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Maciamo
Aug 29, 2005, 08:29
Like in every languages, there are names that one likes and others not. I haven't thought long about it, but my favourite Japanese surnames include Fujiwara, Murakami, Shimizu, Maruyama and Nakamura. Likewise, those I dislike most include Goto, Kato, Sato, Abe and Kabe (basically the ones with "on" reading; they are shorter and sound too rough).

What about you ?

Kara_Nari
Aug 29, 2005, 08:34
Ooh I love Murakami, Kuchiyama, Kamiyama, Tanaka, Yamada, Tsutsumi, Teramura oh, there are too many to go on with, but I love the long Japanese family names.

deadhippo
Aug 29, 2005, 08:41
i like ohara
its an irish name too

xerxes99
Aug 29, 2005, 08:48
<- Mifune!

Rio Lee
Aug 29, 2005, 09:35
For some weird reason I really likethis family name : Kusanagi.

kirei_na_me
Aug 29, 2005, 09:49
I don't like mine because it's too popular. I was used to having a unique surname before I married, and one I liked. Sometimes, I wish I had kept my maiden name.

Elizabeth
Aug 29, 2005, 10:30
Saito, Mori, Morita, Ueno, Ueda, Yamanaka, Imai....no real pattern, but especially the first five. The others it's mostly due to their owners I've known. :-)

Uncle Frank
Aug 29, 2005, 10:35
it will always be Hashimoto, (Yoshiko) burned into my heart forever!

Frank

:love:

Mars Man
Aug 29, 2005, 10:56
Wow,...Good question there. I'd have to say that for me too there are a good number of names I like, but maybe I get some special ringing inside--like Frank--when I hear 'Matsuzawa'.

Actually I seldom use family names,even here in Japan. As long as those I know and meet--and of course all my students--agree to my using their first names, I use their name.

One professor here at the uni has a very unusual family name: Chouki

Pachipro
Aug 29, 2005, 13:11
Hosoda, Sawada, and especially Tomoyori, as these were women who will always have a special place in my life's memories.

Other names I find cool that come to mind: Kawaguchi (mouth of the river) and Nakayama (middle of the mountain). There are others but I can't think of themm off hand. I always liked Japanese surnames as they always depicted nature. Much like the American Indian names.

White Comet
Aug 29, 2005, 15:01
Kusumoto and Kikuchi sound cool to me

MeAndroo
Aug 29, 2005, 16:23
I like my last name. It's rather prominent in Okinawa and rather than openly advertise it myself, i'll just say its kanji means "jewel castle."

blade_bltz
Aug 30, 2005, 01:00
Kuwamoto, Kawasaki, Katsuragi. I don't really mind the short ones though, like Goto or Sato.

kirei_na_me
Aug 30, 2005, 01:45
I like my last name. It's rather prominent in Okinawa and rather than openly advertise it myself, i'll just say its kanji means "jewel castle."

Yeah, I didn't want to publicly disclose mine either, even though some people like Maciamo know it. Mine means something like "village in or near an open field". I just know it's something to do with a village and a field.

pika la
Aug 30, 2005, 02:17
I like my future name: Morita  森田

I love the forest so much.. so the "mori" part really couldn't be any greater.

I also like the sounds of: Inoue, Haruyama, Sawada, and Sugaya

Kinsao
Aug 31, 2005, 19:09
I like Matsushima. I have no idea if it really means it, but it still makes me think of island with pine trees... :-)

Rich303
Aug 31, 2005, 19:21
My penpal's surname is Shinotsuka. I had never heard this name before.

Her first name is Harumi which means 'clear sky'

misa.j
Aug 31, 2005, 20:51
I always hated my maiden name, it means "under the mountain", seems like it's a name for where goblins or little monsters live and sounds kind of stupid.

My cousin had a cool sounding name Kouno which means "river and field".

Rich303
Aug 31, 2005, 21:04
Sorry, I know this is surnames but;
I met at a lady from NHK Washington called Kaori which means 'fragrance'. I was going to joke with her and call her 'smell', but I thought I should wait until she knew me better.
I've heard this name before, the girl in Akira (and I'm not an Anime buff!)

Does anyone know what Ayumi means,please?

Mamoru-kun
Aug 31, 2005, 21:19
I personnally like "Nobunaga" (because of the strenght it inspire), and "Omata"...because it's my wife's name, and because of its meaning (小俣 - for the one who understand ;-))

kirei_na_me
Aug 31, 2005, 21:21
My sister-in-law's name is Kaori, and when they were visiting, lots of people around here couldn't pronounce it, and wound up calling her what sounded like "Coyote". :p

Rich303
Aug 31, 2005, 21:37
We should introduce her to my cousin,Roadrunner. His parents liked a drink,apparently

misa.j
Aug 31, 2005, 21:47
Does anyone know what Ayumi means,please?
The one I can think of is "walking". Depending on which kanji are used, there might be a different meaning, though.

Here is an interesting site for Japanese names.
http://www2.gol.com/users/billp/students/kanjiname/

Minxie
Sep 1, 2005, 00:22
I like Totoki... only because its my moms maiden name, and also because you don't hear it often anymore.

Maciamo
Sep 1, 2005, 09:38
I noticed that many people have replied that they like one name because it is the name of people they know (and like). I think this typically happens when people have to choose a given name for their baby. It doesn't just happen with people which one knows personally, but maybe even more with celebrities, historical or mythical figures. It's amazing how Biblical (i.e. originally Jewish) names have become common in Western countries once the Roman Empire got Christianised. Ever since the Middle Ages, names like John, Mary, Peter, James, Paul, etc. have been used massively by people of all classes from royalty to peasants, in all European languages.

Funny (but natural) that people should react the same way for family names.

But personally I react differently. I rarely ever think of people I know when I think whether I like a name or not, because:

1) I have known different people who share the same first name which I eithe like and dislike very much.

2) People who share my (given or family) name are completely different from me.

