Ichimon Japan Podcasts

How do Japanese names work? | Ichimon Japan 28

By Tony R. Vega

Posted on October 21, 2020

11 min read

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On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: How do Japanese names work?

Topics Discussed

How people in Japan normally state their family name before their given name
The complicated history of naming practices in Japan
Commoners being prohibited from using family names during the Edo Period
The Meiji era laws that mandated every Japanese person take a family name
The reluctance of some people to take a family name during the Meiji Period
The fact that many (most?) people with the surname Satō (佐藤) are probably not descended from samurai
The fact that many commoners were given last names based on the geographical features of the area in which they lived
The story of how the Furo (風呂) family supposedly got their family name from Minamoto no Yoshitsune
The most common family names in Japan in 2019
How many Japanese family names there are
The prevalence of rare Japanese last names
The regional nature of some Japanese family names
The convention of naming boys based on their birth order
How it’s easy to forget people’s first names in Japan
Some of the factors people in Japan consider when naming a baby
Asking people in Japan about the kanji they use for their given name as a way to spark conversation
The phenomenon of siblings having related names
Interesting names in anime
The practice of picking a baby name based on the way a name is written
How much it usually costs to have a shrine pick a baby name for you
What a seimeihandanshi is
What it might cost you to have a seimeihandanshi pick a baby name for you
A list outlining the most popular baby names in Japan of 2019
The Japanese naming convention of tōriji
How shorter names have become common in Japan in recent years
How female names that end in -ko used to be more common
And much more!

Note: Just for the sake of clarity, I’d like to point out that the story of the Furo family name did not occur during the Meiji Period (actually it probably never even occurred in the way it is normally told). However, because the story was introduced alongside the changes of the Meiji Period it’s possible to be left with the impression that there was a connection there. There is no direct connection. The story was simply brought up as an example of the many interesting ways in which people in Japan acquired last names.

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Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Here are some of the main Japanese-language sources that were used when doing the research for this episode.

Here are some of the main English-language sources used when doing the research for this episode.

A Long History of Japanese Names
- This is the Tofugu article mentioned during this episode.
The Japanese Naming System – Morphology and Semantics of Individual Names by Anja Collazo
- This is the thesis mentioned during this episode.
Japan’s Name Culture: The Significance of Names in a Religious, Political, and Social Context by Herbert Plutschow

Here are the Ichimon Japan episodes mentioned during this episode.

Here is the latest episode of Japan Station.

Yūrei, Ghosts & Yōkai, A Chat w. Zack Davisson | Japan Station 50

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Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen’s WWWJDIC.

Myōji
- 苗字 : 苗字(P); 名字(P) 【みょうじ】 (n) (See 名前・2) surname; family name
Namae
- 名前 : 名前(P); 名まえ【なまえ】 (n) (1) name; (n) (2) (See 名字) given name; first name;
Furo
- 風呂【ふろ】 (n) (1) (See お風呂) bath; bathing; bathtub; bathroom; (n) (2) bathhouse; public bath
Kenkō
- 健康【けんこう】 (n) (1) health; (adj-na) (2) healthy; sound; fit; wholesome
Futoi
- 太い【ふとい】 (adj-i) (1) fat; thick; (adj-i) (2) deep (of a voice); thick; sonorous; (adj-i) (3) daring; shameless; brazen; audacious
Seimeihandan
- 姓名判断【せいめいはんだん】 (n) (yoji) fortunetelling based on writing or pronunciation of one’s name
Iemoto
- 家元【いえもと】 (n) head of a school (of music, dance); head family of a school
Himawari
- ひまわり (n) sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Tsumugi
- 紬 : 紬; 紡ぎ【つむぎ】 (n) pongee; soft thin cloth woven from raw silk
Tsumugu
- 紡ぐ【つむぐ】 ; (v5g,vt) (1) to spin; to make yarn; (v5g,vt) (2) to spin (a tale); to assemble (e.g. words); to put together
Kotoba o tsumugu
- 言葉を紡ぐ : 言葉を紡ぐ; 言葉をつむぐ【ことばをつむぐ】 (exp,v5g) (poet) to express in a refined fashion; to weave a web of words
Wa
- 和 : 和(P); 倭【わ】 (n) (1) (和 only) {math} sum; (n) (2) (和 only) harmony; peace; (n,n-pref,adj-no) (3) Japan; Japanese-style

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We’re always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.