[Facts] Re: Help for Japanese Names
in reply to a message by Felie
Bit late to the discussion and this response is going to be long buuuut...
I would like to point out that some of the 'given names' you listed for the characters from Tokyo Ghoul are actually surnames, some others are listed incorrectly in one way or another and I wanted to clear things off:
- Yoshimura (芳村), his first name being Kuzen (功善), not Kouzen as you listed
- Nishio (the kanji listed is his first name, Nishiki)
- Arima (same as Nishio, the kanji listed make up his first name, Kishō)
- Hoji (the kanji listed is one part of his first name, Kōsuke - 項介)
- Kuki (the first two kanji make up the surname Kuki while the last one is one part of his first name, Urie - 久生)
- Ginshi (same goes for this name, his first name written as 吟士)
- Yakumo (the kanji is the second part of his first name, written as 八雲)
- Ayato (first kanji > 2nd part of Kirishima/霧嶋 and second kanji > 1st part of first name Ayato/絢都)
- Banjō (the kanji listed make up his first name, Kazuichi)
- Sen (the kanji is the second part of the surname Takatsuki/高槻, the first name, Sen, written as 泉)
- Matsumae (surname)
- Hairu (the kanji listed make up the full name, 入 being the first name Hairu)
For the names whose kanji you couldn't include when you posted this, Yukinori is 幸紀, Seido (or rather Seidō/Seidou) is 政道, Shiki is 式, Enji is 円児 and Tōru (Tooru) is 透. For Seiko, I am presuming you mean Saiko (才子) as in Saiko Yonebayashi, based on what I can find out?
Now onto whether these particular kanji writings are used in real life. I've based my findings on data from Namae Jiten, Dousei Doumei, Google searches and my own town PR magazine research.
- Ken (研) - not the most common form of Ken but definitely usable
- Haise (琲世) - no real life occurrences to be found
- Kuzen (功善) - writing rare though it could be read as something else
- Nishiki (錦) - rarely used in real life for both genders, though not a super-modern name (by that, I mean the name has been used since at least the Meiji Period)
- Renji (蓮示) - I can't find any RL occurrences for this particular writing, the name itself is used, though very uncommon
- Kōtarō (鋼太朗) - writing rare, the name itself is definitely usable though
- Kureo (呉緒) - the name itself is rare, though I couldn't find any examples for this particular writing
- Yukinori (幸紀) - writing uncommon though usable
- Kishō (貴将) - writing rare and more likely to be read as Takamasa but I did see one occurrence on Google and seeing as if I am seeing more and more 2-kanji names utilising Chinese-derived readings, it's not entirely impossible to encounter a Kishō
- Ginshi (吟士) - writing rare, though more likely to be used on a young child (that goes for the name itself)
- Ayato (絢都) - definitely usable, ranking within the top 30 overall for most of 2018
- Jūzō (什造) - the name itself does have a bit of usage in the olden days (e.g. the Edo and Meiji periods), though I couldn't find any examples for this particular writing
- Seidō (政道) - I found only one other example of Seidō with this writing, otherwise, it's far more likely to be read as Masamichi
- Kōsuke (項介) - the name itself is usable, though this particular writing is very rare
- Urie (久生) - could not find any examples of this name, both by itself and with this particular writing
- Shiki (式) - this particular kanji is rarely used, the name itself is mainly seen on females though it does have some usage for males as well
- Yakumo (八雲) - name and writing rare
- Kazuichi (数壱) - the name itself is uncommon and this particular writing is rarely used
- Enji (円児) - the name itself is very uncommon and this particular writing is rarely used
- Akihiro (明博) the name is definitely usable, though this particular writing is uncommon
- Mōgan (望元) - could not find any real life examples of this name
- Koori (郡) - I found at least 1 example of 郡, though keep in mind this particular kanji can also be read as Gun
- Tōka (董香) - could not find RL occurrences of this particular writing, though I've noticed that the name itself is getting a bit more popular though ranking outside the top 100 according to my own research.
- Rize (利世) - the name itself is rarely used, though I couldn't find any examples for this particular writing
- Hinami (雛実) - the name itself is very uncommon (mainly used on those born in the current Heisei Period) and this particular writing is rarely used
- Tooru (透) - all the examples I've found on Google are male (I did find one female 透 on Namae Jiten), though there is one other fictional female character with this name (she's the main character in Fruits Basket)
- Saiko (才子) - the name itself is very uncommon and so is this particular writing
- Eto (エト) - this name is rarely used, most often used on women born before the Shōwa Period
- Sen (泉) - the name itself has been in common usage in the olden days before the Shōwa Period though not nearly as often used recently, this particular kanji, however, is more likely to be read as I(d)zumi
- Nashiro (奈白) - could not find any real life examples of this name
- Ryōko & Kanae - the phonetic (hiragana/katakana) versions of this name can be found on women (found on Namae Jiten)
- Hairu (入) - the name itself is rare, though I'm certain it's used on males in real life
My PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/149249
'Maybe It Is Daijiro (aka Maks)' blog: https://maybeitisdaijirou.wordpress.com/
'Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi' blog: https://beyondsakuraandhiroshi.wordpress.com/
I would like to point out that some of the 'given names' you listed for the characters from Tokyo Ghoul are actually surnames, some others are listed incorrectly in one way or another and I wanted to clear things off:
- Yoshimura (芳村), his first name being Kuzen (功善), not Kouzen as you listed
- Nishio (the kanji listed is his first name, Nishiki)
- Arima (same as Nishio, the kanji listed make up his first name, Kishō)
- Hoji (the kanji listed is one part of his first name, Kōsuke - 項介)
- Kuki (the first two kanji make up the surname Kuki while the last one is one part of his first name, Urie - 久生)
- Ginshi (same goes for this name, his first name written as 吟士)
- Yakumo (the kanji is the second part of his first name, written as 八雲)
- Ayato (first kanji > 2nd part of Kirishima/霧嶋 and second kanji > 1st part of first name Ayato/絢都)
- Banjō (the kanji listed make up his first name, Kazuichi)
- Sen (the kanji is the second part of the surname Takatsuki/高槻, the first name, Sen, written as 泉)
- Matsumae (surname)
- Hairu (the kanji listed make up the full name, 入 being the first name Hairu)
For the names whose kanji you couldn't include when you posted this, Yukinori is 幸紀, Seido (or rather Seidō/Seidou) is 政道, Shiki is 式, Enji is 円児 and Tōru (Tooru) is 透. For Seiko, I am presuming you mean Saiko (才子) as in Saiko Yonebayashi, based on what I can find out?
