Home
Back

Dear visitor, if you know the answer to this question, please post it. Thank you!

Note that this thread has not been updated in a long time, and its content might not be up-to-date anymore.

Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/5 15:05
I Have been struggling to find a name and I only came to thinking of 'Izuku' (Like Midoriya but shhhh) and I want to know if it's ok or not because two people already told me something about it and that hurt but can someone help me with this question?
by Izuku/King (guest)  

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/5 18:40
To be honest - I don't really get your question. The way your question is worded grammatically does not really make sense so my answer is a guess on what I think your saying.

Is it ok to use the name Izuku - yes!

If your choosing it because it's the name of the main character on My Hero Acadamia - it may raise eyebrows and be seen as a bit odd.

Will Japanese people be upset that you have a Japanese name or use a Japanese name? Mostly no - but you might find the especially rare person who does. Think of that person as similar to a westerner getting upset that a non-western person is using the name James or Jane.
by mfedley rate this post as useful

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/5 19:18
Are you going to use it as a nickname or handle name in private community? Or are you going to change your name officially in your country? In those cases, I don't think it will be problem with Japanese people.

However, when non-Japanese use a Japanese nickname in the other situations which you should use real name, job application, guest card registration at a hotel, for example, it won't be accepted.
by Asiansenior (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/5 20:46
So you have a name in your passport but you want to be known by people in Japan by a different name, right?

Thatfs no problem in itself. I know several Chinese / Taiwanese who transformed their Chinese name into a Japanese one. Or that are known by some English name although their official Chinese name is completely different. It wonft appear in your official documents, but you can definitely tell everyone gplease call me xyz g

Also something else happens. When Japanese think that your foreign name is too hard to pronounce sometimes they will ask you if there is an acceptable short form. Like I had a colleague in language school and he was called Roberto, which wasnft easy to pronounce. So the teachers wanted him to select a different name. But he resisted and said that no, he is learning Japanese so the teachers can at least learn his name.

Now I canft talk to the specific name you have chosen and if that is appropriate or just sounding strange. Sometimes names from mangas / comics just can sound strange. Eg I had a colleague in Spain and she wanted to call her daughter gMafaldah which is an existing name but uncommon in Spain and really only known for the comics.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafalda

Luckily she only had boys, but no one in her surroundings thought that Mafalda was a good idea.

Similarly I think you would have a hard time calling your son Jesus in many parts of Europe, while in Spain itfs a perfectly normal name.

So maybe something like that is going on with the specific name you did choose. Can you ask those people who were not thrilled by your choice why they think itfs not a good choice?
by LikeBike rate this post as useful

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/6 05:50
Depends if you want to be taken seriously or not.

Taking a Japanese name when you are not Japanese can be deemed as weeb like. Someone might tell you to your face. Others might snigger or laugh at you behind your back.

It is really up to you to make a decision and be confident in it.
by H (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/6 08:14
If it's for a nickname, you can ask people to call you whatever, but ultimately the people will decide to call you by that name or not. For example: you go to America and decide you want to be called Elvis (because you admire Elvis Presley), but people might think "no, you don't look like Elvis".


by ITO (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/6 08:16
I don't think it will be problems as long as you use it as a nickname or handlename and you never use at situations that you should use real name, such as job application, registration (check-in) at a hotel, etc.

However, there could be people who take it negatively. Actually many people of my country use English nickname name or Japanese nickname at various situations, because it is cool and easier to pronounce for foreigners. Nevertheless, some Japanese people say that 'don't pretend to Japanese' 'why do you need to hide your real name?'
by Asiansenior (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Ok for non-Japanese to use a Japanese name 2021/11/7 09:58
Have you thought about a name that is both a "western" name and a Japanese name? I am not quite as up on the boy names but examples for girls would be: Naomi, Aya, Sasha (which I guess is ambi), and Noa (which if you add the "h" for "Noah" is ambi.) I expect there are even more. I saw a Japanese baby naming list for 2021 and Reira is very popular and would have a similar pronunciation to Layla. I would think the name "Ken" or "Kai" would work. Kai was #93rd most popular boy's name in the USA in 2020.
by rkold rate this post as useful

reply to this thread