Basics

In Japan, you might encounter the situation that people use suffixes to attach to their names. We tend not to call someone’s name without suffixes unless she/he is your close friend or family member.

For instance, when you were introduced to Mr. Kenji Yamada at the first meeting, you wouldn’t say him ‘hi, how are you Kenji?” It seems friendly to some people but sounds like a bit impolite.

Having parents from two (or more) different cultural backgrounds offers a world of opportunities—language, cuisine, traditions, and of course, naming. When one parent is Japanese and the other is from another country, deciding on a child’s name can be both exciting and challenging. Some families want to reflect both cultures equally, while others prefer a name that sounds “international” and easy to pronounce in various languages. This article explores popular naming trends for children of mixed-nationality couples, highlighting examples from English-speaking countries, the France, Korea, China, Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Brazil. We’ll also cover how middle names work (or don’t) in Japan, and share a few practical tips on bridging cultural gaps.

The Japanese insurance company Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance compiles yearly rankings of “the most popular names” given to newborns in Japan. These rankings provide insight into local naming trends. In 2019, one big national event was the era change from Heisei (平成) to Reiwa (令和). After 31 years, the Heisei era ended, and everyone in Japan was excited to welcome Reiwa. Below, we’ll see how such cultural and historical changes may (or may not) have influenced baby naming.

Popular names change with the period. Certain names are trendy in each generation. This is because names change with the influence of each period, events, society, celebrities, etc. For Japanese people, they might often guess the generation in which a person was born just by listening to their name. Here is a recent history o of some naming trends.

Choosing a favorite baby name can feel intimacy and affectionate. When parents name their children, they put a lot of thoughts and consideration into it.