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JAPANESE LANGUAGE

JAPANESE NAMING PRACTICES

PICKING A FEUDAL JAPANESE NAME

Japanese are very family oriented, the family being more important than the individual, hence the family name goes in front of the given name. Only court nobles and the samurai (military class) were permitted to have a family name. All samurai boys receive a yomyo (youth name) on the sixth day of their birth. After they are fifteen they receive a coming of age name, genbaku. which they will use through out their lives. Merchants and Artisans were generally referred to by their trade.

Amabe = Fisherman Ayabe = Brocade worker Fubitobe = Scribe Kijibe = Smith Mononabe = Armorer Oribe = Weaver Osabe = Interpreter Tabe = Farmer Yugebe = Buyer

Geishas generally take on the names of flowers or other very feminine nature names to help in their trade. For an idea, see the female given name chart.

FAMILY NAMES

Family names of court nobles and samurai were most often two characters, occasionally but rarely three characters. Name combinations are usually descriptive with an initial character and a final character. Names are often nature related. A list will follow with initials and finals but these are the most common finals for family names:

PERSONAL NAMES

As a general rule, Japanese did not take the name of four legged animals, changeable thing (wind, fire, etc.), unfavorable qualities, or macho names. Harmony, calm, cooperation, stability and such were seen as better alternatives.

MALE GIVEN NAMES Some men used only one character for a name, but for the most part two or more characters were used for a given name. The following chart includes common characters that can be mixed and matched for a name, however not all combinations are valid in original Japanese:

FEMALE GIVEN NAMES Females of the court nobility or samurai class would often have a one character name followed by one of the following finals: -ko = child -no = field, plain, moor, wilds -e = branch, bay, blessing, kindness, mercy, benevolence -yo = age, era, reign, generation, times

LIST OF COMMON INITIAL CHARACTERS:

If a person addresses another, it is polite to add on an honorific to the end of the name depending on rank and sex of the person being addressed. Forgetting the honorific can be considered insulting. Generally for males it is added to the family name, and women can have it added to their given name.

* "Hime" means princess or woman of noble birth. "Gozen" means titled lady.

Another common honorific is -chan, which is added to the given name to be very familiar and usually only used between lover's in private.

INITIAL CHARACTERS FOR FAMILY OR GIVEN NAMES Ichi-, Hito-, Kazu- (one), Oto- (youngest), Nyu-, Iri-, Iru- (enter), Jin-, Nin-, Hiro- (man, person), Sho-, Ko- (small), Kawa- (river), Shima-, Shita- (lower), Shi-, Ko-, Ne- (child, sign of the rat), Kyu- Ku-, Hisa- (ancient), To- Do- Tsuchi- (earth), Jo-, Kami- Ue- (upper), Dai-, Tai- O- (great), Jo-, Me-, Onna- (woman), Maru- (round), San-, Yama- (mountain), Sui-, Mizu-, Mi- (water), Gen-, Moto- (origin), To- (door), Ten-, Ama- Ame- (heaven), Nai-, Uchi- (inner, within), Te-, Ta- (hand), Ima- (modern, now), Kata- (direction), Ki- (tree, wood), Ta- (great), Inu- (dog), Chu-, Naka- (middle, amid), Getsu-, Tsuki- (the moon, month), Nichi-, Hi- (the sun, a day), Ei-, Naga- (perpetual), Dai-, Shiro- (reign, substitute), Hoku-, Kita- (North), Sei-, Sho-,