3) Being a history buff, I can think of dozens of extremely different people for some given names, which effectively neutralises any feeling I may associate with that name (and all names as a result).

So, when I say that I like this or that name, I base it on purely esthetic (or phonetic) criteria, or on the meaning of the name. That7s why I have long had a liking for unusual (Western) given names, and don't mind creating new names to match my tastes. That is one think I like with Internet nicknames, as we can choose a new name which is neither inherited by law, nor decided by our parents. I think that in future societies, people should be able to decide (maybe once and for all) what their name should be. One thing I like about British and US legislation is that they give that choice to people, while in most other countries in the world, it is extremely difficult to change one's name, takes a long time and costs a lot of money.

Ma Cherie
Sep 1, 2005, 09:50
I happen to like the name Yamaguchi, cause it seems so common and it was the first japanese name I ever read. :p I can't really say that the reason why I like the name Yamaguchi is because I know people with that name. I also like the name Fumie, even it's not a last name. :blush:

Flashjeff
Sep 5, 2005, 00:03
My vote's for Nemoto and Masuda, which just so happen to be the family names of the two lovely ladies to your left! Heh!
:-) :blush: :cute: :love: :winklove:

Limonette
Sep 5, 2005, 10:38
I love making up names too, Maciamo. I have tons of nicknames that other people on the internet have given me or that I make up myself, and variations of them. We make a game of it sometimes.

My favorite Japanese names are sometimes the ones of the J- people I'm fond of like Kurosawa, Mifune, Mishima, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, but I also love the name 'Ryuichi' because it's fun to say. Names with 'ichi' sound cute to me too. Motoki is cute too. Gotaro sounds more masculine, and sort of like a cool monster. The interesting thing about it is that I don't have preconceived ideas about most Japanese names, not knowing what they mean, or having any sort of connotations about them from knowing people with those names, so alot of is strictly the aesthetic sound, or feeling of it. I actually have been thinking alot about this stuff, so it's a great topic.

Limonette
Sep 5, 2005, 10:58
Of course the coolest name of all is: KATO

ok so he's a Japanese guy played by a Chinese guy, but in this case I don't care - it's Bruce Lee!!! (Kato I'm told is a plain name, but not for me)

Harvey
Sep 5, 2005, 13:43
I liek 鬼頭 KITOU.

DEVILS HEAD.

And there really are people with this name!

Maciamo
Sep 5, 2005, 16:31
I liek 鬼頭 KITOU.

DEVILS HEAD.

And there really are people with this name!

I have never heard that name, but a Google search confirmed that some people are named like that. It's weird as a court ruled a few years ago that some parents couldn't name their child "Akuma" (悪魔, which means "evil spirit"), but some entire families are allowed to use the name 鬼頭. That's really weird.

ghostpainter
Sep 8, 2005, 00:04
What I like most is the sound we make, when we say a name. So I like "Kagura(神楽)", best.

Chipi
Sep 8, 2005, 15:59
Hmm. Is there actually a website about Japanese surnames?
It would be interesting to read about the meanings and backgrounds of different names (i.e. some family names belong traditionally to farmer family, samurai family, etc.)

Maciamo
Sep 8, 2005, 16:35
Hmm. Is there actually a website about Japanese surnames?
It would be interesting to read about the meanings and backgrounds of different names (i.e. some family names belong traditionally to farmer family, samurai family, etc.)

I have searched about this, but there doesn't seem to be any particular name from samurai families, as the same names have been taken by ordinary people at the Meiji Restoration (http://www.wa-pedia.com/glossary/meiji_restoration.shtml). Farmers didn't have family names before Meiji.

If you want the meaning of names, it's quite easy; just look up the kanji in an online dictionary like this one (http://www.wa-pedia.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=9083).

There aren't so many Japanese family names because the number of kanji that can be used is limited by law. It is the same for given names, but even more for surnames as they almost exclusively use geographic features and adjectives. What is more, two adjectives (e.g. 大 + 高) cannot be combined, so the total of family names possible is further limited to combination between the "geographic feature" group and the "adjective" group, or 2 geographic features together (though it doesn't work with all).

I can hardly think about more than 30 geographic features used in surnames, plants and villages included :

川 : river
橋 : bridge
井 : well
田 : rice paddy
原 : plain
野 : field
土 : earth
藤 : wisteria
菊 : chrysanthemum
松 : pine tree
杉 : Japanese cedar
桜 : cherry tree
林 : woods, copse
森 : forest
岡 : hill
山 : mountain
池 : pond
沼 : swamp, lake
沢 : swamp, marsh
堀 : moat, canal
江 : inlet, bay
崎 : promontory
滝 : waterfall
石 : stone
岩 : rock
谷 : valley
浜 : beach
島 : island
村 : village
里 : small village
寺 : temple


As for adjectives, the most common are probably these ones (note that the 2 first are not adjectives, but act as such as they do not mean anything by themselves) :

本 : origin
口 : mouth, entry
高 : high
大 : big
子 : small
中 : middle
上 : above
下 : under
富 : rich
細 : narrow
広 : broad
長 : long
永 : eternal
丸 : round
黒 : black
白 : white
青 : green, blue
吉 : good
福 : lucky

Interestingly, some of the most common names are some kind of exceptions :

All the names that use the "ON reading" :

斉藤 : Saitou
佐藤 or 左藤 : Satou
伊藤 : Itou
武藤 : Mutou
加藤 : Katou
後藤 : Gotou

The "-tou" suffix always means "wisteria", but the prefix doesn't really mean anything. I heard that these are descendants or partisans of the Fujiwara (藤原) clan, and that the prefix was used to differentiate the various branches, maybe by regional location based on the old feudal domain names. E.g. 武 (Musashi) in West Tokyo, 伊 for either 伊予 (Iyo = Ehime prefecture) or 伊賀 (Iga, in Kansai).