Now onto whether these particular kanji writings are used in real life. I've based my findings on data from Namae Jiten, Dousei Doumei, Google searches and my own town PR magazine research.
- Ken (研) - not the most common form of Ken but definitely usable
- Haise (琲世) - no real life occurrences to be found
- Kuzen (功善) - writing rare though it could be read as something else
- Nishiki (錦) - rarely used in real life for both genders, though not a super-modern name (by that, I mean the name has been used since at least the Meiji Period)
- Renji (蓮示) - I can't find any RL occurrences for this particular writing, the name itself is used, though very uncommon
- Kōtarō (鋼太朗) - writing rare, the name itself is definitely usable though
- Kureo (呉緒) - the name itself is rare, though I couldn't find any examples for this particular writing
- Yukinori (幸紀) - writing uncommon though usable
- Kishō (貴将) - writing rare and more likely to be read as Takamasa but I did see one occurrence on Google and seeing as if I am seeing more and more 2-kanji names utilising Chinese-derived readings, it's not entirely impossible to encounter a Kishō
- Ginshi (吟士) - writing rare, though more likely to be used on a young child (that goes for the name itself)
- Ayato (絢都) - definitely usable, ranking within the top 30 overall for most of 2018
- Jūzō (什造) - the name itself does have a bit of usage in the olden days (e.g. the Edo and Meiji periods), though I couldn't find any examples for this particular writing
- Seidō (政道) - I found only one other example of Seidō with this writing, otherwise, it's far more likely to be read as Masamichi
- Kōsuke (項介) - the name itself is usable, though this particular writing is very rare
- Urie (久生) - could not find any examples of this name, both by itself and with this particular writing
- Shiki (式) - this particular kanji is rarely used, the name itself is mainly seen on females though it does have some usage for males as well
- Yakumo (八雲) - name and writing rare
- Kazuichi (数壱) - the name itself is uncommon and this particular writing is rarely used
- Enji (円児) - the name itself is very uncommon and this particular writing is rarely used
- Akihiro (明博) the name is definitely usable, though this particular writing is uncommon
- Mōgan (望元) - could not find any real life examples of this name
- Koori (郡) - I found at least 1 example of 郡, though keep in mind this particular kanji can also be read as Gun
- Tōka (董香) - could not find RL occurrences of this particular writing, though I've noticed that the name itself is getting a bit more popular though ranking outside the top 100 according to my own research.
- Rize (利世) - the name itself is rarely used, though I couldn't find any examples for this particular writing
- Hinami (雛実) - the name itself is very uncommon (mainly used on those born in the current Heisei Period) and this particular writing is rarely used
- Tooru (透) - all the examples I've found on Google are male (I did find one female 透 on Namae Jiten), though there is one other fictional female character with this name (she's the main character in Fruits Basket)
- Saiko (才子) - the name itself is very uncommon and so is this particular writing
- Eto (エト) - this name is rarely used, most often used on women born before the Shōwa Period
- Sen (泉) - the name itself has been in common usage in the olden days before the Shōwa Period though not nearly as often used recently, this particular kanji, however, is more likely to be read as I(d)zumi
- Nashiro (奈白) - could not find any real life examples of this name
- Ryōko & Kanae - the phonetic (hiragana/katakana) versions of this name can be found on women (found on Namae Jiten)
- Hairu (入) - the name itself is rare, though I'm certain it's used on males in real life
My PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/149249
'Maybe It Is Daijiro (aka Maks)' blog: https://maybeitisdaijirou.wordpress.com/
'Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi' blog: https://beyondsakuraandhiroshi.wordpress.com/
This message was edited 12/5/2018, 3:14 PM
Replies
Hi m4yb3_daijirou !!!
Than you a lot !!!
I listed surnames and incorrect names simply because I don't recognize Japanese given names when they are written in Kanji along with their surnames. Actually I don't recognize any Japanese given name eccept for the very popular ones also when they are written with our alphabet. Lol
Thanks also for the analysis of every name and its popularity!
Than you a lot !!!
I listed surnames and incorrect names simply because I don't recognize Japanese given names when they are written in Kanji along with their surnames. Actually I don't recognize any Japanese given name eccept for the very popular ones also when they are written with our alphabet. Lol
Thanks also for the analysis of every name and its popularity!
This message was edited 11/30/2018, 1:53 AM