Tourning
New member
Hey Yurei Jima roleplay forums,
It is far too often that I see JP names butchered in settings like this one, so this post is largely here to give people some pointers on how they can ensure the accuracy of their characters' names, (if they're of a Japanese descent...)
This guide generally seeks out more realistic names, as in, ones that you would see in real life.
Let me also preface that you only realistically need to use the first link under the helpful resources section, as I understand that all of this can be kind of hard to follow. Everything afterwards is just for if you want to go the extra mile.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
- As far as generators go, this site!! is, from all that I've seen, the best. It gives out a lot of names at once and their accompanying meanings (though I would use the second resource for figuring out the meaning of a name.) While it can get a little strange with surnames at the bottom of the 'all rarity' page, I consider it to be extremely accurate, and in that same vein, my only tip is to not seek out the 'Very Rare' option unless that's the point of the whatever name you come up with. It can also give you a pretty good idea of how Japanese names are gendered. PLEASE USE THIS SITE IF YOU'RE NOT CONFIDENT WITH MAKING NAMES, THERE'S VIRTUALLY ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES ON IT..!!!! YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE, ASSUREDLY.
tldr; This site is the best generator, but it can be kind of iffy with the 'Very Rare' settings, so don't use that if it's not the point of the name. Gives a good idea on how names are gendered.
- While I wouldn't normally use it for getting names unless I knew they were common enough to not be outliers, this site is very useful for gauging the actual rarity, or lack thereof, of surnames through it's approximate household number blurb. I think it's also the best for explaining the meanings of names, and if there are any Kanji variations within any given name. (They provide a household number number for those, too!)
tldr; the best for gauging rarity and meaning for names, especially surnames. I would not use this site for choosing first names, though.
- I use this site for a more fringe purpose, but it's fun to toy around with regardless. I mainly use it to gauge *where* names are popular, given that it outlines the amount of people with any given name in any Japanese prefecture (Norowarejima & YRP are located off the coast of the Kyōto prefecture, for reference.) Its quantification is by no means perfect, but it gives you a good idea, and it can also let you know the gender distribution of any given name. You can search via Name or Place (Japan and any of its 47 prefectures) with forebears, so how you use it just depends on what you're looking for.
This site is not perfect, though!! Sometimes they'll write out names completely wrong and it gives you some very puzzling results. You can usually tell this is the case for forenames if there is no gender distribution bar, and you would need to do your own research to see if you can find your chosen surname anywhere else.
It also does not use or substitute abbreviated letters, so a name like Yūjirō, which would otherwise be written as Yuujirou, is only written as Yujiro. This isn't necessarily a problem, but if you care about that sort of thing, it's just something to keep in mind.
tldr; good for finding out gender distribution of firstnames, as well as highlighting where in Japan names are popular. Can be subject to inaccuracies, however.
- Per Forebears.io, this is the list of the most popular surnames in the Kyōto Prefecture:
(The higher the 'Rank in Japan' number is relative to its 'Rank' number, the less likely you'd find the surname elsewhere.)
https://forebears.io/japan/kyoto-prefecture/surnames
- Per Forebears.io, this is the list of the most popular forenames in the Kyōto Prefecture:
(Same applies here, but I would also check as to whether the name you like is Masculine, Feminine, or Unisex to check whether it's the right fit for your character. You do this by clicking on the name, and scrolling down past the map.)
https://forebears.io/japan/kyoto-prefecture/forenames
- Another thing you can do is surf random Japanese people's Wikipedia articles. There are lots of them... Want a catalogue of like 60 people who play curling in Japan? You got it. People who write for TV shows in Japan? Also there. You can even search up articles of specific first or last names to find lists of people with those said names.
- While it is Wikipedia, this list offers a bunch of unisex Japanese names that are generally accurate.
GENERAL TIPS
- There are no Ls, Xs, Vs, or Qs in the Japanese language.
- There are no middle names when it comes to full, Japanese names. Only first and last.
- The Japanese language is made up of 46 characters, all of which act as individual syllables with the exception of ん (which represents 'n') when used in words, it only really adds to other syllables.
- On that note, you will occasionally find inconsistencies with the romanization of these syllables (i.e, how they are written out in the latin alphabet). The following are some of the common ones (IDEALLY, YOU USE THE VERSIONS ON THE RIGHT (shi, tsu, ji, etc.)):
zi = ji
ti = chi
tyo = cho
tyu = chu
zyo = jo
zyu = ju
si = shi
syo = sho
syu = shu
hu = fu
tu = tsu
If you grasp this concept, this site provides a very extensive list of surnames and forenames with the caveat that they are all listed in this alternative romanization. So... be careful..!!! Eeek..!!!
- Surnames are always composed of Kanji, each Kanji has meaning. One example of this is a common name I've seen in these sorts of settings: Kageyama, which means Shadow (Kage) Mountain (Yama). How edgy...