渡辺 : Watanabe => across the area (?)
佐々木 : Sasaki => ?
鈴木 : Suzuki => bell tree (strange name)
佐賀 : Saga => Probably from the region's name.
三宅 : Miyake => three houses

Chipi
Sep 8, 2005, 16:40
thank you Maciamo :)

As soon as I can print that out I will. Useful and interesting information, and also educational!

Jack
Sep 9, 2005, 19:30
i've always liked the names Hideo and Taka,

Maciamo
Sep 10, 2005, 19:12
I have made an article from my post above about the kanji used in Japanese surnames and added more info => http://www.wa-pedia.com/language/japanese_surnames.shtml

Flashjeff
Sep 10, 2005, 19:26
I happen to like the name Yamaguchi, cause it seems so common and it was the first japanese name I ever read. :p I can't really say that the reason why I like the name Yamaguchi is because I know people with that name. I also like the name Fumie, even it's not a last name. :blush:

Ma Cherie: I don't know how old you are, or even if you've ever heard of her, but perhaps the most famous person named Yamaguchi is her:

http://www.geocities.com/jpopakina/ymphoto/ym01.jpg

Say hello to Momoe Yamaguchi, one of the most legendary J-Pop idols from the 1970's. She was a superstar singer and actress who was incredibly popular back in the day. She retired at the peak of her career to marry a co-star from one of her movies in 1980 and never looked back as she's now a devoted mother to two sons who's perfectly content to be a wife and parent and has rebuffed all requests to make a comeback. Just thought you'd be interested.

:-)

yuuto
Sep 14, 2005, 03:25
@ KINSAO :
==> me too ... Matsushima is my favorite touristic site to Japan.
To bad I can't insert any MatSUSHIma pix in that message. I took a lot of Photos : Matsushima's hanabi with party on grass near the sea, the boat with dragon bow ...
@ FLASHJEFF :
how do you do to insert your pictures??
MatSUSHIma is a very nice name, with SUSHI , wouaw ==> Totemo oishiiiiii ... quick to kaiten Zuchi...

my favorite Japanese surname ==> OIKAWA
@ GHOSTPAINTER :
what do you think about the sound we make, when we say that name??

I don't like very much the first name ==> Chiho.

Cheerio.

budd
Sep 14, 2005, 05:38
kamizono cause she was the first to diss me and in the process taught me one of the cornerstones of japanese culture
also cause of what it means
and also cause it's the name of the neighborhood of where it happened as well

Flashjeff
Sep 14, 2005, 17:29
@ FLASHJEFF :
how do you do to insert your pictures??


It's the same as for inserting quotes:
your url

Easy as pie!

:-)

Tsuyoiko
Sep 14, 2005, 19:17
One thing I like about British and US legislation is that they give that choice to people, while in most other countries in the world, it is extremely difficult to change one's name, takes a long time and costs a lot of money.
It is very easy to change your name in the UK. You just fill a form in and pay GBP30. When my friend got divorced and became a Christian she changed her name as a symbol of her new life. A lot of people thought it was strange and unnecessary, but I think names can say a lot about people, and I think Grace changed for the better when she changed her name. I'm lucky that I like the name my parents gave me. I never liked my maiden name because I got picked on, but I like my married name as it has a 'y' on the end and I can do a funky loop in my signature!

Japanese names I like are Kitano and Kaneshiro for surnames because I like the actors with those names, and forenames I like are Takeshi, Tetsuya and Akira for boys (they just sound nice) and Hoshi, Akiko, Hanako and Sakura, both for the meanings and how they sound. If I have a daughter I might call her Hanako, I like it, and my nan was called Hannah, which is too common. Mind you, I haven't heard a Japanese name I don't like. They all sound beautiful to me.

Duo
Sep 14, 2005, 19:46
eh names, ummmmmm i dont know much but kitano sounds cool or iwasaku names that sound a bit masculine like that ......... for proper names my fave is kenshin, i think it just sounds so damm nice

yuuto
Sep 15, 2005, 18:46
@ FLASHJEFF
What a pity !! I can't load pix from URL .
loading from my hard disc is not possible because the picture is too big!!
my pix is 94 kb and 1024 x 768 > 700 x 700

yuuto
Sep 15, 2005, 20:07
the pictures didn't open automatically

nurizeko
Sep 15, 2005, 22:10
...Fumie...

My girlfriends got a friend with that name, but she doesnt like her much :S.


I like Hagiwara, because i knew someone with that last name

I like Katsumoto to.

And Watanabe, and Arai, and Imagawa sounds cool.

As for first names, Saori is nice, kaori is also pretty i think.

I dont have much experience with japanese names so i dont really have much to base a list of ones i like.

Dutch Baka
Sep 17, 2005, 00:04
I happen to like the name Yamaguchi, cause it seems so common and it was the first japanese name I ever read. :p I can't really say that the reason why I like the name Yamaguchi is because I know people with that name. I also like the name Fumie, even it's not a last name. :blush:


mmm when i think of yamaguchi i think of course about the yakusa...


i like my wife's familie name: TERAO

misa.j
Sep 17, 2005, 00:59
It's weird as a court ruled a few years ago that some parents couldn't name their child "Akuma" (悪魔, which means "evil spirit")
I remember that, thinking what a horrible name for a child. The parents were pretty angry when they were told to rename their child. The father got arrested later on for posession and use of illegal substance.

In contrary, there was a boy who could change his name "Tanaka Kakuei" to something else, when Tanaka Kakuei(ex-prime minister, also was convicted for accepting over $ 2 million in bribes) was being tried.

studyonline
Sep 18, 2005, 00:50
I was just thinking of that incident, too. It was a quite big news though anything can be "big" so fast and easily in Japan.

Such a parent indeed. Considering the bully in schools is one of the big problems in Japan, I am glad that they seriously took care of the case pretty quickly.

I wonder if someone tried to name a kid "Tenshi"?? Just a thought.

Maciamo
Sep 18, 2005, 01:01
i like my wife's familie name: TERAO

Pretty rare name. Is it written 寺尾 ?

