View Message

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

[Facts] Re: Untranslated Japanese name in family tree?
in reply to a message by Ema
I agree with everything ClaudiaS said though I don't know any Japanese at all. Personally, I'm leaning towards Chisako.I've always been fascinated in Japanese names and kanji- names interest me and the idea that a name can have so many different meanings depending on what kanji is used sets my heart on fire :) Over the years of looking up names I've come across some sites that deal in Japanese names and kanji and which have turned out to be very useful and reliable.
Wiktionary- it's a great site I use often and contains all sorts of information. You can paste in the kanji (though it only works for one kanji at a time). https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Main_Page
Red Finch Japanese dictionary- this site is very handy. You can see three tabs (Meaning/Reading/Kanji). The first one (Meaning) you just type in an English word and it'll show you various kanji for the word in Japanese; Reading looks up the romaji reading for a kanji; and Kanji looks up the meaning of a word in English; it only works for one kanji at a time, not a whole name. If you're looking up a name or kanji, make sure you're on the kanji tab otherwise it won't work.
http://redfinchjapanese.com/?action=kanji_dictionary
tangorin.com- another handy site for looking up Japanese names. Unlike the other two you can post an entire name and not only does it give you the meaning of the name in kanji but also how it's written in hiragana. Another nifty thing about it is that you can write the Japanese name in English (like, say, Sanako or Yuki) and it gives you a list of names that can be written in various ways in kanji. However, when I pasted the name 散咲子 all I got were the kanji meanings. It may be that this name with these particular kanji together may have been unusual but I don't know.
https://tangorin.com/names
Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi- this is a name site devoted to Japanese names. The person who runs the site seems very knowledgeable with Japanese names and kanji so he may be able to give you some more information about the name. https://beyondsakuraandhiroshi.wordpress.com“Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.”
-Carl Schurz

This message was edited 5/2/2020, 12:40 AM

vote up2vote down

Replies

Im so very thankful to everyone here for their input!, I emailed the translator and copied and pasted your comments (I hope you don't mind) and the translator was very apologetic for missing it and concluded that my relative was most likely named Chisako! with the kanji translating to something like "scattered flower child" Im over the moon that I was able to find it out and it speaks volumes to the quality of this sites userbase!
vote up1vote down
I'm glad you found a resolution! Chisako sounds like a nice name
vote up1vote down
No problem :) And I don't mind. I hope you find the links useful for future reference. Out of curiosity what other names did you find in your family register, if it isn't too personal (you can PM me if you want). I'm just curious to know what sort of names were used back than, especially from different backgrounds.
~~

This message was edited 5/2/2020, 1:00 AM

vote up1vote down