The following are some common Kanji in surnames, along with their meanings:
(This list is intended to just show you common components of surnames, I wouldn't make names with just these, though)
Ō = Big
ko = Small
aka = Red
ao = Blue
kuro = Black
shiro = White
midori = Green
kawa/gawa = River
shima/jima = Island
sawa/zawa = Swamp and/or Grace (I don't get it either)
sono/zono = garden
ki/gi = Tree
matsu = pine tree
yanagi = willow tree
iwa = cliff face
yama = Mountain
i = mine and/or well
hori = cave
nami = waves
tori = bird
ue = above
mura = village
da/ta = field
naka = center; middle
hara = origin
nishi = west
minami = south
kita = north
higashi = east
kane = metals
yoshi = lucky; prosperous
- Ō (Oo, Ou, or sometimes Oh), ō (oo or ou), ū (uu), and less commonly, ā (aa), ē (ee), and ī (ii) are all very useful, abbreviated letters when writing out Japanese in the latin alphabet. They don't need to be used, but I think they look neat)
Examples of these:
- Shōhei Ōtani, famous baseball player, may also have his name read as Shouhei Ohtani/Ootani
- Shōko Tsubonōchi, a character I plan on playing, would otherwise have her name written out as Shouko Tsubonouchi.
- Masāki Matsūra, a person I've just made up, would otherwise have his name written out as Masaaki Matsuura. (I do prefer this second reading, admittedly.)
- Kotoko Kojima, another person I've just made up, and who has no abbreviated letter in their name, would have it remain unchanged.
- Your chosen first name for your cool OC may sound like someone’s grandma’s/grandpa’s name. And that’s okay…. mostly.
Some notes about this:
- Feminine names ending in ‘-ko’ are largely considered out-of-fashion in the modern day. ‘-ko’ names became largely unpopular for babies some time in the early-to-mid 1980s and generally, in real life, you won’t see women with a ‘-ko’ name under the age of 35. Though some children are still named like this today, it’s fairly rare.
- Masculine names are a little harder to define, but single, or shorter double kanji names (A.K.A.usually shorter ones with 2-3 syllables) are a lot more common in recent times.
- The names Akira and Makoto sound like someone’s 50-60 year old uncle. I know they look cool but keep this in mind.
If you would like to run any names by me, or generally just have any questions, please reply to this post! (Or DM me on Discord @Tourning!!!)
It is far too often that I see JP names butchered in settings like this one, so this post is largely here to give people some pointers on how they can ensure the accuracy of their characters' names, (if they're of a Japanese descent...)
This guide generally seeks out more realistic names, as in, ones that you would see in real life.
Let me also preface that you only realistically need to use the first link under the helpful resources section, as I understand that all of this can be kind of hard to follow. Everything afterwards is just for if you want to go the extra mile.
HELPFUL RESOURCES
- As far as generators go, this site!! is, from all that I've seen, the best. It gives out a lot of names at once and their accompanying meanings (though I would use the second resource for figuring out the meaning of a name.) While it can get a little strange with surnames at the bottom of the 'all rarity' page, I consider it to be extremely accurate, and in that same vein, my only tip is to not seek out the 'Very Rare' option unless that's the point of the whatever name you come up with. It can also give you a pretty good idea of how Japanese names are gendered. PLEASE USE THIS SITE IF YOU'RE NOT CONFIDENT WITH MAKING NAMES, THERE'S VIRTUALLY ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES ON IT..!!!! YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE, ASSUREDLY.
tldr; This site is the best generator, but it can be kind of iffy with the 'Very Rare' settings, so don't use that if it's not the point of the name. Gives a good idea on how names are gendered.
- While I wouldn't normally use it for getting names unless I knew they were common enough to not be outliers, this site is very useful for gauging the actual rarity, or lack thereof, of surnames through it's approximate household number blurb. I think it's also the best for explaining the meanings of names, and if there are any Kanji variations within any given name. (They provide a household number number for those, too!)
tldr; the best for gauging rarity and meaning for names, especially surnames. I would not use this site for choosing first names, though.
- I use this site for a more fringe purpose, but it's fun to toy around with regardless. I mainly use it to gauge *where* names are popular, given that it outlines the amount of people with any given name in any Japanese prefecture (Norowarejima & YRP are located off the coast of the Kyōto prefecture, for reference.) Its quantification is by no means perfect, but it gives you a good idea, and it can also let you know the gender distribution of any given name. You can search via Name or Place (Japan and any of its 47 prefectures) with forebears, so how you use it just depends on what you're looking for.
This site is not perfect, though!! Sometimes they'll write out names completely wrong and it gives you some very puzzling results. You can usually tell this is the case for forenames if there is no gender distribution bar, and you would need to do your own research to see if you can find your chosen surname anywhere else.