Mikawa Ossan
Sep 18, 2005, 16:42
My favorite surname would have to be 長 (Osa).

Kintaro
Sep 20, 2005, 10:08
Fans of Hikaru no Go will weep when they realize that Waya is not a Japanese name.

Waya** (i.e. Wayama)
**waya (i.e. Iwaya)
**waya** (bleh)
But not "Waya".

This apparently comes from a survey of 70+% of households... 100,808 names on the search engine... http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~suzakihp/index40.html

Besides, it's not like I care, it makes me like the name even more. Sounds native, but it isn't.

jasminekumi
Oct 17, 2005, 01:09
i like kimura... common and easy

Pierrot le Fou
Oct 17, 2005, 16:18
There is a list of accepted kanji characters for use in names (specifically given names). One actress/talento/j-idol/whatever she was named her kid 'ichigo' (strawberry) but had to do it in Katakana because the kanji hadn't been approved. This year it was approved for use, and apparently she was pretty miffed.

My favourite name of all time has to be 酒井 (sakai) with 酒 meaning 'alcohol' and 井 meaning 'well.' And quite frankly, how can you top the 'liquor well' family? It makes me regret I was not born under better circumstances.

Many of the pre-Meiji names are three-kanji names. For instance, 中小路 (nakakoji, fukuoka area) or 西小路 (nishikoji, kyoto area) or 長谷川 (hasegawa) or 五十𣘺 (isozumi, I may have the last kanji wrong). I'm sure there are more, and I'm not sure if other three-kanji names like 佐々木 (sasaki) or 鈴木 (suzuki) fall into the same category...

celtician
Oct 19, 2005, 12:09
I like Terao (just for the sound and the 'R' is pronounced almost correctly in this case) and Koizumi because this is such a nice person HA HA!

voica
Nov 29, 2005, 05:50
I very much like the names containing kami or mori, because of their meaning.

Could you please post the meanings of the names you post, because I am very interested in this and I don't know whereelse could I find them. Thank you.

-rika- shinya`
Dec 30, 2005, 15:08
terachi! ^^ i really like surnames which has um.. just 3 parts(i don't know how you call it sorry)..i think they're really nice .and those which ends with -i. they sound a little more delicate somehow

Daleth
Jan 14, 2006, 10:43
I like...

Hideto, Kira, Soube, Niimura, Satsuki, Yamashita, Yasumari... and muuch others.

Tsukimiya
Jan 14, 2006, 11:41
I like Toshikiyo (歳清) .. yeah.. haha.. xD

Maciamo
Jan 14, 2006, 19:21
I like Toshikiyo (歳清) .. yeah.. haha.. xD

Wouldn't that be a given name ?

budd
Jan 20, 2006, 09:52
kamizono
name of the first girl ever to dis me completely for forever :)
made me smarter though (i hope :D)
fond memories...

Timsan
Jan 23, 2006, 04:55
kondo is my fav, or kojima

Jack
Feb 1, 2006, 19:22
kamizono
name of the first girl ever to dis me completely for forever :)
made me smarter though (i hope :D)
fond memories...
its weird i remember the first person to dis me aswell, but this person wasn't japanese they were Albanian, well anyhow Nakata is good name, like the footballer and like the film director.

Child_prey
Feb 9, 2006, 18:28
Takarai is very nice.

Caith
Feb 15, 2006, 03:52
Koshikawa

and

Kurata

^-^

godppgo
Feb 15, 2006, 04:15
I thought 犬養 (いぬかい) is kinda interesting.... must have gone through a rough childhood with that name.

komikado
Feb 18, 2006, 13:06
I like mine: KOMIKADO though I don't know what it means. Can anyone help? I also like my other family name since to me it sounds strong: SHIGUEMATSU. I think it is more common but no clue of the meaning either.

nurizeko
Feb 18, 2006, 15:55
My favorate it just bland old everyday: HAGIWARA
Its my fave because its my girlfriends last name, and the family name of her family, great bunch, and it pained me soooo much having to leave them, infact i best not get into it too much, i'll end up teary eyed again. :(

The first girl ever to "dis" me was called Stacey Robson, ah, to be young again,she was from new zealand and stuff, my first girlfriend so you can emagine we both were destined to mess-up with our raging in-experience and teenage hormones and psychological state. :blush:

Yeah, i thought it was like, total real love, aahhhh the foolishness of youth, i guess im lucky i found my real love at the age of 18 after some pretty painful experiences before.

Maybe compacting the dating aroung thing into my mid teens was a major contributing factor but, hey, i can live with it if at 20 im already firmly emplaced with my soulmate. :p lol

oni_dori
Mar 9, 2006, 04:38
i personally like Ishikawa (sorry dont know the kanji for it). it means "stony river" and is my girlfriends surname. ya, i know i might be a little biast, but still, i liked it when i first met her long before we became a couple. i dont know how common the name is, i had never remembered hearing it before i met her, that could be one of the reasons i liked it.

yuuto
Mar 11, 2006, 05:57
My favorate is OIKAWA ... that's means a river

neko9
Mar 13, 2006, 00:21
Takahashi, Ito, Sato, Watanabe, Kobayashi, Nakamura, Tanaka, Inoue, Maeda, Matsuo, Nakajima is cool... :cool:
and Aburakoji, Higa, Anenokoji, Kujo, Jimyoin, Askikaga, Nanba, Kaoin, Abe, Reizei, Kudo, Rokujochigusa is not... :p

PsychoticNess
Mar 15, 2006, 06:34
I don't know many surnames... I like Sagawa and Takeshi.

For given names I really like the names Kyoko and Megumi

Shikei
Mar 28, 2006, 02:52
I tend to like longer names in general, but one of my favourite surnames is 滝 (Taki) because it sounds so pretty ^^ And it means waterfall, so its got a pretty meaning too!

