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Thread: What Japanese family names do you find cool ?

  1. #26
    Your Goddess is here Ma Cherie's Avatar
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    I happen to like the name Yamaguchi, cause it seems so common and it was the first japanese name I ever read. 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.
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  2. #27
    Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan Flashjeff's Avatar
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    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!
    :winklove:
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  3. #28
    Regular Member Limonette's Avatar
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    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.

  4. #29
    Regular Member Limonette's Avatar
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    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)
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  5. #30
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    I liek ‹S“Ş KITOU.

    DEVILS HEAD.

    And there really are people with this name!
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  6. #31
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harvey
    I liek ‹S“Ş 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" (ˆŤ–‚, which means "evil spirit"), but some entire families are allowed to use the name ‹S“Ş. That's really weird.

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  7. #32
    _‰B‚ľ ghostpainter's Avatar
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    What I like most is the sound we make, when we say a name. So I like "Kagura(_Šy)", best.

  8. #33
    Yancha-Kunoichi Chipi's Avatar
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    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.)

  9. #34
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chipi
    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. 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.

    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. ‘ĺ@+ ‚) 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 :

    ě : river
    ‹´ : bridge
    ˆä : well
    “c : rice paddy
    Ϋ : plain
    –ě : field
    “y : earth
    “Ą : wisteria
    ‹e : chrysanthemum
    ź : pine tree
    ™ : Japanese cedar
    ÷ : cherry tree
    —Ń : woods, copse
    X : forest
    ‰Ş : hill
    ŽR : mountain
    ’r : pond
    Ŕ : swamp, lake
    ‘ň : swamp, marsh
    –x : moat, canal
    ] : inlet, bay
    č : promontory
    ‘ę : waterfall
    Î : stone
    Šâ : rock
    ’J : valley
    •l : beach
    “‡ : island
    ‘ş : village
    —˘ : small village
    Ž› : 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) :

    –{ : origin
    Œű : mouth, entry
    ‚ : high
    ‘ĺ : big
    Žq : small
    ’† : middle
    ă : above
    ‰ş : under
    •x : rich
    × : narrow
    L : broad
    ’ˇ : long
    ‰i : eternal
    ŠŰ : round
    • : black
    ”’ : white
    Â : green, blue
    ‹g : good
    •Ÿ : lucky

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

    All the names that use the "ON reading" :

    Ä“Ą : Saitou
    ˛“Ą@or ś“Ą : Satou
    ˆÉ“Ą : Itou
    •“Ą : Mutou
    ‰Á“Ą : Katou
    Œă“Ą : 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 (“ĄŒ´) 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. • (Musashi) in West Tokyo, ˆÉ for either ˆÉ—\ (Iyo = Ehime prefecture) or ˆÉ‰ę (Iga, in Kansai).

    “n•Ó : Watanabe => across the area (?)
    ˛X–Ř : Sasaki => ?
    —é–Ř : Suzuki => bell tree (strange name)
    ˛‰ę : Saga => Probably from the region's name.
    ŽO‘î : Miyake => three houses

  10. #35
    Yancha-Kunoichi Chipi's Avatar
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    thank you Maciamo

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

  11. #36
    silent-buddhist Jack's Avatar
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    i've always liked the names Hideo and Taka,

  12. #37
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    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/jap...surnames.shtml

  13. #38
    Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan Flashjeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ma Cherie
    I happen to like the name Yamaguchi, cause it seems so common and it was the first japanese name I ever read. 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.
    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:



    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.


  14. #39
    Regular Member yuuto's Avatar
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    Heart matSUSHIma

    @ 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.
    Last edited by yuuto; Sep 15, 2005 at 18:44.
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  15. #40
    __________ budd's Avatar
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    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
    ttp://www.tcvb.or.jp/

  16. #41
    Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan Flashjeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yuuto
    @ FLASHJEFF :
    how do you do to insert your pictures??
    It's the same as for inserting quotes:
    [img]your url[/img]

    Easy as pie!


  17. #42
    DON'T PANIC! Tsuyoiko's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
    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.
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  18. #43
    As the Rush Comes Duo's Avatar
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    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

  19. #44
    Regular Member yuuto's Avatar
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    @ 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
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by yuuto; Sep 15, 2005 at 19:58.

  20. #45
    Regular Member yuuto's Avatar
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    the pictures didn't open automatically
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  21. #46
    tsuyaku o tsukete kudasai nurizeko's Avatar
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    ...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.

  22. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ma Cherie
    I happen to like the name Yamaguchi, cause it seems so common and it was the first japanese name I ever read. 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.

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


    i like my wife's familie name: TERAO

  23. #48
    Regular Member misa.j's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maciamo
    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.

  24. #49
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    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.

  25. #50
    Twirling dragon Maciamo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dutch baka
    i like my wife's familie name: TERAO
    Pretty rare name. Is it written Ž›”ö ?

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