Masa (direct), Gyoku-, Tama- (gem), Hei-, Hira- Taira- (level),Seki-, Ishi-, Iwa-(stone, rock), Haku-, Shiro-, Shira (white), Ya- (arrow), Iku-, Iki- (life), Tatsu-, Tachi-, Tate- (set up), Ichi- (market, town), Ho- Moto- (below, origin, book), Sa- (left),U- (right), Ko-, Furu- (old), Ta- (rice field), Me- (eye), I- (this), Naka- (central), Ji-, Tsugu- (to follow, succeed), Take- (bamboo), Ko-, E- (estuary), Ike- (pond), Ji- (earth, place), U-, Ha- (feathers), Sei-, Sai-, Nishi- (west), Funa- (boat),Ta- (many), Na- (name, fame), An-, A-, Yasu- (easy), Mori- (defend), Ji-, Tera- (Buddhist temple), Kichi-, Yoshi- (lucky), Ari- (be), Ko-, Mitsu- (brilliant), Yone- (rice), Tsuji- (crossroad), Sei-, Nari- (become), Ju-, Sumi- (dwell), Sa- (assist), Saka- (ascent), Mura- (village), Ri- Toshi- (gain), Cho-, Machi- (town, ward, street), Ashi- (leg, foot), Kai- (shell), Mi- (see), Ri-, Sato- (hamlet), Hei- (military), Va-, Tani- (valley), Kaku-, Sumi-, Tsuno- (horn, angle), Seki- Aka- (red), Shi- (record), Numa- (marsh), Ji- (government), Ha-, Nami- (a wave), Kawa- (board), Mei- Myo- Ake- (clear), Tokoro- (place), Mon- Kado- (gate), Yashiro- (Shinto Shrine), Tori- (take), Kin-, Kon-, Kane- Kana- (metal, gold), Tei- Sada- (establish), Rai- (arrive), Tsuma- (wife), To-, Higashi- (rock, reef), Kisha- (precipice), Ri-, Sato- (hamlet), Fu- (capital, government, department), Tora- (tiger), Bu-, Mu-, Take- (brave), Oka- (mound), Ho-, Yasu- (to keep), Go- (after), Tsu- (harbor), Nada- (ocean), Kaki- (fence), Jo-, Shiro-, Ki- (castle), Toge- (mountain pass), Yanagi, Yana- (willow), Aki- (autumn), Hoshi- (star), Ju-, Shige- (weighty), Sen-, Izumi- (a spring), Tei- (pavilion), Muro- (cellar), Shun- Haru- (the spring), Nan-, Minami-, Mina- (south), Zen-, Mae- (fore), Jin- (very), Waka- (young), Mo-, Shige- (luxuriant), Shiba- (brushwood), Some- (dye), Ya- (household, shop), Fu-, Kaze-, Kaza -(wind), Jo- (item, district), Nami- (wave), Saka-, Sake- (rice wine), Kai-, Umi-, Un- (sea), Ura- (shore), Son-, Mago- (grandchild), Ho-, Mine- (hilltop), Hime- (princess), Ne- (root), Shin-, Jin-, Kami- (a Shinto deity), Ken- (house front), Gun-, Kori- (district), Kuri- (chestnut), Ba-, Uma- (a horse), Kuwa- (mulberry), Ki-, Oni- (spirit, demon), Ma- (real), Kura- (a storehouse), Ko-, Taka- (high), Miya- (palace, shrine), Waki- (side), Go- (honorific prefix), Fuka- (deep), Sei-, Kiyo- (pure), Asa- (shallow), Hori- (moat), Saki- (headland), Bai-, Ume- (plum tree), Kan- (consider), Cho-, Tori- (bird), Do- (hall), Shika-, Ka- (deer), An- (hut), Ku- (town ward), Koku-, Kuni- (country, providence), Yu- (hot water), Watari-, Wata- (ferry), Su- (should, ought to), I-, Ino- (wild boar), Yo- (male principle in nature), Sho-, Katsu-, Kachi- (conquer), Asa- (dawn, dynasty), To- (capital city), Un- Kumo- (cloud), Kuro- (black), Fu-, Tomi, To- (wealth), Mori (forest), Ki- (rejoice), Kiku (chrysanthemum), Ka-, Ga- (congratulate), Gen-, Minamoto (source), Saru- (monkey), Suzu- (small bell), Shin-, Aru- (new), Ha- (leaf), Michi- (way, circuit), Fuku- (luck), Kuma- (a bear), Zu- (picture), Toku- (virtue), Ina- (growing rice), Boku-, Sumi- (ink), Raku-, Ra- (pleasure), E- (defend), Sawa- (marsh), Hashi- (bridge), Yoko- (thwart), Ryo-, Ryu-, Tatsu- (dragon), Ken- (prefecture), Kame- (tortoise), Hama-, Iso- (beach), Tan-, Kitau- (iron forge), Sai- (studio), Ori- (weave), Ho-, Bu-, Toyo- (abundance), ZO-, Kura- (treasury), Se- (rapids), Taki- (waterfall), Ra- (gauze), Fuji- (wisteria), Kan-, Seki- (Barrier), Sakura- (cherry tree), Tsuru- (the crane), Shio- (salt)

COMMON MALE GIVEN NAMES USED BY THEMSELVES
Taro (eldest man), Ichiro (first man), Jiro (second man, succeeding man), Saburo (third man), Shiro (fourth man), Goro (fifth man), Rokuro (Sixth man), Shichiro (seventh man), Hachiro (eight man), Kuro (ninth man), Juro (tenth man, long-lived man), Kichiro (lucky man), Yoshiro (good man), Toshiro (aged man), Katsuro (victorious man), Akira (brightness, clarity), Arata (freshness), Hiroshi (liberality), Isamu (bravery), Katashi (firmness),Katsu (success, victory),Kiyoshi (purity),Masaru (supereminence), Minoru (seed, succession), Mura (village),Nobori, Noboru (rising to eminence), Nobu (expansion, truth), Omi (lordliness), Osamu (law abiding), Sadamu (determination), Sato (village, quickwittness), Susumu (advancement), Tadashi, Tadasu (correctness, directness), Takashi (eminence), Wataru (progression), Yori (dependence), Yoshi (goodness, beauty, luck)