Endsight61
Mar 28, 2006, 06:24
Takarai is very nice.
I agree, as well as Akechi and Ishimoto:win:

Harvey
Mar 29, 2006, 23:03
I like MIMBU 民部

Matthew Ota
Apr 13, 2006, 19:07
I like mine (Ota) because it is ancient and uses basic kanji characters

dangdaga
Apr 21, 2006, 02:55
kamizono cause she was the first to diss me and in the process taught me one of the cornerstones of japanese culture
also cause of what it means
and also cause it's the name of the neighborhood of where it happened as well
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2379/60158873350587yb.jpg

Hanneesh
Apr 23, 2006, 05:36
i like Tanaka, Yamada and hattori Hanzo. Kawazaki has a ring to it as well. Oh! and Arakawa. She won gold in the figure skating of the winter olympics. Her first name is cool as well. Shizuka. Actually that is the coolest Japanese name. Shizuka Arakawa. Try saying it in a deep voice. SHIZUKA ARAKAWA!

ftw
Jun 5, 2006, 16:22
wakayama, tashiro, nagata,

MCSama VII
Jun 21, 2006, 10:00
I'd have to say I pretty much like all of them....Miyamoto is a good strong yet flowing name. I like the name Shuuhei as a given name. It sounds cool.

Japan4evaWu
Jul 3, 2006, 06:04
I currently live in the US (Bayport Minnesota to be exact) hopefully I will be moving to Japan sooner rather then later...where was I? ok so ya I love all the names I don't know many because I havn't been able to see so many only the ones of sports teams and the credits of anime and japanese movies, I just love to say tha names eee-CHEE-ROW... and MATSUI CHOP (chop meaning swing) So Tadihito CHOP MATSUI...something like that OH JAPAN...Damn i wish there now...ahh PEACE:blush: :bluush:

suqin
Jul 25, 2006, 18:10
Hi,everyone,
I feel all japanese name always link with natural or the place beside them...the names are easy to remember and interesting:cool:
Yaya

Damicci
Aug 3, 2006, 06:50
yamasaki:love:
kazama
miturugi
himekawa
yamaguchi

to name a few.

Checker
Aug 3, 2006, 17:33
I really like the surname Kusanagi. It sounds cool and its from an anime (ghost in the shell).

jaytee
Aug 9, 2006, 06:17
I have a mate who's name is proper class, her surname is 'Sasakura', ’ささくら’it sounds mint, and i'm going to hunt a Sasakura down and marry her. haha

Kyoko_desu
Aug 9, 2006, 06:52
Originally Posted by sugin
I feel all japanese name always link with natural or the place beside them.
Not all of them are related to nature but many do for sure.:-)
For Example:
Yamada (mountain and rice field), Kawatani (river and valley), Matsumoto (under the pine tree), Ishino (stone and field)

By the way, I don't think anyone mentioned the surname I have here because it's not very common, hehehe.

yamada
Aug 22, 2006, 22:52
i like Tanaka, Yamada and hattori Hanzo. Kawazaki has a ring to it as well. Oh! and Arakawa. She won gold in the figure skating of the winter olympics. Her first name is cool as well. Shizuka. Actually that is the coolest Japanese name. Shizuka Arakawa. Try saying it in a deep voice. SHIZUKA ARAKAWA!

Shizuka is also known as a girl friend of Nobita.

cacawate
Aug 22, 2006, 23:07
I like Nakajima.

Yuki_Eiri
Aug 24, 2006, 03:38
I like....
Sakuma
Kamiya
Asakura
Tanaka
Natsume
Yuki
Chikamoto
& soooo many more :-) !

Thingamabob
Aug 24, 2006, 04:44
I know so many Nakahamas, and Nakamuras.

I know these two people:
Rachel Nakahama and Rachel Nakamura......

So cofuddding!!!

Kyoko_desu
Aug 24, 2006, 06:20
I know so many Nakahamas, and Nakamuras.
I know these two people: Rachel Nakahama and Rachel Nakamura......
So cofuddding!!!

Yeah, there are soooooo many Japanese names that start with "naka".
Nakano, Nakama, Nakatani, Nakane, Nakamachi, Nakata, Nakanishi, Nakamori, Nakabayashi, Nakasone....etc.etc....:haihai:

ricecake
Aug 24, 2006, 07:30
A bit off-topic ...


I have a question on Japanese surnames,don't know if anyone here can answer it for me.

Can Japanese trace family roots to a specific geographic region based on their surname ?

I've studied both Korean and Chinese surnames,am fully understand of their places of origination and sources ( heritage /tribe/ethnicity ) of origin.

caster51
Aug 25, 2006, 23:51
Can Japanese trace family roots to a specific geographic region based on their surname ?

it depends on name.


hata(秦) clan....they changed 羽田、畠、畠山 、畑田、波多野.....so on
they are related with 秦皇帝( china or middle east?)

ricecake
Aug 26, 2006, 05:50
it depends on name.

hata(秦) clan....they changed to 羽田、畠、畠山 、畑田、波多野.....so on
they are related with 秦皇帝 ( china )



Is there is a comprehensive published book on Japanese surnames available on commercial market or on the internet I can access to ?

Aren't majority native Japanese surnames related to nature or sort of,can you trace one's family roots to a geographical region in Japan islands other than Korea and China ? Do you have examples ?


Off-Topic ....

I see,Hata clan's ancestors were Chinese immigrants sailed to Japan islands during China's Qin Dynasty,not necessarily mean they were blood related to the Emperor of Qin who recordedly commissioned Xu Fu an expedition with several thousand Chinese children in searching of " immortal medicines " and landed on today's Kyushu Island some 2500-2600 years ago.

ricecake
Aug 26, 2006, 06:33
hata(秦) clan....they changed 羽田、畠、畠山 、畑田、波多野 .....



Do you have Japanese romanji transcription for these surnames ?

caster51
Aug 26, 2006, 10:35
hata(秦) clan....they changed 羽田(hata)、畠(hata)、畠山(hatakeyama) 、畑田(hatada)、波多野(hatano) .....


