Do Japanese names have meanings

Answer 1

The way this question was worded makes it hard to tell what you mean, as that could mean a few things.

If you me foreign names then they would be written in a kind of alphabet or character set known as Katakana. Katakana is used for borrowings in the Japanese language as well. An example of this would be the name Erin would become エリン (E-Ri-N). Point to note: not all names in Japanese keep the same spelling when in romanji (romanji=using the roman alphabet to write Japanese words) e.g. Catherine = キャサリン = Kya-Sa-Ri-N. In Japanese (unlike Chinese) you can keep a western name thanks to Katakana, even if its pronunciation changes slightly.

However if you mean native Japanese names its a little more complicated. In general a lot of People have Kanji in their names, however other people have Hiragana in their names (Hiragana is one form of Kana. Hiragana is also the more common form of Kana being used to write native Japanese words). A good example of a Hiragana name would be みなみ or Minami, lit.South. As far as my knowledge goes I believe that 山田/Yamada is the most common family name Japan. Now 山田 is Kanji so a young child not know to pronounce Kanji and so may you see やまだ written on top of it to right of (It depends on the direction of the text) this is known as Furigana (Furigana = using Kana to learn how to pronounce words). Furigana can be very useful with some names can have multiple ways that they pronounced e.g. Nakata and Nakada can both be 仲田.

In Japan (and some other Asian languages) the family name comes first, and the given name second. Now lets say you were Japanese in nationality and you lived in let's say the US and your name was Erin Tanaka. Then when you were in Japan your name would become 田中・エリン (strange name seeing as it is Kanji and Katakana).

I also apologize for my repeating of some Kanji

Answer 2

Most popular Japanese girl names (in 1994-2003)- (Meanings next to them. /'s mean that the character can be changed so the meaning changes accordingly, though the pronunciation stays the same.)

Ai - love

Akane - Turkey red

Ami - Asia + beauty

Aoi - Hollyhock

Asuka - tomorrow + fragrance

Aya - colorful

Ayaka - colorful + fragrance/flower/summer

Ayano - patterned/colored + accordingly

Chihiro - Thousand + inquire

Chinatsu - Thousand + summer

Haruka - Far off

Hina - Sun + vegetation

Kaeda - Maple

Kana - Beautiful + Nara

Kotone - koto (a Japanese harp) + sound

Mai - dance or flax + garments

Manami - Love + beauty

Mayu - True + reason

Miho - Beauty + crest of a wave

Miki - Not yet + come

Misaki - Beauty + bloom

Miu - Beauty + feather

Miyu - Beauty + gentle/superior

Mizuki - Beauty + moon

Moe - Bud

Momoko - Peach+child

Nana - Nara

Nanako - Nara + child

Nanami - Seven + Seas

Natsuki - Vegetation + Moon

Natsumi - Vegetation + pick

Reina - Sound of jewels + Nara

Riko - Jasmine + child

Rin - Cold

Rina - Family Home + nara

Saika - Colorful + flower

Saki - Early + Narrative

Sakura - Peach blossom

Shiori - Poem + Weave

Yui - Bind + Garment

Yuuka - Gentle/superior + flower

Most popular Japanese boy names (in 1994-2003)- (Meanings next to them. /'s mean that the character can be changed so the meaning changes accordingly, though the pronunciation stays the same.)

Daichi - Great + land

Daiki - Great + tree/shining/valuable

Daisuke - Great + help

Jun - Swift steed

Kaito - Sea + Big Dipper

Kazuki - One + shining

Kazuya - Harmony + to be

Kenta - Health + Well-built

Kouhei - Peace + Calm

Naoki - Honest + Tree

Naoto - Honest + Person

Ren - Connect

Riku - Land

Ryouta - Help/Refreshing + Well-built

Ryuu - Dragon

Shou - Soar

Shouhei - Soar + calm

Shouta - Soar + well-built

Souta - Smoothly + Well-built

Takahiro - Valuable + Great

Takumi - Pioneer + Sea or Craftsmen

Takuya - Pioneer + To be/How

Tatsuya - Dragon/Accomplish + To be

Tsubasa - Wing

Yuu - Superior/Gentle

Yuudai - Hero + Great

Yuuta - Hero + Well-built

Yuuto - Superior/gentle + Big Dipper

Answer 3

Japanese names are written in kanji, foreign names are written in katagana an alphabet specifically designed for foreign words.

the Japanese name joji pronounced george is 譲治 whilst the English name george is ジョージ

Answer 4

Sakura

Ran

ai

ami

ayumi

for more names check out : http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/jap.php

Answer 5

it depends well if your a boy it ends with kun and if your a girl it end with san or Chan

Answer 6

A Japanese name is a name that is or was in use among Japanese peoples or peoples of Japanese descent.
Nami

Answer 7

Usually, because most Japanese people spell their names with Chinese characters that carry individual meanings.

Answer 8

Thomas

Answer 9

Tomasu