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HelpInteresting article on Japanese names
Today I came across this article on the most popular baby names for 2020.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/26/national/aoi-himari-popular-baby-names-japan-2020/
Basically the most popular boys ‘ names are Aoi, So Ana Ao (all based on the kanji for “blue”) and Himari, Hinata and Hina for girls.
Thoughts on the names? I think it’s interesting to compare names that seem to be popular now to those of Japanese boomers/Xers/older millennials. These tend to be longer and have 2 kanji at least. Now the trend is towards shorter names, more like Chinese given names with 1-2 characters. Some of the names, like Hina, have a bit more of an international vibe.
"We have met the enemy and he is us" Walt Kelly
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/11/26/national/aoi-himari-popular-baby-names-japan-2020/
Basically the most popular boys ‘ names are Aoi, So Ana Ao (all based on the kanji for “blue”) and Himari, Hinata and Hina for girls.
Thoughts on the names? I think it’s interesting to compare names that seem to be popular now to those of Japanese boomers/Xers/older millennials. These tend to be longer and have 2 kanji at least. Now the trend is towards shorter names, more like Chinese given names with 1-2 characters. Some of the names, like Hina, have a bit more of an international vibe.
"We have met the enemy and he is us" Walt Kelly
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Interesting! I don't really know anything about Japanese and hadn't realized the same kanji could be trending yet be different sounding names.
Yayoi has been on my mind lately, and Aoi reminds me of that.
I like Himari and Uta. The meaning of Hinata seems nice, but I don't really like the Hin* sound part.
Yayoi has been on my mind lately, and Aoi reminds me of that.
I like Himari and Uta. The meaning of Hinata seems nice, but I don't really like the Hin* sound part.
This message was edited 11/27/2020, 4:59 PM
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So it's not that those readings ranked top specifically but that the kanji or kanji combination did. I'm still surprised to see Aoi on a boy, I've always seen it as feminine.
I'm also pleasantly surprised to see Ren(lotus) rising as a male name as I think it has been primarily feminine until recently, I really like it.
I'm also pleasantly surprised to see Ren(lotus) rising as a male name as I think it has been primarily feminine until recently, I really like it.
This message was edited 11/27/2020, 2:25 PM
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Aoi is interesting to me because it's the adjective form of blue. Is it normal to use the adjectives as names? I guess whenever I hear of someone named or nicknamed after a color in English (Scarlet, Red, Blue, etc.) I assume it's meant as the noun form. And I've heard of people named Shiro but not Shiroi.
I like Hina and Hinata (but is Hinata also common for older people?) I like Tatsuki and Ren too. Uta is alright. I think I tend to prefer boomer or millenial names in Japanese for some reason though :P Like I still like "ko" names and no babies are named with those anymore.
I like Hina and Hinata (but is Hinata also common for older people?) I like Tatsuki and Ren too. Uta is alright. I think I tend to prefer boomer or millenial names in Japanese for some reason though :P Like I still like "ko" names and no babies are named with those anymore.
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Random colors aren’t common to my knowledge but pretty much anything goes with Japanese names, potentially.
I rather like older names too, including the -ko names. I think they fell out of use because “ko” means “child “ and those names are now perceived as infantilizing women.
I rather like older names too, including the -ko names. I think they fell out of use because “ko” means “child “ and those names are now perceived as infantilizing women.
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