八田(hatta) and shimazu(島津)clan
Shimazu kamon

http://www2.harimaya.com/simazu/cg/10zi_hud.jpg

http://kodai-musashigaku.m.mepage.jp/newpage28.htm

畠 and 畑 are not from chinese characters
these characters were made in japan

田 means rice field ,you know.

+ and ○

I think they were
http://f17.aaa.livedoor.jp/~kmaz/keikyo/keikyou-hi.htm
Nestorianism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorianism


Aren't majority native Japanese surnames related to nature or sort of,can you trace one's family roots to a geographical region in Japan islands other than Korea and China ? Do you have examples ?

if I see my 家紋(kamon) and ask it to family temple that we are supporting, we could find a roots...

There is ancestor's career in the temple, Kyoto is called Uzumasa(太秦)
Roma empire in kanji is (大秦帝国)

ricecake
Aug 26, 2006, 10:49
Errr .... you're not making any sense,don't trash this thread with religious affiliations.

Kyoko_desu
Aug 27, 2006, 07:57
Originally Posted by ricecake
Can Japanese trace family roots to a specific geographic region based on their surname ? Although such names as Hasegawa, Sato, Suzuki, Tanaka, and Yamamoto are widely spreaded all around Japan, you could figure out where some people come from by their family names.
For instance:
We have loooots of Niimi's (新美) in my city but the people from other cities say they hardly ever see such a strange name. I remember when I visited my friend in Kyuushuu, I saw whole bunch of Koga's (古賀) there.

I have been looking for a site that shows the location of the particular family names here in Japan and finally found one although the site is all written in Japanese.


都道府県の特徴的苗字一覧 (http://homepage1.nifty.com/forty-sixer/bunpu2.htm)
There you see a list of all the prefectures in Japan. Click one and you will see family names that can be found alot in that district.

I randomly clicked Kumamoto Prefecture and found this family name Akahoshi (赤星) and decided to ask Akahoshi-san in my neighbourhood if he or his ancestors are from Kumamoto Pref. and it was Bingo! He said his father was born and raised in Kumamoto.:-)

Mike Cash
Aug 27, 2006, 09:09
I recently heard a family name that struck me as unique and interesting:

延命

ricecake
Aug 27, 2006, 10:39
Kyoko-san .... :heyhey: :-)

arigatou gosaimasu :thankyou:

I've bookmarked the link,will work on it with internet language translation site.My interest and research on East Asian surnames can't be complete without Japanese portion.

Your provided examples shed some light,I can continue on with this basis.

ricecake
Aug 28, 2006, 09:25
Does anyone here have a list of Japanese surnames pertain to Ainu heritage,my enquiring mind wanting to know ?



off-topic ...

My best friend's last name is a rare compound Chinese surname Mu-Rong,it can trace family roots to ancient Mongol Xien-Bei Nomadic clan once roamed northern half of old Manchuria.

caster51
Aug 29, 2006, 23:22
伴(ban) was the defeated soldier fleeing the enemy of 平(Taira) clan
it means ppl of Taira (人+平)

caster51
Aug 29, 2006, 23:28
a fyunny surname is 小鳥遊(takanashi,高梨.)
there is no hawk(taka、鷹).

Kyoko_desu
Aug 30, 2006, 04:41
Hey, I was browsing the site (http://homepage1.nifty.com/forty-sixer/insyou.htm) I linked for ricecake-san the other day and found these funny family names 百足( むかで) and 鼻毛(はなげ). The first one means a centipede and the second one is nostril hair. Now they are definitely my fav. Japanese family names!
:lol:

ricecake
Aug 30, 2006, 09:19
Here is one three-character Japanese surname Ikarashi,I find uncommon.:-)

epigene
Aug 30, 2006, 10:28
Here is one three-character Japanese surname Ikarashi,I find uncommon.:-)
If you mean 五十嵐 , it's read "Igarashi."

My maiden name is an unusual three-character name, but I'm not telling... :emblaugh:

ricecake
Aug 31, 2006, 05:18
If you mean 五十嵐 , it's read " Igarashi ".

My maiden name is an unusual three-character name, but I'm not telling... :emblaugh:


Oh,I see ... thanks for the spelling correction.:note:

There is one very interesting four-character Japanese surname literally means August 1,written as " 8 month 1 day " in Kanji.The site where I spotted it has no translation,I like to know how it's written in Romanji.

epigene
Sep 1, 2006, 23:28
Oh,I see ... thanks for the spelling correction.:note:
There is one very interesting four-character Japanese surname literally means August 1,written as " 8 month 1 day " in Kanji.The site where I spotted it has no translation,I like to know how it's written in Romanji.

There are 3 variations to read 八月一日 which, if not a name, is read "hachigatsu tsuitachi"
(a) Hassaku
(b) Hozumi
(c) Yabumi

Source: http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~suzakihp/index40.html

ricecake
Sep 2, 2006, 13:37
There are 3 variations to read 八月一日

(a) Hassaku
(b) Hozumi
(c) Yabumi



Your time is appreciated :thankyou:

What's the explanation for the spelling variables,different pronounciation in regional Japanese dialects ?

I can't explain it,all those 3 and 4 character Japanese surnames fascinate me.We have several compound surnames,either belong to our nomadic brethren or have origin of court official ranking in ancient times.

epigene
Sep 2, 2006, 17:38
Your time is appreciated :thankyou:
What's the explanation for the spelling variables,different pronounciation in regional Japanese dialects ?
I can't explain it,all those 3 and 4 character Japanese surnames fascinate me.We have several compound surnames,either belong to our nomadic brethren or have origin of court official ranking in ancient times.

I think the reading "Hassaku" comes from 八朔 which is the first day of August in the lunar calendar (I think), which is a special day for festivities praying for a good harvest. It is also the name of a citrus fruit grown in Hiroshima (probably because it ripens around that period?).

"Hozumi" I have read somewhere that it probably comes from 穂+摘む , meaning "picking ears" of rice, which probably started around lunar Aug. 1.

