How to give your cat a Japanese name?

When you get a pet, the most difficult thing to decide is its name. This is especially true when it comes to the name of your beloved cat, who is always close to you. In this issue, we introduce some hints on how to choose a “Japanese-style name,” which is ranked high in Anicom Insurance’s annual “Cat Name Ranking.

Hints for giving a Japanese name

There are many themes that can be used as references, such as manga, movies, food, names of great historical figures…… It may be easier to decide on a name if you first decide on an image of the name you want to give, such as “cute” or “cool sounding,” and then focus on themes that match that image.

Two letters expressing a sound or image

An important factor in deciding on a name is whether it is easy to pronounce. Names that sound good tend to be easy to call and are preferred. When keeping multiple cats, give each cat a different-sounding name, as similar-sounding names for multiple cats can be confusing.

In the “Cat Name Ranking 2023” (surveyed by Anicom Insurance), the first through fourth places went to the two-letter names “Mugi,” “Sora,” “Leo,” and “Luna. All of them are easy to pronounce. Of these, “Mugi”and “Sora” have a Japanese-style image.

Think of food as a clue.

There are often cases where food is used as a name. Kinako”and “azuki” used for Japanese sweets are perfect for Japanese-style names. There are many types of Japanese sweets, so you can imagine many different kinds.

It is also recommended to add “o” at the beginning of food, for example, “osen” for “senbei” to give a Japanese impression. For example, “senbei” can be changed to “osen” to give a more Japanese impression. For example, it might be interesting to divide “yokan” into “yo” and “kan” and add “o” to the beginning to make “oyo” and “okan”.

Get hints from seasons, flowers, trees, etc.

A good way to do this is to use the names of seasons, flowers, or trees as references. This is often seen in human baby names as well. When naming a child with a hint of the seasons, how about adding “child” to the end of a seasonal word or adding “small” to the beginning of a seasonal word?

Names related to flowers and trees are abundant in variety, such as “peach,” “cherry,” “plum,” “button,” “maple,” and “maple. Hana” or “flower” is also a popular name that ranks high every year. For girls, “Momo” and “Sakura,” which represent Japan, are also ironclad names.

Attribute it to the cat’s pattern/appearance

Many people will name their cats after the appearance or pattern of the cat they are naming. For example, a brown tiger cat is simply named “Tora,” a pure white cat is named “Shiro,” and a pure black cat is named “Kuro. A tortoiseshell cat with a mixture of black, brown, and white is often named “Mike” as it is.

If the name matches the appearance, it will be easier for people around you to call it and remember it.

Derived from cartoon and other characters

You can name your child after a character from a favorite manga or movie, or you can name your child after a cat that appears in the work. If you want to give a Japanese-style name, for example, “Tama,” a cat in a certain national anime, or other works set in Japan would be good references.

Named after the Japanese month of the lunar calendar

Lunar calendar names are also helpful for Japanese-style names: Mutsuki for January, Kisaragi for February. Naming the month after a special event, such as the month of the cat’s birth or the month you welcomed the cat, may be a good way to commemorate the event.

Based on words and kanji that evoke images of harmony

How about using kanji with a Japanese image in your name? Specifically, “Hana,” “Rin,” “Chrysanthemum,” “Ki,” “Rei,” “Miyabi,” “Miyabi,” “Shi,” and “Kyo” are popular kanji that are often used in the names of human children. It is also fun to choose a name by referring to a Chinese-Japanese dictionary.

Named after historical figures

The easiest way to get a Japanese-style name is to get a name from a great historical figure. For example, you can take names from famous warlords such as “Nobunaga,” “Hideyoshi,” and “Ieyasu,” or from Shinsengumi members who were active at the end of the Edo period, or from other heroes and heroic figures of the time.
Another good way is to use the names of heroes from old tales, such as Momotaro and Urashima Taro, although they are not historical figures.

Named after the Japanese name for the color

There are many beautiful-sounding words in the Japanese names of colors that represent the traditional colors of Japan, born from the changing seasons. Asagi”for pale indigo, “Akane”for the color of the evening sky, “Shion” for a bluish light purple, and so on. If you want to give your child a unique Japanese name with a bit of a twist, how about this?

Japanese Name Ranking

The aforementioned Anicom Insurance “Cat Name Ranking” also announces “Kanji Name Ranking.

In 2023, the top-ranking names in the boys’category are “Fuku,””Amber,””Chanamaru,””Sora,”and “Daifuku,”and in the girls’ category are “Mugi,” “Rin,” “Hana,” “Amber,” and “Princess. If you are thinking of a name for your new cat, please take a look at these names!