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Watanabe 渡辺 – Japanese surname

Watanabe (渡辺) is read わたなべ and has 4 syllables. It is a family name. Written as 渡辺, the characters mean: transit + environs. This reading can be written with at least 10 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 17 to 31 strokes in total.

About the name Watanabe

Watanabe (渡辺) combines "cross" with "edge", and is also written 渡邊 or 渡邉. It is one of Japan's most common surnames.

How to write Watanabe in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
渡辺	わたなべ	transit + environs	17
渡邊	わたなべ	transit + edge	31
渡部	わたなべ	transit + section	23
綿辺	わたなべ	cotton + environs	19
渡鍋	わたなべ	transit + pot	29
綿鍋	わたなべ	cotton + pot	31

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Watanabe

渡

transit, ford, ferry, cross

12 strokes, taught in secondary school

On: ト Kun: わた

辺

environs, boundary, border, vicinity

5 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: ヘン Kun: あた、ほと、べ

邊

edge, margin, side, border

19 strokes

On: ヘン Kun: あた、ほと、べ

部

section, bureau, dept, class

11 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 3

On: ブ Kun: べ

Watanabe in different scripts

Romaji	Watanabe
Hiragana	わたなべ
Katakana	ワタナベ
Kanji (most common)	渡辺

Full name examples

Ayumi Watanabe (Japanese order: 渡辺歩美, わたなべあゆみ)
Yurina Watanabe (Japanese order: 渡辺百合奈, わたなべゆりな)
Yuki Watanabe (Japanese order: 渡辺結城, わたなべゆうき)

How to pronounce Watanabe

Break it into 4 parts: wa · ta · na · be. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 4 sound units are written わたなべ.

Questions about Watanabe

What does Watanabe mean in Japanese?

Watanabe has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 渡辺, combines these meanings: transit + environs. Other spellings include 渡邊 (transit + edge), 渡部 (transit + section), 綿辺 (cotton + environs).

How do you write Watanabe in kanji?

The most common way is 渡辺 (わたなべ). It can also be written 渡邊, 渡部, 綿辺, 渡鍋, 綿鍋.

How do you write Watanabe in katakana?

Watanabe is ワタナベ in katakana and わたなべ in hiragana.

How do you pronounce Watanabe?

Watanabe is read わたなべ and has 4 syllables (morae).

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Other surnames that use 渡

渡: transit, ford, ferry

Wakai 渡会 Watanuki 渡抜 Yawata 屋渡 Yuriko 佐渡山

Names with a similar sound

Watanuki 渡抜