu, Oda enjoyed special respect. A number of their representatives at different times were shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.

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

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

Upon entering the period of adolescence, the samurai chose a different name for himself than the one given to him at birth. Sometimes samurai changed their names throughout adult life, for example, to emphasize the onset of a new period (promotion or moving to another duty station). The master had the right to rename his vassal. In case of serious illness, the name was sometimes changed to that of Amida Buddha to appeal to his mercy.

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

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

The suffix “-gozen” was used for the names of samurai wives. They were often called simply by their husband's surname and rank. Personal names 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 people were given surnames. Naturally, most of them were associated with various signs of peasant life, especially with rice and its processing. These surnames, like the surnames of the upper class, were also usually made up of two kanji.

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

Most Japanese female names end in “-ko” (“child” or “-mi” (“beauty”). Girls, as a rule, are given names associated with everything beautiful, pleasant and feminine. Unlike male names, female names names are usually written in hiragana rather than kanji.

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

According to a law passed during the time of Emperor Meiji, after marriage, husband and wife are legally required to adopt the same surname. In 98% of cases this is the husband's last name. For several years now, parliament has been discussing an amendment to the Civil Code allowing spouses to keep premarital surnames. However, so far she cannot 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 to be the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased and is used in funeral rites. Kaimyo and ihai are purchased from Buddhist monks - sometimes even before the person's death.

The surname in Japanese is called "myoji" (苗字 or 名字), "uji" (氏) or "sei" (姓).

Vocabulary composition of the Japanese language for a long time was divided into two types: wago (Japanese 和語?) - native Japanese words and kango (Japanese 漢語?) - borrowed from China. Names are also divided into these types, although a new type is now actively expanding - gairaigo (Japanese 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 on surnames is approximately 80% to 20%.

The most common surnames in Japan:

Sato (Japanese: 佐藤 Sato:?)

Suzuki (Japanese: 鈴木?)

Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋?)

Tanaka (Japanese: 田中?)

Watanabe (Japanese: 渡辺?)

Ito (Japanese: 伊藤 Ito:?)

Yamamoto (Japanese: 山本?)

Nakamura (Japanese: 中村?)

Ohayashi (Japanese: 小林?)

Kobayashi (Japanese: 小林?) (different surnames, but spelled the same and have approximately the same distribution)

Kato (Japanese: 加藤 Kato:?)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Japanese names consist of a surname followed by a given name, and as a rule, Japanese names are written in kanji. However, parents may also sometimes use Japanese hiragana and katakana to write their children's names. Moreover, in 1985, the list of officially permitted characters for recording Japanese names was expanded and now you can use Latin characters (Romanji), hentaiganu, man'yogana (syllabary alphabet), as well as special characters and symbols like * % $ ^ and the like. But in practice, hieroglyphs are almost always used to write Japanese names.

In the past, people in Japan were the property of the emperor, and their surname reflected their role in 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, ordinary people did not have surnames, but, if necessary, used the name of the place of birth. For example, a person named Ichiro: could introduce himself as: "Ichiro: from Asahi Village, Musashi Province. Merchants used the names of their shops or brands. For example, Denbei, the owner of Sagamiya, could introduce himself as "Sagamiya Denbei." Peasants could name 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 create a surname for themselves as part of a plan to modernize and westernize. Some people chose historical names, others simply made them up, for example by fortune telling, or turned to priests to choose a surname. This explains the fact that in Japan there are many different surnames, both in pronunciation and spelling, and creates difficulties in reading.

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

However, Japanese surnames vary in prevalence 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 the differences between the language and culture of the people of Yamato and Okinawa.

Many Japanese surnames come from characteristics 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.

Although many typical Japanese names can be easily written and read, many parents choose names with unusual characters or pronunciation. Such names do not have a clear reading or spelling.

The tendency to give such names has especially appeared since 1990. For example, the popular name for boys 大翔 is traditionally read as Hiroto, but alternative readings of this name have 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, bright”, e.g. Ichiro), –ta (太 “big, thick”, e.g. Kenta), contain ichi (一 “first [ son]), ji (二 - second [son]", or 次 "next", for example "Jiro"), or dai (大 "great, great", for example "Daiichi").

In addition, in male names with two hieroglyphs, hieroglyphs that indicate a 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 in such names such characters are used as 美 mi “beauty”, 愛 ai “love”, 安 an “calmness”, 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 have these qualities in the future.