FINAL CHARACTERS FOR FAMILY NAMES
-ta, -da (field), -yama (mountain), -kawa, -gawa (river), -i (well), -moto (origin), -mura (village), -saka, -zaka (slope, hill), -saki, -zaki (cape), -hara, -bara, -wara (field, plain), -sawa, -zawa (swamp), -hashi, -bashi (bridge), -no (field, plain), -be (ancient family), -shima, -jima (island), -ya, -tani, -dani (valley), -o (lower slope of a mountain), -ya (shop, business), -tsu, -zu (harbor, ferry), -oka (hill), -ki (tree), -se (rapids, shallows), -to, -do (wisteria), -tsuka, -zuka (mound, hillock), -ko, -go (child, small), -kuchi, -guchi (mouth), -ura (bay, beach), -to, -do (door), -ji, -tera, -dera (temple), -e (inlet, bay), -be, -nabe (vicinity), -koshi, -goshi, -goe (cross), -bayashi (forest), -mori (woods, grove), -numa (bog, pond), -nami, -ba, -wa (wave), -matsu (pine), -ishi (stone), -daira, -hira (a plain), -u (life, birth), -ue, -noue, -kami, -gami (upper, above), -shita, -noshita (under, lower), -uchi, -nouchi (inner, within), -kata, -gata (direction), -naga (long time) -miya, -nomiya (Shinto shrine), -kura, -gura (warehouse, storehouse, treasury), -umi, -mi (ocean), -mi (view), -ri (village), -shiro (substitute), -shiro, -ki, -gi (castle), -ne (base of the hill), -ma (space, room), -ga, -ka (congratulations, compliments), -ji, -chi (earth, land), -sa (help), -ra (good, fine), -naka (inside, middle), -buchi (deep water), -me (eye), -wa, -ba (feather), -gaki (hedge, wall), -ba (place), -tsuki, -zuki (moon, month), -machi (town, street), -ba (leaf), -ki, -ku (arrive, come), -ke, -ge, -ya (household, shop), -de, -zu (to go out), -te, -de (hand, arm)

First thing to remember in Japanese in period naming practice is the surname, or last name, goes first, and generally only samurai and nobles had a surname. Peasants were generally referred to by the job they had (i.e. Ama "Fisherman" or Tana "Farmer"). Samurai and nobles were addresses by name, not by office done (though I have found some ways to include office in Japanese naming in an old Complete Anarchist #65). An honorific is generally always added, the exception being in private or to a person of low standing. To leave out the honorific is considered a slight.

In formal situations it is common to use the last name and an honorific. Lack of an honorific is considered a slight unless not included by family in privacy. To use the given name, first name, by one not family or a close friend is considered a slight for men. In private, a friend can use the given name but in public they would call them by surname with honorific, normally -sama, in period if of equal rank (note: -san is post period). For example my husband is Tatsu Hayagin. In private he could be called Hayagin by an equal rank friend, and if in public Hayagin-sama. If in a formal situation he would be refered to as Tatsu-sama. If he was of a peerage or of a much higher rank than others around him the honorific -dono would be used, Tatsu-dono.

Women in formal situations to would be refered to by last name with the -sama or -dono honorific based on rank. Titled women though can also be refered to by their given name and -hime (which can be used alone as well, i.e. 'Hime, ready for Court?'). For example my name is Tatsumi Tomoko and I am an SCA Lady. I would be refered to as Tomoko-hime or more formally by Tatsumi-sama. Women who are titled but are of higher nobility would be refered to with given name and honorific -gozen, or by surname and honorific -dono. For example if I had a peerage, or of a much higher rank than those around me, I would be Tomoko-gozen or Tatsumi-dono. A general rule of thumb is unless you are of higher rank always use surname with honorific. Even if equal rank, it's much more polite, and in Japanese society, courtesy is everything. Lack of courtesy can end up being a "loss of face" in many situations, unless person is much beneath you. In the same line too much overt courtesy is a polite way of insulting someone who is uncouth and rude.

Laurels and knights (sensei) can use a former of honorific to distinguish themselves fully from the above honorifics with the honorific -waka. Men would go by surname then -waka, while female would go by surname -fujin then -waka (Fujin means 'female' or 'mistress' and waka means 'master'. For example if I was peerage I would be Tatsumi-fujin-waka.

Next is a few examples generally excepted in the SCA as ways to address those of high rank. I've also included titles for those I have not been able to find an approved address for.