"Yazumi" I can only guess is a variation of "Hozumi" because the kanji 八 can be read "ya".

There are books on the history of Japanese names if you go to Japanese bookstores, but I've never read them. From what I know, some are aristocratic names linked to the Imperial family, some are of samurai origin, and many are names derived from geographical locations and localities, such as names of regions or descriptions like "middle of rice field," "on the sunny side of a certain mountain," etc.

ricecake
Sep 3, 2006, 03:12
There are books on the history of Japanese names if you go to Japanese bookstores,but I've never read them.From what I know,some are aristocratic names linked to the Imperial family,some are of samurai origin, and many are names derived from geographical locations and localities,such as names of regions or descriptions like "middle of rice field," "on the sunny side of a certain mountain," etc.



Good,I now have you confirmed there are published Japanese books on history of Japanese surnames available on commercial market.There is one Kinokuniya bookstore in the area,I can go there check it out if one in stock.

My 600-page Chinese language copy on " Chinese common family names " has zero reference to Japanese or cross-reference to Japanese as a source or origin,however ton load of entries for ancient northern Nomadic hordes and Korean plus other Asia continental indigenous peoples on certain Chinese surnames adopted by them or trans-literated or chopped-off version of original multi-syllabic tribal names,etc.

Once again,thanks for taking the time answered my questions.

epigene
Sep 3, 2006, 03:27
Good,I now have you confirmed there are published Japanese books on history of surnames available on commercial market.
There is one Kinokuniya bookstore in the area,I can go there check it out if one in stock.
Once again,thanks for your time answering my questions.
Well, I meant "Japanese" books--meaning in the Japanese language. I've never seen anything comprehensive written in English.

ricecake
Sep 3, 2006, 03:39
Well, I meant "Japanese" books--meaning in the Japanese language. I've never seen anything comprehensive written in English.



As long as those Japanese surnames and references are written in Kanji,I should do ok.Well,I will make a trip to Kinokuniya and flip through the pages myself see if I can comprehend it.

One local bookstore I frequent has good supplier sources in Taiwan,I can have the owner special order it for me if there is a Chinese translated version which I doubt it.

vbarajas
Oct 19, 2006, 08:48
i like Murakami...its my husbands last name :cool:

yuuto
Oct 20, 2006, 02:40
about your new husband's name ... is it cool too ??

RukaNightmare
Jan 17, 2007, 12:20
is there a surname yagami?? If there is i quite like it!!

dark_secrester
Jan 17, 2007, 21:14
Any surname which is longer than 3 phonetics. Anything shorter than that is a bit rough to the voice.
Kikuchi and Kobayashi are probably my favourite. I guess Kobayashi is the favourable. My best friend, who is English, has that as her surname (She is English but her family came over sometime in 1950s so they are as English as anyone. I'm just used to hearing the name Kobayashi... :-) Not that we are going out or anything.... :blush: )

quote from above: is there a surname yagami?? If there is i quite like it!!

There probably is... If there were too many 'miyamoto's you would get confused, but the Japanese don't seem to have a problem, so I guess there is... :)

Homerduff
Jan 18, 2007, 00:15
these are the ones I like. I learned some of them by watching jdorama..

- Misora
- Takagi
- Nakata
- Yamada
- Hanafusa

I_Love_Yusuke
Feb 6, 2007, 10:34
Like in every languages, there are names that one likes and others not. I haven't thought long about it, but my favourite Japanese surnames include Fujiwara, Murakami, Shimizu, Maruyama and Nakamura. Likewise, those I dislike most include Goto, Kato, Sato, Abe and Kabe (basically the ones with "on" reading; they are shorter and sound too rough).
What about you ?

Wow, that sounds harsh. My best friend's last name is "Goto".:rolleyes:

MoBay
Feb 13, 2007, 06:46
I love Yamamoto, Sugahara, Sugiyama, Hayashi

aussiesamurai
Apr 6, 2007, 12:58
I must admit I love the family name Shirakawa it belongs to my lost love so I guess it will always be special and after researching Japanese histiry I found that the name was famous in the 12th century

maggie_13
Jun 4, 2007, 19:28
I like Natsume, Kurosaki, Kuchiya, Takayanagi, and almost all that is long to pronounce. And I never get tired of saying them even over and over again.:cool:

Iyo
Jun 9, 2007, 13:28
Ever since I've stumbled upon it, I've really liked the surname Kurosaki (黒崎 ) as well. : )

I have to say Higami is a nice one to. (From someone I know, to join the crowd.) ^_~

C.Gholy
Jun 10, 2007, 03:57
I like Kiriyama, Souma, Inoue, Narahara, Nakagawa, Hiwartari, Kinomiya yeah there are my ones. You may reconise some of them if you like BR

Japolak
Jun 10, 2007, 07:11
Is Sikora Japanese? It seems Jap to me...

Jinchengfan
Dec 6, 2007, 01:39
Hmmm....I think I like Kawashima. It sort of rolls off the tongue and sound lyrical to me.

Sono Ike
Dec 19, 2007, 11:49
I always hated my maiden name, it means "under the mountain", seems like it's a name for where goblins or little monsters live and sounds kind of stupid.

xDDDD Well, my last name -in spanish, not japanese- means "Of Lion" ¬¬ ) you think that's good??? xDD


I personnally like "Nobunaga" (because of the strenght it inspire))

Yey!! I LOVE Nobunaga! The sound of the word is soft, beautiful, but still strenght. Is like Soujiro from Ruroken (he is an assasin... but with that smile in his face, who could resist him!!?)



So, when I say that I like this or that name, I base it on purely esthetic (or phonetic) criteria, or on the meaning of the name. That7s why I have long had a liking for unusual (Western) given names, and don't mind creating new names to match my tastes. That is one think I like with Internet nicknames, as we can choose a new name which is neither inherited by law, nor decided by our parents. I think that in future societies, people should be able to decide (maybe once and for all) what their name should be. One thing I like about British and US legislation is that they give that choice to people, while in most other countries in the world, it is extremely difficult to change one's name, takes a long time and costs a lot of money.