There is another type of female names - names with hieroglyphs of animals or plants. Names with the animal characters 虎　"tiger" or 鹿 "deer" were considered to promote health, but such names are now considered old-fashioned and are rarely 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 also 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 girls of noble families by birth order. Currently, the following characters are usually used among numerals: 千 ti "thousand", 三 mi "three", 五 go "five" and 七 nana "seven".

Quite often there are names with meanings of 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 instead of hieroglyphs, syllabic alphabet are used. Moreover, the recording of such a name is constant, unlike words that can be written in different ways (in alphabet, in hieroglyphs, mixed). For example, if a woman’s name is written in hiragana, then it will always be written that way, although in terms of its meaning it can be written as a hieroglyph.

By the way, it is very fashionable and exotic to use foreign names instead of classic female names: Anna, Maria, Emiri, Rena, Rina and others.

Indicator of Japanese female names.

A typical Japanese female name ends in 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 very popular, especially in the mid-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 eliminated it from their name and began to call them simply Yumi, Hana, Haru, etc.

The second most frequently used character is 美 mi "beauty" (up to 12%), unlike many other indicators of the gender of a name, it can appear 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 is found in less than 4% of female names: 代 yo "era", 香 ka "smell", 花 ka "flower", 里 ri "measure of length 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 indicators 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 male names

№	Hieroglyphs of the name	Reading the name	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, thick, great	79	0,44
7	大和	Yamato	big+peaceful,soft, gentle	73	0,41
8	陽斗	Haruto	solar+capacity measure, bucket	79	0,44
9	陸	Riku	dry land, earth	64	0,36
10	陽翔	Haruto	sunny, positive + flying	64	0,36

Popular Japanese female names

№	Hieroglyphs of the name	Reading the name	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; impressive	100	0,60
5	陽菜	Hina	sunny, positive + vegetables, greens	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:na	excellent, graceful, friendly + phonetician	66	0,40

Japanese pet names/nicknames/nicknames

From each name you can form one or more diminutive names by adding the nominal suffix -chan or -kun to the stem. There are two types of name stems. One consists of the full name, such as Taro: -chan (Taro:), Kimiko-chan (Kimiko) and Yasunari-chan (Yasunari).

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

There are other ways to form diminutive 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 involves combining 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: Brad Pitt, whose full name in Japanese is Buraddo Pitto (ブラッド ピット), is fairly well known as Burapi (ブラピ), and 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 Japanese, like many other things, borrowed hieroglyphs from the Chinese. Those. Japanese and Chinese will read the same character differently. For example, 山田太郎 (Yamada Taro:) the Chinese will read approximately as “Shantien Tailang”, and 鳩山由紀夫 (Hatoyama Yukio) as “Jiushan Youjifu”. That's why the Japanese don't understand their names when they read them in Chinese."

Reading Japanese first and last names

Reading names in Japanese is very difficult. The hieroglyphs of one name can be read in different ways and at the same time the pronunciation of one name can also be written down in various ways... You can learn more about the features of reading Japanese names

Japanese nominal suffixes

In Japan, when addressing a person, it is customary to use nominal suffixes to refer to the surname or first name (usually the Japanese address each other by surname), more details about them are briefly written

Names and Surnames of Japanese Emperors

Japanese emperors do not have surnames, and their lifetime Japanese names are taboo and not used in official Japanese documents, and instead the emperor is addressed by his title without a given name. When an emperor dies, he receives a posthumous name, which consists of two parts: the name of the virtue glorifying 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, much less to the emperor, and instead various titles are used. For example, as a child, Akihito had a title - Tsugu-no-miya (Prince Tsugu). Such titles are mainly used while a person is an heir or has not received a special name.

Japan - unique country. What is behind these words? Special, unlike anything else nature, culture, religion, philosophy, art, way of life, fashion, cuisine, harmonious coexistence of high technology and ancient traditions, as well as the Japanese language itself - as difficult to learn as it is fascinating. One of the most important parts of the language is given names and surnames. They always carry a piece of history, and Japanese ones are doubly curious.

Decipher the name

Why do we, foreigners, need to 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 interesting to decipher the surnames of famous people: for example, the animator 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. Samp and other online games also actively use such nicknames for player characters. And it’s not surprising: such a nickname sounds beautiful, exotic and memorable.

