Still, Japanese names can be confusing if you're from an English-speaking country. There are numerous principles which are different from how names bring in English. Japanese names that mean tend to have different specific meanings than Western names. This is because of the symbolism of written Kanji characters.
In Japanese, the word for name is (namae). The maiden name is called (shita no namae). It means the "nethermost name" because Japanese is frequently written vertically. Their last name is (myouji).
Significance of the written name
The way the name is authored is significant in Japanese. This is because the equal name in pronunciation can have different kanji characters and meanings.
Same name but other meanings
Then's a sample of a situation when the same name in pronunciation can have various meanings. Haruto is a boy's name that can be written in other ways. It can be written as either 陽翔はると or 大翔はると. The earliest Haruto can mean sun (to soar). The alternate Haruto can mean big and fly. As you can see, the name meanings come differently though they're spoken the same way.
Hiragana names
Maiden names can also be written in hiragana, the most introductory writing system in Japanese. Hiragana names are occasionally given to girls because people suppose it has a cute image. For exemplar, (Sakura)
Stroke number (kakusuu)
There are also varied superstitions with the number of strokes in the kanji character. Stroke number, or (kakusuu), refers to the number of times you draw a line without lifting a brush or pencil in a given Kanji character. For example, the name (Yamada Taro) has a total stroke number of 21.
No mid names
In Japanese, there are no middle names! This can be problematic for non-natives who have children in Japan. Putting a middle name into official documents must be more solvable. Combining the middle and first names is the only way to do this.
Honorifics
When applying Japanese names, it can be crude and obnoxious to call someone by their name without any honorifics.
We won't go through all the honorifics then, but make sure only to call people by their maiden or last names if you know them well. Utmost people will either add a さん( san) to be polite. Indeed in casual situations, it's popularized to add (chan) for girls and (Kun) for boys. Regarding the name (Tanaka Taro), you would call the person (Tanaka san) if you want to be mannerly.
Japanese Last names
As in other countries, last names describe the family name in Japanese. These names are generally passed down through the manly members of the family. After marriage, women will typically change their last name to the hubby's last name.
Last names and history
Before the 1800s, only the gentility had last names. Popular last names like (tanaka), meaning inside rice fields, came much latterly. The familiar people had to start using last names during the Meiji period. Those who lived near rice actions started calling themselves (Tanaka). Numerous other last names probably came about during this period and have meanings related to where they lived.