Even I couldn't say that better. That's exactly why I chose 'Sono Ike' as my nickname, 'cause I love the sound of the name, the way it is written in english or japanese, I choose it myself. I'm writter and when I had to choose my charas names I always decide by pure esthetic and, if I cannot found an appropiete name, I create it. Ah, If I just can change my name! But it's very difficult T _ T ) and expensive!!!! x _ x )
Anyway...
let's see...
...
...
eto... o_o )
ah yes xDDD
My fav family names are, of course, Ike and Nobunaga x333 then... Yagami * O * ) -yes... like Death Note main chara last name-
I think "Naoyuki" isn't a family name, but I still like it : ) I also love Yukishiro.

Mitsuo
Dec 19, 2007, 12:56
Actually, Nobunaga isn't a last name. I'm pretty sure.....

Sono Ike
Dec 19, 2007, 23:57
Actually, Nobunaga isn't a last name. I'm pretty sure.....

Mitsuo is that true?? ; _ ; )/ Then in Nobunaga Oda, Oda is the family name??
o _ o ?
Anyway, I like it!!

Mitsuo
Dec 20, 2007, 09:44
Mitsuo is that true?? ; _ ; )/ Then in Nobunaga Oda, Oda is the family name??
o _ o ?
Anyway, I like it!!

Hi Sono Ike,

Yeah. Oda is the last name and Nobunaga was his first name. They said their last name first and first name last back then. That's why they called it the "Oda clan". Another example would be Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa being the surname.

LukeSettle
Aug 8, 2008, 03:27
i like taki 滝
because how it looks/sounds :D
I dont know many others though.. >.<
i like ones that end with maru!
ishimaru~
yadoumaru~
i tried to make up my own but it just failed.

ASHIKAGA
Aug 8, 2008, 08:39
Hi Sono Ike,
Yeah. Oda is the last name and Nobunaga was his first name. They said their last name first and first name last back then. That's why they called it the "Oda clan". Another example would be Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa being the surname.
We still do. Family name first, given name second.

There was a girl in my highschool class whose last name was 安全寺 (Anzenji), which I thought sounded really cool.

tada
Aug 8, 2008, 09:59
Shimizu
Nakamura
Fujita
Yamasaki
Moriyama
Shintani

...the list goes on...

death_haebum
Sep 24, 2008, 16:59
i'd go for Miyazaki, Yamada, Mitsui, Misaki and Takano...
im not sure if all mentioned are really surnames in japan.. but i love mentioning it.. some were surnames of celebrities but i don't use that excuse..its just that i love the sound of these names..lol

AJBryant
Sep 25, 2008, 01:35
This thread makes me cry.

kireikoori
Sep 25, 2008, 02:12
This thread makes me cry.
Do go into more detail.

tamada
Sep 25, 2008, 02:32
i like all this

thanks

tada
Sep 26, 2008, 01:23
Taniguchi for some reason is stuck in my head.

ASHIKAGA
Sep 26, 2008, 08:22
This thread makes me cry.

OK, so you think it is sad because this is sort of like trying to come up with hot sounding Scandinavian names for the sexy young woman in your Swedish au pair fantasies? I fancy Anneliese and Annika myself. How about you?

While I am here, here is another Japanese sir name I find cool.

薬師丸 やくしまる Yakushimaru

as in Hiroko Yakushimaru the actress/singer.

bammbamm&pebbles
Sep 26, 2008, 08:33
薬師丸 やくしまる Yakushimaru

as in Hiroko Yakushimaru the actress/singer.





I adored her in the early 1980's breakout success debut yakuza comedy film ' Sailor Suit and Machine Gun ' ( セーラー服と機関銃 ).

Chipi
Sep 28, 2008, 06:35
OK, so you think it is sad because this is sort of like trying to come up with hot sounding Scandinavian names for the sexy young woman in your Swedish au pair fantasies? I fancy Anneliese and Annika myself. How about you?

Haha :D This made me laugh. I think Malin is quite cool Swedish name as well ;)

..and as for the names. I gotta love Chikuhi :love:

(all though I like the majority of Japanese family names...)

Chirpy9
Sep 29, 2008, 19:40
I like Yazawa.
She was my fav teacher in the uni. My Japanese at that time was so pathetic, she thought I'll not continue learning the language, but was pleasatly surprised when again I met her after almost 5 years and was speaking fluently.

Apart from this, I like Kimura, Nakamoto, Nakagawa, Tanaka.......

One of the intersting surnames that I came across was Mushiake.

Kirie_Maiden
Oct 2, 2008, 22:21
I really like the name Yamamoto, but is it a common name? Like Shingo Yamamoto (from Sasuke) and my friend's Japanese teacher is Miss. Yamamoto.

Azuma_Fujin
Oct 11, 2008, 01:25
My last name Azuma (我妻) means "my wife" haha...and i love it! It sure beats my previous english last name. It seems to be pretty popular at the moment, i think there must be an anime either Azuma or kazuma or something like that...Oh, also some Japanese people when they look at the kanji think you pronounce it "wagazuma", but there is actually two ways, just mine is pronounced Azuma, thankfully. :)

Salsa
Nov 4, 2008, 03:22
I personally love 雲英 (Kira). Does anybody know how it might have come about? :?

Crystallize
Nov 4, 2008, 04:07
Hiro/Hironari, Shinya, Shirota, Hayashi, Minami are nice for example ! :-)

Amie-chan
Nov 4, 2008, 05:31
I like O....
It's simple and pretty at the same time

tada
Nov 4, 2008, 05:43
Kindaichi. I had to do a reading for Japanese linguistics, and found this name cool.

Aya_Chan
Jul 15, 2009, 20:57
My favourite japanese family names have to be Miyazawa, Ayazawa, Yamada and Takahashi, i really like the meanings and the way they sound =D