These mysterious Japanese first and last names

Country rising sun will always find something to surprise an ignorant foreigner. It is noteworthy that when recording or officially introducing a person, his last name comes first, and then his first name, for example: Sato Aiko, Tanaka Yukio. This sounds unusual to the Russian ear, 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 last name in capital letters. And it really makes the task easier. Fortunately, it is customary for the Japanese to have only one first name and one surname. And such a form as patronymic (patronymic) is absent among these people at all.

Another unusual feature of Japanese communication is the active use of prefixes. Moreover, these prefixes are most often added 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 differently. Therefore, names are used only in situations of very close and personal communication.

What attachments are available in

• (last name) + san - universal polite address;
• (surname) + sama - address to government members, company directors, clergy; also used in stable combinations;
• (surname) + sensei - an appeal to martial arts masters, doctors, as well as professionals in any field;
• (surname) + kun - addressing teenagers and young men, as well as senior to junior or superior to subordinate (for example, boss to subordinate);
• (name) + chan (or chan) - appeal to children and among children under 10 years old; parents' appeal to their offspring of any age; in an informal setting - to lovers and close friends.

How common are Japanese first and last names? It's surprising, but even family members rarely call each other by name. Instead, special words are used meaning "mom", "dad", "daughter", "son", "elder sister", "little sister", "elder brother", "little brother", etc. To these words The prefixes “chan (chan)” are also added.

Female 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”, etc. similar. Simplicity and harmony are what distinguish 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 ending “ko” unfashionable and omit it. So, for example, the name "Yumiko" turns into the everyday used "Yumi". And her friends call this girl “Yumi-chan.”

All of the above are quite common Japanese female names these days. And the girls’ surnames are also strikingly poetic, especially if you translate the exotic combination of sounds into Russian. Most often they convey the image of a typical Japanese village landscape. For example: Yamamoto - “base of the mountain”, Watanabe - “cross the surrounding area”, Iwasaki - “rocky cape”, Kobayashi - “small forest”.

Whole poetic world open Japanese first and last names. Women's ones are especially similar to works in the haiku style, surprising 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”), Katsu (“victory”), Makoto (“truth”). Others are formed from adjectives or verbs, for example: Satoshi (“smart”), Mamoru (“protect”), Takashi (“tall”), Tsutomu (“try”).

Very often, Japanese male names and surnames include hieroglyphs indicating gender identity: “man”, “husband”, “hero”, “helper”, “tree”, etc.

Often used This tradition originated in the Middle Ages, when families had many children. For example, the name Ichiro means “first son”, Jiro means “second son”, Saburo means “third son”, and so on until Juro, which means “tenth son”.

Japanese boys' names and surnames can be created simply on the basis of the hieroglyphs available in the language. During the imperial dynasties, great importance was attached to what to call oneself and one’s children, but in modern Japan, preference is given simply to what one liked in sound and meaning. At the same time, it is not at all necessary that children from the same family bear names with a common hieroglyph, as was traditionally practiced in the imperial dynasties of the past.

All Japanese male names and surnames have two characteristics in common: semantic echoes of the Middle Ages and difficulty in reading, especially for a foreigner.

Common Japanese surnames

Surnames are distinguished by their large number and diversity: 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 today are: Sato, Suzuki, Takahashi, Tanaka, Yamamoto, Watanabe, Saito, Kudo, Sasaki, Kato, Kobayashi, Murakami, Ito, Nakamura, Oonishi, Yamaguchi, Kuroki, Higa.

Fun fact: Japanese first and last names vary in popularity depending on the area. For example, in Okinawa (the country's southernmost prefecture), the surnames Chinen, Higa and Shimabukuro are very common, while in the rest of Japan very few people have them. Experts attribute this to differences in dialects and culture. Thanks to these differences, the Japanese can tell just by the surname of their interlocutor where he is from.

Such different names and surnames

IN European culture Certain traditional names are typical, 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 isolated or rarely encountered names. Therefore, there is no traditional list. Japanese names (and surnames too) are often formed from some beautiful words or phrases.

Poetry of the name

First of all, female names are distinguished by a clearly expressed poetic meaning. For example:

• Yuri - "Water Lily".
• Hotaru - "Firefly"
• Izumi - "Fountain".
• Namiko - "Child of the Waves".
• Aika - “Love Song”.
• Natsumi - "Summer Beauty".
• Chiyo - "Eternity".
• Nozomi - "Hope".
• Ima - "Gift".
• Rico - "Child of Jasmine"
• Kiku - "Chrysanthemum".

