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Jun 6, 2024 · Find out how do Japanese names work. Japanese names go family name first, then given name. Most names use meaningful Kanji characters, and women sometimes use Hiragana. Surnames stay the same, while given names hold parents’ hopes and wishes. But there’s so much more to how Japanese names work.
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How do Japanese names work? Japanese people have two names, a surname and a given name. The surname is usually inherited from the father, and women usually change their surname to the husband's upon marriage. In Japanese, the surname comes before the given name. Thus, a person with surname Yamamoto and given name Sanae is referred to as ...
Many scholarly works use the Japanese order with Japanese names in general, and a scholarly work is more likely to use Japanese order if the author specialises in subjects related to or about Japan. John Power wrote that "People who can speak and read Japanese have a strong resistance to switching Japanese names to the Western order."
Naming Conventions. Japanese naming conventions arrange names as follows: [FAMILY NAME] [given name]. For example, YAMAMOTO Yukio (male) and SATŌ Akari (female). The family name (known as ‘ myouji ’ or ‘ ue no namae ’) is inherited patrilineally from one’s father and shared with other siblings. It always comes before the given name.
紬（Tsumugi）Kanji meaning: pongee (a knotted silk cloth) 4. Tied for 4th: 莉子（Riko）Kanji meaning: jasmine+child and 芽依（Mei）Kanji meaning: bud+reliant/depend on. By reading in Hiragana and Romanized (Kanji characters for these names will vary) 1. めい Mei 2.
First names ending with -ro, -shi, -ya, or -o are typically male first names, while names ending in -ko, -mi, -e and -yo are typically female first names. The names of foreigners are usually written in katakana. Titles. The Japanese commonly address each other by last name. Only close friends and children are usually addressed by first name.
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Family Name (Surname) The family name, known as “sei” or “myouji” in Japanese, is the first part of a Japanese name. It holds immense importance as it represents one’s lineage, ancestry, and family heritage. Members of the same family share the same names, indicating a sense of unity and belonging.
