Your name in Japanese

Type your first name, last name or both. You will see it in katakana, the script Japan uses for foreign names, and the sounds that make it up.

The converter knows the standard Japanese spelling of about 2,200 English names, the ones you would see on a Japanese passport stamp, a film poster or a name tag. For any other name it builds the spelling sound by sound, following the same rules Japanese speakers use, and marks the result as a best guess.

On this page
  1. How names are written in Japanese
  2. Popular English names in Japanese
  3. Sounds that change in Japanese
  4. Your name in kanji
  5. Questions

How names are written in Japanese

Japanese has three scripts. Kanji carry meaning, hiragana spell Japanese words and grammar, and katakana spell words and names that come from other languages. So a name like Emma is written エマ: two katakana for the two sounds e and ma.

Japanese is built from simple syllables, so names with consonant clusters gain extra vowels. Christopher becomes クリストファー (ku-ri-su-to-fā), and a final r usually turns into a long vowel, as in ピーター for Peter. Common names have settled spellings that everyone in Japan recognises; for those we use the standard spelling. When you write a full name, a small dot ・ goes between the first and last name: エマ・ワトソン.

Sounds that change in Japanese

Most surprises in a Japanese spelling come from a handful of rules. Once you know them, you can read almost any foreign name in katakana.

RuleWhyExamples
L becomes RJapanese has one sound between r and l, written with the R row of katakana.Liam リアム, Lucas ルーカス
V becomes BMost names use the B row. A newer spelling with ヴ exists, but B is still more common.Oliver オリバー, Ava エヴァ
Th becomes S or TThere is no th sound, so it turns into the nearest one.Ethan イーサン, Thomas トーマス
Final consonants gain a vowelEvery sound except ン ends in a vowel, so a final d or s turns into do or zu.David デイビッド, James ジェームズ
-er and -ar become a long vowelA final r is not pronounced, and the vowel before it is lengthened with ー.Oliver オリバー, Jennifer ジェニファー
Short stops become ッA small ッ marks the short pause before a hard consonant.Charlotte シャーロット

Your name in kanji

Foreign names are almost never written in kanji in everyday Japanese life. Choosing kanji for their sound, called ateji, is a playful tradition with a long history: Japan once wrote America as 亜米利加 and Paris as 巴里. The converter suggests one kanji for each sound of your name, chosen for a pleasant meaning, but the meanings are picked by whoever writes them and a Japanese reader may find the result unusual.

If you want kanji with a meaning you love, it works better to start from the meaning. The kanji name builder shows real Japanese names whose kanji carry the ideas you choose, and the meaning pages list names for each one.

Questions

How do I write my name in Japanese?

Foreign names are written in katakana, the Japanese script for words from other languages. Type your name in the converter above to see the standard spelling, or the closest one built sound by sound if your name is rare.

Can my name be written in kanji?

Yes, by choosing kanji for their sound, a practice called ateji. It is a playful tradition rather than an official spelling: in daily life in Japan your name would be written in katakana. The converter suggests one kanji for each sound, and the kanji name builder helps if you would rather choose by meaning.

Should my name be in katakana or hiragana?

Katakana. Hiragana is used for Japanese words and grammar, so a foreign name in hiragana looks childlike or deliberately cute. The hiragana column is there for learners who know only one script.

What does the long line ー in my name mean?

It lengthens the vowel before it. Peter is ピーター (pī-tā): both vowels are held for twice as long.

Why is my name spelled differently on other sites?

Some names have more than one accepted spelling, such as エヴァ and エバ for Ava. We use the spelling most common in Japan; both will be understood.

Can I use this for a tattoo?

Ask a native speaker to check it first. To a Japanese reader, katakana simply spells out a foreign name, so it looks like a name tag rather than decoration. Ateji kanji chosen only for sound can read as an odd or even unlucky phrase.