However, among male names you can find beautiful meanings:

• Keitaro - "Blessed One".
• Toshiro - "Talented".
• Yuki - "Snow";.
• Yuzuki - "Crescent".
• Takehiko - "Bamboo Prince".
• Rhydon - "God of Thunder".
• Toru - "Sea".

Poetry of a surname

There are not only beautiful Japanese names. And last names can be very poetic. For example:

• Arai - "Wild Well".
• Aoki - "Young (green) tree."
• Yoshikawa - "Happy River".
• Ito - "Wisteria".
• Kikuchi - “Chrysanthemum Pond.”
• Komatsu - "Little Pine".
• Matsuura - "Pine Bay".
• Nagai - "Eternal Well".
• Ozawa - "Little Swamp".
• Oohashi - "Big Bridge".
• Shimizu - “Clean Water”.
• Chiba - "A Thousand Leaves".
• Furukawa - "Old River".
• Yano - "Arrow on the Plain".

Makes you smile

Sometimes there are funny Japanese names and surnames, or rather, ones that sound funny to the Russian ear.

Among these are male names: Banka, Tikhaya (emphasis on the “a”), Usho, Joban, Soshi (emphasis on the “o”). Among the female ones, the following sounds funny for a Russian speaker: Hey, Osa, Ori, Cho, Ruka, Rana, Yura. But such funny examples extremely rare, given the rich variety of Japanese names.

As for surnames, here you are more likely to find a strange and difficult to pronounce combination of sounds than a funny one. However, this is easily compensated for by numerous funny parodies of Japanese names and surnames. Of course, they were all invented by Russian-speaking jokers, but there is still some phonetic similarity with the originals. For example, this parody: Japanese racer Toyama Tokanawa; or Tohripo Tovisgo. 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, preserved from the Middle Ages, according to which husband and wife must have the same surname. This is almost always the husband's surname, but there are exceptions - for example, if the wife is from a noble, famous family. However, it is still not the case in Japan that spouses have a double surname or each 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 their 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 often also did not have surnames: it was believed that they had no need, because they were not heirs. The names of girls from aristocratic families often ended in "hime" (meaning "princess"). Samurai wives had names ending in "gozen". They were often addressed by their husband's surname and title. But personal names, both then and now, are used only in close communication. Japanese monks and nuns from the noble classes bore names ending in “in.”

After death, every Japanese person acquires a new name (it is called “kaimyo”). It is written on a sacred wooden tablet called "ihai". A nameplate with a posthumous name is used in burial and memorial rituals, as it is considered to be the embodiment of the spirit of the deceased person. People often acquire kaimyo and ihai u during their lifetime. In the Japanese view, death is not something tragic, but rather one of the stages on the path of the immortal soul.

By learning more about Japanese names and surnames, you can not only learn the basics of the language in a unique way, but also gain a deeper understanding of the philosophy of this people.

The cultural values ​​and centuries-old traditions of Japan remain largely a mystery to us. The country of samurai and man-made civilization is shrouded in a mysterious haze hiding something important from prying eyes. Both first names and surnames are a curious piece of the Japanese language and cultural heritage. They are an integral part of the country’s history and contain many interesting facts. Japanese female names are a separate topic worthy of discussion.

Beautiful Japanese woman

Japanese name base

It is difficult for any representative of Russian-speaking culture to distinguish a Japanese name from a surname. Therefore, you just need to remember that the Japanese call the surname first, then the personal name without a patronymic. In the land of the rising sun, parents name both boys and girls without much difficulty, guided by the dictates of their hearts. At the same time, they rely on cultural traditions, as well as on modern trends in word formation. Names for girls often consist of two parts, one of which can be replaced and given a new meaning.

Written using hieroglyphs, Japanese female names are read differently. The sound will depend on the way you read it.

The Japanese have another one interesting feature. They actively use all kinds of consoles. A curious fact is that the prefix is ​​most often applied to their surnames, and first names are omitted altogether. The meanings of the prefixes are:

• the san prefix is ​​used in combination with the surname for traditionally polite address
• sama - the prefix is ​​added to surnames when addressing high-ranking officials, government members, and representatives of the clergy
• sensei – this prefix is ​​used after the last name when addressing professionals in any direction; for us it evokes associations with Japanese films and means an appeal to martial arts masters
• kun - in combination with the surname it is used in communication with teenagers and subordinates
• chan (chan) - this prefix is ​​added to the personal name when communicating with children, friends or lovers.

