Takase Studios - Names in Japanese

This is a list of over NINE THOUSAND names and their meanings meticulously translated to Japanese. The name translations to Japanese use a phonetic translation to katakana which is the standard way names are translated to Japanese. This is the way non-Japanese names appear in dictionaries, newspapers, and encyclopedias.

We also include literal translation to kanji which translates the original meaning of the name. The literal translation works especially well for names like Faith and Joy where the name has a clear meaning. For more information on how names can be translated to Japanese read Eri Takase's article How to Write Names in Japanese which first appeared in her monthly column in Martial Arts Insiders Magazine.

One word of caution though: A name can have several different pronunciations and it is essential to know which pronunciation is being translated. For a common example, the name "Jan" can be pronounced either JAN or YAHN. Because of space limitations we do not show the pronunciation in this list, however, if you click on the name you can find this along with other details about the name. No other source offers this level of detail so you can be absolutely sure our translations are exactly correct.

Each name in our list has a link to more information available on our sister site www.StockKanji.com which offers each name for sale in formats suitable for tattoos as well as commercial use. The tattoo designs are delivered as an Adobe PDF file and includes the line art that your tattoo artist needs to ink the design. Several names can be used in a design and they will all match - and the designs are immediately made available after your purchase - you can get a tattoo of a name in Japanese today!

To begin, select the first letter of the name:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Each entry includes the romaji, the katakana, the original meaning of the name, the translation to kanji and its reading.

Romaji is how the name is pronounced in Japanese and is how the katakana is read. Japanese is a language of syllables and does not have all the sounds of other languages. So the romaji is needed to shows how the katakana is read. Katakana symbols have no meaning - they only represent a sound. Kanji are Japanese symbols that have meaning and they are used here to translate the meaning of the name. As mentioned above the literal translation to kanji is great for names like Faith and Joy:

The link on each name takes you to more detailed information and more translation options. Simply click on the name. Also, you will find designs that you can purchase and download. These are hand-lettered designs by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase and are suitable for personal use such as for body art, crafts, or for scrapbooking, or for commercial use such as for advertising, wedding invitations, newsletters, magazine and book illustrations. Below are examples for the name Abbey:

With the information available today one can expect accurate name translations that can be readily verified. And this was 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. We use this information in our list so you know the translations are not only correct but also widely used in the media. In cross-checking the names, we provide the original pronunciation and show famous people that use the same translation we give. All this, along with beautiful Japanese Calligraphy names designs are at StockKanji - Names in Japanese.

Is your first name not in the Catalog? No problem, use Special Order 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 only.

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

Learn Japanese Calligraphy Lessons 1 - 6 by Eri Takase

Learn Japanese Calligraphy by Eri Takase is a unique Japanese Calligraphy course on CD-ROM. With these CD's you can learn Japanese Calligraphy by actually seeing the characters being brushed by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase. Japanese Calligraphy is all about movement and you simply cannot learn the proper movement from a book. These CD lessons actually shows videos of Master Takase brushing the characters - and you can learn proper technique by seeing it over and over again. We also show videos of common student errors and how to correct them. Along with the videos are samples with stroke order that can be printed as well as detailed step by step instructions. Learn Japanese Calligraphy is a great learning tool by itself or to complement your current studies.

The first CD includes topics on tool selection, posture, how to hold the brush as well as the basic strokes of the block font. Each lesson covers the stroke order with examples that can be printed. Combined with our Japanese Calligraphy Sets you will have all you need to begin your study of Japanese Calligraphy.

Kanji & Kana : A Handbook of the Japanese Writing System by Wolfgang Hadamitzky and Mark Spahn

This is an excellent reference and is perfect for learning the stroke order of kana and kanji.

The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary by John H. Haig, Andrew N. Nelson

For more advanced needs this is the Japanese-English kanji dictionary.

United States Census - 1990 - The top 2400 male and female names from this US government publication are covered in our list.

BabyNamer - Produced by Oxygen Media this is a good source for the meaning of names.

The Etymology of First Names - This site is our second choice when researching the meaning and pronunciations of given names.

StockKanji - Names in Japanese Calligraphy Over 9000 names translated to Japanese. This is a searchable site giving much more information about each name than we show here. Many names also have original, hand-lettered designs for personal use like a tattoo and for professional use such as for wedding invitations or as part of a logo design.

Jeffrey's Japanese<->English Dictionary Server - An on-line dictionary that does not require Japanese fonts. This dictionary is terse so it is easy to misinterpret. Its value for name translations is limited as it does not give the pronunciation.

Goo Jiten - A good on-line English/Japanese dictionary. Japanese fonts are required.

Names In Japanese