It also does not use or substitute abbreviated letters, so a name like Yūjirō, which would otherwise be written as Yuujirou, is only written as Yujiro. This isn't necessarily a problem, but if you care about that sort of thing, it's just something to keep in mind.
tldr; good for finding out gender distribution of firstnames, as well as highlighting where in Japan names are popular. Can be subject to inaccuracies, however.
- Per Forebears.io, this is the list of the most popular surnames in the Kyōto Prefecture:
(The higher the 'Rank in Japan' number is relative to its 'Rank' number, the less likely you'd find the surname elsewhere.)
https://forebears.io/japan/kyoto-prefecture/surnames
- Per Forebears.io, this is the list of the most popular forenames in the Kyōto Prefecture:
(Same applies here, but I would also check as to whether the name you like is Masculine, Feminine, or Unisex to check whether it's the right fit for your character. You do this by clicking on the name, and scrolling down past the map.)
https://forebears.io/japan/kyoto-prefecture/forenames
- Another thing you can do is surf random Japanese people's Wikipedia articles. There are lots of them... Want a catalogue of like 60 people who play curling in Japan? You got it. People who write for TV shows in Japan? Also there. You can even search up articles of specific first or last names to find lists of people with those said names.
- While it is Wikipedia, this list offers a bunch of unisex Japanese names that are generally accurate.
GENERAL TIPS
- There are no Ls, Xs, Vs, or Qs in the Japanese language.
- There are no middle names when it comes to full, Japanese names. Only first and last.
- The Japanese language is made up of 46 characters, all of which act as individual syllables with the exception of ん (which represents 'n') when used in words, it only really adds to other syllables.
- On that note, you will occasionally find inconsistencies with the romanization of these syllables (i.e, how they are written out in the latin alphabet). The following are some of the common ones (IDEALLY, YOU USE THE VERSIONS ON THE RIGHT (shi, tsu, ji, etc.)):
zi = ji
ti = chi
tyo = cho
tyu = chu
zyo = jo
zyu = ju
si = shi
syo = sho
syu = shu
hu = fu
tu = tsu
If you grasp this concept, this site provides a very extensive list of surnames and forenames with the caveat that they are all listed in this alternative romanization. So... be careful..!!! Eeek..!!!
- Surnames are always composed of Kanji, each Kanji has meaning. One example of this is a common name I've seen in these sorts of settings: Kageyama, which means Shadow (Kage) Mountain (Yama). How edgy...
The following are some common Kanji in surnames, along with their meanings:
(This list is intended to just show you common components of surnames, I wouldn't make names with just these, though)
Ō = Big
ko = Small
aka = Red
ao = Blue
kuro = Black
shiro = White
midori = Green
kawa/gawa = River
shima/jima = Island
sawa/zawa = Swamp and/or Grace (I don't get it either)
sono/zono = garden
ki/gi = Tree
matsu = pine tree
yanagi = willow tree
iwa = cliff face
yama = Mountain
i = mine and/or well
hori = cave
nami = waves
tori = bird
ue = above
mura = village
da/ta = field
naka = center; middle
hara = origin
nishi = west
minami = south
kita = north
higashi = east
kane = metals
yoshi = lucky; prosperous
- Ō (Oo, Ou, or sometimes Oh), ō (oo or ou), ū (uu), and less commonly, ā (aa), ē (ee), and ī (ii) are all very useful, abbreviated letters when writing out Japanese in the latin alphabet. They don't need to be used, but I think they look neat)
Examples of these:
- Shōhei Ōtani, famous baseball player, may also have his name read as Shouhei Ohtani/Ootani
- Shōko Tsubonōchi, a character I plan on playing, would otherwise have her name written out as Shouko Tsubonouchi.
- Masāki Matsūra, a person I've just made up, would otherwise have his name written out as Masaaki Matsuura. (I do prefer this second reading, admittedly.)
- Kotoko Kojima, another person I've just made up, and who has no abbreviated letter in their name, would have it remain unchanged.
- Your chosen first name for your cool OC may sound like someone’s grandma’s/grandpa’s name. And that’s okay…. mostly.
Some notes about this:
- Feminine names ending in ‘-ko’ are largely considered out-of-fashion in the modern day. ‘-ko’ names became largely unpopular for babies some time in the early-to-mid 1980s and generally, in real life, you won’t see women with a ‘-ko’ name under the age of 35. Though some children are still named like this today, it’s fairly rare.
- Masculine names are a little harder to define, but single, or shorter double kanji names (A.K.A.usually shorter ones with 2-3 syllables) are a lot more common in recent times.
- The names Akira and Makoto sound like someone’s 50-60 year old uncle. I know they look cool but keep this in mind.
If you would like to run any names by me, or generally just have any questions, please reply to this post! (Or DM me on Discord @Tourning!!!)