It is noteworthy that in Japanese families the following addresses are most often heard: dad and mom, daughter and son, younger brother or younger sister, older brother or older sister. Traditionally, the prefix -chan (-chan) is added to these addresses.

Female names in Japanese

Harmony and simplicity are inherent in Japanese surnames and names. Girls in this amazing country are called abstractly. The beautiful, simple, feminine sound of a female name is interconnected with its meaning: “moon”, “flower”, “bamboo”, “aroma”, “chrysanthemum”, “morning dew”.

Girl's names often contain the following characters: "mi", meaning "beauty" (Fumiko, Harumi, Kazumi, Miyuki), or "ko", meaning "child" (Yumiko, Asako, Maiko, Takao). The character “ko” is not particularly popular among girls, so they often omit it in colloquial speech. Thus, Naoko becomes Nao, and her friends call her Nao-chan.

The following syllables are also very popular:

• ay – love
• ti - mind
• an – calm
• ma - true
• yu – tenderness

They are added, wanting the girl to acquire these qualities over time.

Another type includes Japanese female names with hieroglyphs that mean plants or animals. The syllable with the meaning “crane” is used most often. But “tiger” and “deer” have long gone out of fashion, although their presence signifies good health. Syllables associated with plants are in particular demand:

• Khana – means “flower”
• kiku – chrysanthemum
• ine – rice
• momo - peach
• take – bamboo
• yanagi – willow

Japanese female names with hieroglyphs-numerals are considered quite rare. They are traditionally used in noble families, reflecting birth order. Here are some of them: “nana” means the number seven, “go” means five, “mi” means three, “ti” means a thousand.

It happens that hieroglyphs have the meaning of natural phenomena, seasons, time of day, etc. What an extensive list can be compiled from them! Here are some examples: “natsu” - summer, “kumo” - cloud, “asa” - morning.

In Japanese, beautiful names for girls combined with surnames sound very poetic. They often mean some natural phenomena, or reflect features of landscapes or positive qualities character.

The list of popular names for girls contains those that are currently used in famous animated series, historical chronicles, comics.

Parents often turn to specialists to come up with an unusual, beautiful name for their daughter with a melodic sound and special meaning. The extensive list in the modern Japanese name book, the use of prefixes and the emergence of new hieroglyphs make it almost impossible - female names are rarely repeated. Interestingly, their parliament makes changes to the list of permitted characters in the spelling of names approximately every five years.

No matter how beautiful Japanese female names are, they often choose not classic Japanese ones, but foreign ones that are exotic for their language, for example: Anna, Emiri, Maria, Rina, Rena, etc.

This is interesting

When a Japanese woman gets married, she takes her husband's surname. IN in rare cases it happens the other way around, a man takes his wife’s surname if she is from a very noble family. In their traditions there is no such thing as a double surname.

In the Middle Ages, women did not have surnames at all. It was believed that they simply did not need them, because the girls were not heirs. In aristocratic families, girls were often named with the syllable “hame” at the end, which means “princess” in Japanese. Samurai wives were addressed by their husband's surname and rank, and their personal names ended in "-gozen." The nobility and the monastic class had names ending in “in.”

Examples of popular Japanese names for women

Names are perhaps the most difficult part of the Japanese language. It is almost impossible to list all of their options. According to statistics, the most popular in recent years are:

