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21,378 first names, 70,620 last names, 317,184 kanji variations.
one of the best Japanese name searches for a baby!
For an interracial couple, they share two different cultures (or more!) is so exciting. And if the parents have different nationalities, how they name their child?
Here are our picks for the popular names for mixed race child.
Contents
When you look at the names, it seems that parents often give names that sound good in Japan and the world. Names that retain a Japanese image but are comfortable to give an English nickname to are also popular. Here are a few examples;
Foreign-inspired names are often associated with an international image in Japan. However, since Japan uses the “Romaji” to spell names, they often don’t sound the same in English. For instance, a girl has the name of “Alice (ありす)” but when she writes her name in “Romaji”, it becomes “Arisu (ありす)”.
The pronunciation changes in English and “Romaji”, so she may have to explain it every time she introduces herself.
e.x. the name is spelled “Risa (りさ)” in Japan, but its pronunciation is “Lisa (líːsə)”.
For international couples in the Philippines, it seems to be popular to give their children English names that sound like Japanese names. The Philippines also allows people to use their middle name, so they can use their Japanese name as a middle name. (And vice versa.)
In France, parents use French names, and in Japan, they are sometimes written in katakana instead of applying kanji.
In Korea, many of the names are spelled the same, and it seems to be popular to give names that are familiar in both countries.
In the case of China and Japan, they sometimes use the kanji that are used in both countries. However, the meanings of the kanji are well understood by the two countries, so those names are popular.
In Japan, it is not customary to give a person a middle name, but some countries allow you to have a middle name, so you can have a Western-like name for the first name and a Japanese-like name for the middle name. (Vice versa.)
For example;
Japanese: Yūichi Yamada (山田 祐一)
English: Thomas Yūichi Smith
English: Yūichi Thomas Smith
When naming a mixed nationality child, several things are taken into consideration. For example, the parents make sure that the name will not be difficult for both families to pronounce, that it will be easy for the locals to remember, and also check whether it has a strange meaning in the local languages.
However, I think if the name is meant to be wishful thinking of the parents, it’s a good idea to give the child any name you love for them, after all.
Supporting Ukraine Kids together
As the situation in Ukraine escalates, I feel with emotions too overwhelming to name. There are many children in Ukraine whose homes have been destroyed and without food and water. Gentle support is needed.
Please donate to Save the Children.
According to Google Analytics, Japanese Names.info has been visited from 217 countries and regions for 30 days. Of course, Ukrainian and Russian users are also included.
For the kind Russian people
Apparently this isn't broadcast on Russian TV, but what the Russian government is doing isn't actually a peacekeeping operation, but is more correctly described as an invasion and looting of your relative's country, Ukraine.
The only power that can change the reality in Ukraine is for the Russian people to speak out. Please touch the world media outside of Russia to see how your government is causing the tragic situation. Thank you for a peaceful world!
e.g. UNICEF, Red CrossSort by Most Kanji Variations
This is the order of names with many variations of kanji.
Basically, names with more variations are more common and familiar to the Japanese.
Sort by Most Viewed
The names are sorted by the number of times they have been viewed on this site. This ranking is based on the behavior of users around the world, including Japan, so it does not mean that the names are commonly viewed by Japanese people only.
Please note that just because a name has been viewed more times does not mean it is a famous name in Japan.
What is Hiragana?
Hiragana is a syllabary used in written Japanese, which originated from the cursive style of Kanji.
What is Katakana?
Katakana is also a Japanese syllabary. Basically, the characters don't have any meaning by themselves, they only represent the sounds.
Japanese try to express the words came from foreign languages with the most similar sounds in Japanese using Katakana.
Households?
The names are sorted by the number of Japanese households where the surname is used.
The more households there are, the more famous and common the surname is.
About this site's data of last names