Hello everyone!

[yoshi-in-black.livejournal.com]

I'm also new here!^^ I wanted to ask what you think about giving children Japanese Names even if they're not Japanese. I'd like to do that, but I'm not Japanese and I don't think that I'll mary one.
My favs for a girl are Mariko, which means "child of the sea" and Ruriko which means "emerald child".
I don't have any ideas for a boy yet. So what do you think about?

Comments

[amai-amaya.livejournal.com]

I love Japanese names, although I wouldn't necessarily give my kids Japanese names.
I like Mariko as well as Ruriko and there are also many other Japanese names I'd be tempted to give my children.
I would think hard about it, though, because I'm not sure it would fit a non Japanese child.

[nille.livejournal.com]

just remember the father also have a lot to say, my boyfriend and i couldn't agree on a girl name, i said ronja, he said maja (old danish name from the time with vikings... one thing we agreed on) luckly we got at boy and we both agreed on the name Toke..
remember that speciel names might both be at blessing and a curse... people can't spell my name, because it's an uncommon version of at common name.. it's annoying.

[metallic-ah.livejournal.com]

My wife and I are not German or Scandinavian, and we named our son Ulric. Nobody can pronounce it, most people can't spell it, but he can. (he is 3) So we are not worried. If he is anything like us, he will be an outsider anyway. Like any name, there will be a time when he hates it, but I think when he is older he will be happy not be named Tom, or Brad, or something like that. Iknow this is not as drastic as a Japanese name, but if we had a Japanese name we liked, I think we would have used it. I think it is awesome that you are considering it!

[christhiane.livejournal.com]

I can say it! But I'd probably spell it Ulrik. XD I am Scandinavian.

[seksimaggie.livejournal.com]

I think it would be a bad idea, because no one would ever spell or pronounce your kids' names right, and you're setting them up for more than the standard amount of teasing from other kids. Japanese everything is very trendy right now, a friend of mine is a total Japanophile and really wanted to adopt a Japanese girl and name her Katie and give her this Japanese middle name, I don't remember how it's really spelled for sure... It was supposed to be pronounced something like "Oo-kye", but it looked like "Uckey" to me, and that's how every American who didn't know Japanese (which is most of us) would read it. We don't know the language, so we wouldn't have any idea that a beautiful meaning was attached, we would just all think it was a weird name. Anyway, with Japanese things being so trendy, I think it would be like if you lived in the sixties and named your baby Sunshine Summer Daisy Rainbow Glitter Love Buttercup. It's what you're into, so you think it's cute now, but it doesn't look that way to the bulk of people your kid will meet in their life.

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

Agreed! Maybe it's because "Japanophile" people irk me to no end. Watch all the amine and throw out a few Japanese words all you want, you're still not Asian, no matter how much you want to be. It's like the geek equivalent of Posers. Doesn't work.

//end rant :P

[mistresslane.livejournal.com]

Amen. lol. IF only people would leave the names to the real japanese, and the cartoons..or better yet go live over there for a bit THEN try and name your child a japanese name >.< That would be horrid. It must be even more insulting for people who are japanese and see this "japanophile" Its like their obsession with American words but I know most of them don't go naming their kids "Ashley"

[fullofgrace40.livejournal.com]

awhile back someone listed the japanese name kadia, meaning little dragon. i think it's just adorable for a little girl.

[tokossel.livejournal.com]

i was going to say something about cultural appropriation but then remembered that i love the boy's name kenzo. jiro, too.

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

I have the same issues. Usually I don't like it when a child has a name that's very culturally distinctive, and the child is obviously not of that culture. Japanese are usually the worst. Like, a freckled red headed kid named Akira? Usually makes me roll my eyes, but there are a few low-key Asian names I LOVE. I don't think I'd ever be able to use them though, just seems wrong.

[oneworldvision.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with Russian names. Absolutely adore them, but unless I find a nice Russian boy to marry, I'll never call my half-Irish kid Natasha. Doesn't seem right to me.

[chadam-lives.livejournal.com]

I think the name Raiden (i think it means little dragon) is lovely for a boy.
And Kaiden (yeah, I know, same spelling, diff first letter) is nice as well. For boy or girl.

It's meaning is a bit silly it means 'scary story' or something. I came across it watching a programme about Japanese horror movies.
Ah well. I love the way it sounds anyhoo.

[dosequisgirl.livejournal.com]

Raiden was the god of thunder, it means thunder and lightening.

[rrradiocuresss.livejournal.com]

I know someone named "ruri" who is japanese and it's one of my favorites though I'm not sure if its actually japanese...maybe short for Ruriko?

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

As long as it's not too complicated, I think you should just do it =)! We have a Dutch politician here named 'Mariko'. It fits here quite well =)

[hobbitnat.livejournal.com]

my cousin has a Japanese name and she's not Japanese, both her parents (my aunt and uncle) went to Japan. Her name is Chiemi (Pronounced Chay-mee)

[wtfitsruri.livejournal.com]

i have a japanese name, ruri.
i've never really been made fun of for my name.
and i've gone to school with american kids.
i don't like when the names have ko at the end.
my family on the japanese side all have ko's, and it really bothers me.
just my opinion.

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

I knew I girl named Mariko who was a typical blonde American. The name is unusual, but not strange, and it's fairly spell-able. So if you like it, why not use it?

[trogue.livejournal.com]

I'm half-japanese. My middle name is Mari. It's frequently mis-pronounced "Mary". When I was a kid, I thought my middle name was "Muddy" because of the way my Mom pronounced it. My sister gave all three of her children Japanese middle names (Boys: Tadashi & Makoto, Girl: Rika). However, when my daughter was born last year, I couldn't find any Japanese names I liked. I liked some of the "ko" names. (Ko translates as child, there are LOTS of girls names ending with ko.) However, my relatives in Japan informed me that "Ko" names are very unfashionable right now.

[little-red-kite.livejournal.com]

How about some less obvious Japanese names? For example: Hana, Ayana, Haname, Ayame, Kaede, Aya etc.

[christhiane.livejournal.com]

Works for me.

[oneworldvision.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think it's kind of tacky and pretentious to give kids names belonging to a heritage that isn't theirs.

[riles298.livejournal.com]

My friend Kati's middle name is Ruriko. I think it's sweet.

[nistelle.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't use non-naturalized ethnic names if you're not sure about the cultural connotations behind them. For instance, a lot of people in Japan are trying to abandon -ko names (which are all female -- Yukiko, Eiko, Ryoko, Kyoko, Mariko) with the claim that they're very infantalizing. Which they are, because -ko doesn't just mean "my child," it means "a child, period."

[mangoalix.livejournal.com]

I wanna do the exact same things. I've always known I wanted to call my children Molly and Ethan, but I also love the girls names Megumi and Haruka. I dunno, think they're beautiful.
xox

[gaaratehpanda.livejournal.com]

I think that giving your child a Japanese middle name is cool cause the child would have the option of choosing between their first name or their middle name and it wouldn't be so awkward when they first go to school. Though, as some have said, giving them a simple Japanese first name is cool too.

[darkinyron.livejournal.com]

I'm all for it. It gives them that uniqueness, and ones that are beautiful at that. ^_^