Ay - indigo, love

Aika - love song

Aiko - child of love

Aimi - I love beauty

Akane – bright red color

Akemi - bright beauty

Aki – autumn, bright, sparkle

Akiko - child of autumn

Akira - clear

Amaterasu - sun goddess

Aoi – blue, mallow

Arisu – Alice

Asami - morning beauty

Asuka - the scent of tomorrow

Atsuko is a kind child

Avaron - island of apples

Aya – colorful, design

Ayaka – flower petals

Ayame - iris flower

Ayano is my color

Ayumi – walking, walking

Azumi – safe living

June - obedient

Junko is an obedient child

Izumi - fountain

Kaori - the scent of weaving

Kaoru - aroma

Kasumi - fog

Katsumi – victory of beauty

Kazue – branch, first blessing

Kazuko – harmonious

Kazumi – harmonious beauty

Kiku – chrysanthemum

Kin - gold

Kiyomi - pure beauty

Kohaku – amber

Kou – happiness

Mayi - dance

Makoto - sincerity

Mana - love

Manami - tender beauty

Masami – elegant beauty

Megumi - blessing

Michi - the way

Midori – green

Minori - truth

Mitsuko - the shining child

Mizuki - beautiful moon

Momo - peach

Moriko - forest child

Naoki - obedient tree

Naomi comes first

Ran – lily, orchid

Rika - a significant scent

Ren - water lily

Fumiko - a child of treasured beauty

Haru – spring, sun

Harumi - spring beauty

Hikaru – shine

Hoshi is a star

Chi - wisdom

Chow - butterfly

Shika - a gentle deer

Shinju - a pearl

Amy is a beautiful blessing

Etsuko is a joyful child

Yasu - calm

Yayoi - spring

Transliteration of the Japanese language causes a lot of speculation and controversy. Therefore, there are many discrepancies in the translations of names. Having become familiar with the basics of the formation of female names in the land of the rising sun, you can not only study their language more deeply, but also become imbued with the philosophy of this mysterious people.

Personal names in Japan are the most difficult area in the Japanese language. Women's names are no exception here. At first, reading the translations, it may seem that there is nothing complicated. In Japanese, the surname is pronounced first, and then the given name. In Russian, as in many Western languages, the name is pronounced first, and then the surname. But believe me, this is the smallest difficulty you encounter when working with Japanese names. Although even such a small thing sometimes confuses people less familiar with Japanese culture.

Japanese culture, and personal names in particular, have undergone dramatic changes over the past hundred years. This also affected the spelling of names and their meaning. New hieroglyphs and signs for writing names were allowed. The last major change dates back to the nineties of the twentieth century. Then the Japanese Parliament amended the list of permitted characters for writing names. In principle, these signs are updated with amendments approximately every five years. But as they say, only a dead language does not change.

Particularly affects modern names the Japanese have changed their attitude towards traditions. If Japan used to be an extremely traditional society, now this is fading away with each generation. Among modern Japanese names for girls, names from Japanese comics - manga - are very popular. Manga is one of the Japanese cultural phenomena, comics touching on the most various topics, both for children and adults. Manga, in essence, is not the usual children's comics, but a rather serious literary and visual work. This cultural phenomenon is known and popular all over the world.

Another difficulty is the transliteration of Japanese names for girls. Transliteration of any language causes a lot of controversy, let alone the language of the land of the rising sun. The Polivanov system is most often used in Russian practice. It was introduced in the thirties of the twentieth century and since then has been a tacitly approved system of transliteration from Japanese to Cyrillic.

Japanese girl names popular in 2009-2011

List of Japanese female names, their spelling and meaning.

Here is a list of Japanese female names collected by our editors. These are, of course, not all possible Japanese female names, but according to statistics, these are the most popular. Japanese names are the most difficult part of the Japanese language and that is why there are so many discrepancies in their translations. Enjoy watching.

Pronunciation Amaterasu

Writing 秋 and 明 and 晶 笃子 and 温子 彩花 and 彩华 彩乃 and 绫乃 顺子 and 纯子 和子 and 一子 后子 and 君子 爱美 and 爱海 雅子 and 昌子 直子 and 尚子 晴 and 春 and 阳 遥 and 遥 and 悠 裕 and 寛 and 浩 裕美 and 浩美 恵美 and 絵美

Name meaning indigo/love love song child of love I love beauty bright red color bright beauty autumn/bright/spark autumn child bright/clear Sun Goddess blue/mallow morning beauty aroma tomorrow kind child apple island colorful/design color-flower/flower petals Iris flower my color/my design pace/walk/walk safe living. obedient obedient child aroma of weaving victory of beauty branch/first blessing harmonious harmonious beauty chrysanthemum honest, noble noble child pure child pure beauty harp sounds happiness/light/peace beautiful baby child of the city circle/flower dancing child meaning/sincerity tender beauty true child of the village elegant child elegant beauty true clarity benefit the world blessing beautiful, wise child beautiful baby beauty of bloom shining child beautiful child of the night beautiful generation child beautiful moon budding hundred blessings forest child obedient/respected obedient tree obedient child first of all, beauty summer beauty lily/orchid lovely child significant aroma water lily child of treasured beauty favorite/flower flower baby spring/sun distance spring tree spring child spring beauty gorgeous child generous/tolerant abundant beauty long-lived child firefly wisdom wise child thousand springs scattered flowers fragrant baby a thousand generations child of a thousand generations long-lived child beautiful blessing/ beautiful baby blessed prize joyful child