Takase Studios - Names in Japanese

This list of more than three thousand names in Japanese represents over a decade of meticulous translation by our team of native Japanese and English speaking staff.

Need a First Name Translated to Japanese?

This list features over 3000 of the most popular names in katakana, hiragana, and kanji.

Is your first name not in the Catalog? No problem, use Request A Name In Japanese which has options in both katakana and hiragana and in a few days you will be emailed the design. This offer is only for first names.

If you are looking for a completely custom design, use Custom Tattoo Design where you work directly with Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase to create a unique design that is just right for you.

With the information available today one can expect accurate name translations that can be readily verified. And this is exactly our goal in creating this list. If you think about it, the Japanese media translates movie star names, names of people in the news, and famous people all the time. So in composing this list we have used dictionaries as well as name lists produced by leading Japanese movie databases and Japanese entertainment magazines to bring you the most accurate information available in a convenient and easy to use form.

While we offer several translation options, please keep in mind that a phonetic translation to katakana is the standard way that names are translated to Japanese. Katakana preserves the pronunciation of the name and is the option most likely to be recognized as a name.

Along with katakana, we also offer translations to hiragana which can be more feminine. Hiragana also preserves the pronunciation of the name and is likely to be recognized as a name.

Finally the list has a literal translation to kanji which translates the meaning of the name. This works especially well for names like Joy and Faith. When combined with a phonetic translation one would have both the pronunciation and the meaning of the name and this can work very well in a design or artwork.

Names are pronounced differently depending on where you are from and this may affect the translation. We have taken great care to include the original pronunciation so it is clear which we are translating. This is something other sites don't have and why we are one of the most trusted name translation sites on the Internet.

For more information on translation methods visit How to Write Names in Japanese by Eri Takase which first appeared in her monthly column in Martial Arts Insider Magazine.