Library

Reference

How Kanji Are Chosen for Your Name — The dictionary foundation, matching system, and artistic judgment behind every kanji name design — how we find the right characters and why you can trust the result.

How to Write Names in Hiragana — Writing foreign names in hiragana — the flowing Japanese script that gives names a softer, more Japanese aesthetic, with details on how hiragana differs from katakana for name designs.

How to Write Names in Japanese — 4 Ways Beyond Katakana — The four ways to write names in Japanese — katakana, hiragana, ateji, and kanji — explained with examples by Master Calligrapher Eri Takase.

How to Write Names in Kanji — Writing names in Japanese kanji — two methods, phonetic (ateji) and literal translation, with guidance on when each works best and detailed examples by Master Calligrapher Eri Takase.

How to Write Names in Katakana — The standard way to write foreign names in Japanese — how katakana works, how sounds adapt, extended characters for non-Japanese sounds, and what to expect from your katakana design.

How We Pronounce Your Name — How we determine the correct pronunciation for names from dozens of languages — the dictionaries, the challenges, and why getting it right matters for Japanese calligraphy.

Names in Japanese — Translation Methodology — How we verify every name translation against published references, 399,000 real-world examples, and a proprietary phonetic system — the methodology behind the most extensive Names in Japanese resource online.

What Your Name Means — How we research name meanings — 19 scholarly sources, thousands of etymologies verified across multiple authorities, and what it means for your Japanese calligraphy design.

Where Your Name Translations Come From — The seven data sources, four pronunciation dictionaries, and exhaustive verification behind every name translation on this site — 157,000 names and growing.