Whether you are looking for a Japanese name, an international name, or one from your home culture, read on for helpful strategies to bestow the perfect moniker upon your little-one-to-be.
Choosing a baby name—in Japan or elsewhere—can be challenging regardless of your cultural context, and even more inside an international family. With potential unwelcome advice from your in-laws, criticism from your co-workers, and pregnancy-brain to blame for your own waffling name style allegiances, it’s no wonder that many parents are choosing to keep their baby’s name a secret until the birth.
Fact: People are far less likely to complain about a name when faced with the adorable baby in question!
An infinite list of questions
Should we go with an honor name after our relatives?
Is popularity a pro or a con for us?
Do we care about a name’s meaning?
Is the sound of a name our primary concern?
How about the flow of the “sibset” or how siblings’ names sound together?
As an international family in Japan, these usual baby name questions can’t get the job done on their own. Instead, for example, you also have to consider the child’s future both in and out of Japan, how the name will sound in multiple languages, and even what language you want your child’s name to hail from.
When I named my daughter, I was still living in Canada—but I knew that we would likely be coming to live in Japan in the near future. To complicate matters, for family reasons, we wanted the name to be easily pronounced in English, French, Khmer, and Italian! I also was not sure where she would spend most of her life. As such, I decided against skewing the name choice too much in one (cultural) direction or another.
And, then, I am also really picky about names in general! “The Name” couldn’t have been worn by anyone I disliked over the years, nor could it be too popular or too obscure. To make matters worse, I was committed to a botanical name in the middle. So, for anyone very overwhelmed by their decision, I feel you!
Below is a list of things to consider, from one anxious Mama to another, when you are naming your baby in Japan.
1. Name Origin
Something to consider:
Kanji Strokes
Choosing a name based on the number of strokes (or first and last name combinations) which are associated with luck. Although you used to have to go see a fortune teller in order to discover the luckiness of certain strokes, now, many websites claim to be able to calculate for you. Even more personalized, some websites also provide you with a personalized how-to-name-your-baby book which only includes combinations pre-approved for good luck!
Kanji Meaning
Choosing a name based on the meaning of one or several kanji. Take 杏 whose meaning is “apricot,” as an example: Japanese name books say that using this kanji, a representation of a tree with both beautiful flowers and delicious fruit, implies that you hope to raise a wonderful girl, both in terms of beauty and substance!
Imagery
Choosing a name based on imagery that speaks to you and your family. This could be based on the season they are born, which have associated kanji, like 元 for winter as in 元 (Hajime, boy) or 元香 (Motoka, girl). Or, this could be in the form of a trait, like kindness, which also has suggested kanji, such as 心 in names like 心悟(Shingo, boy) or 心優(Miyu, girl).
Sound of Name/Letters
Choosing a name based on liking how it sounds or liking what it implies in Japanese. For example, it is said that names beginning in ra-ri-ru-re-ro sounds are the number one for career success since their bearers are viewed as cool and direct in speech. Indeed, as naming books painstakingly explain, ra-ri-ru-re-ro in Japanese are pronounced by flicking your tongue delicately, like falling flower petals.
As such, these names are evaluated as beautiful as flowers in childhood. Apparently, this is also why many Shojo manga heroines are named using these sounds! This positive childhood appraisal, in turn, builds self-esteem leading to the child growing into a confident and well-spoken adult—perfect for climbing high on their chosen career ladder.
Although naming, especially as an expat, can seem overwhelming sometimes, it can also be a fun and creative process that connects parents to their future baby. I hope this guide gives you some ideas of things to consider when you are up against this all-important decision. Good luck!
