Japanese Name Guides
These guides explain how Japanese names work: how to write and pronounce them, how surnames and honorifics work, how parents choose names, and what to know before using one in a story, a username or a tattoo. Each guide has examples and a short FAQ, and links to the names it mentions.
How to Write Your Name in Japanese
Katakana, hiragana and kanji: how foreign names are written in Japanese, with examples and common mistakes.
Japanese Names: Kun, San, Chan and Sama Explained (and Name Order)
Which name comes first in Japanese, and how to use san, kun, chan and sama politely.
How Japanese Names Are Chosen
Meaning, sound, kanji limits and stroke count: what parents in Japan think about when naming a child.
Japanese Cat and Dog Names and What They Mean
Cute Japanese pet names, from food names like Mochi to simple colors like Kuro, with meanings and tips for choosing one.
Choosing Japanese Names for Fictional Characters
A practical guide for writers and game designers: matching names to era, personality and setting without common mistakes.
Japanese Names With Nature Meanings
Names built from sky, sea, flowers and seasons, with the kanji behind them and how to choose between spellings.
How to Pronounce Japanese Names
A simple guide to vowels, the Japanese R, long vowels and rhythm, with examples you can say out loud.
Japanese Last Names and Where They Come From
Why most Japanese surnames describe the landscape, how clan names spread, and when everyone got a family name.
Unisex Japanese Names: How They Work
Why so many Japanese names fit any child, and how the kanji can shift a name toward feminine or masculine.
Thinking of a Japanese Name Tattoo? Read This First
Katakana, kanji and the mistakes to avoid before you get a name or word tattooed in Japanese.
Why Japanese Names Can Be Hard to Read
Why the same kanji can be read many ways in names, and what to do when you are not sure.