Question Can the kanji 光永 be used for the first name Mitsue?

[cabanahill]

Can the kanji 光永 be used for the first name Mitsue? I told my friend it was only a surname, but I'm not sure. We're trying to decipher a text.

 

[Toritoribe]

It's possible as a given name. In fact, it's really used as a female given name.

本名の高山 光永（たかやま ひなた）名義で出演することもある。

光永 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

Although the reading of her given name is Hinata, not Mitsue, any readings can be given to the kanji name legally, so there's no problem with the reading Mitsue (or rather, Mitsue is a far more common reading than Hinata).

 

[joadbres]

Here is a snapshot from ENAMDICT, the Electronic Japanese Names Dictionary. I use this when deciphering names.

The letter codes have the following meanings:
(s) surname
(g) given name (gender not specified)
(f) female given name
(u) person name, but not yet classified more specifically

So, if in the text you are deciphering, the name appears to be used as a given name, the likely possibilities of proper reading are the ones marked with (g), (f), or (u). If the person in your text is female, then, as @Toritoribe wrote, the most likely name readings are Hinata and Mitsue.

 

[cabanahill]

It's possible as a given name. In fact, it's really used as a female given name.

本名の高山 光永（たかやま ひなた）名義で出演することもある。

光永 - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org

Although the reading of her given name is Hinata, not Mitsue, any readings can be given to the kanji name legally, so there's no problem with the reading Mitsue (or rather, Mitsue is a far more common reading than Hinata).

This is so helpful! Thank you!

 

[cabanahill]

Here is a snapshot from ENAMDICT, the Electronic Japanese Names Dictionary. I use this when deciphering names.
View attachment 28493

The letter codes have the following meanings:
(s) surname
(g) given name (gender not specified)
(f) female given name
(u) person name, but not yet classified more specifically

So, if in the text you are deciphering, the name appears to be used as a given name, the likely possibilities of proper reading are the ones marked with (g), (f), or (u). If the person in your text is female, then, as @Toritoribe wrote, the most likely name readings are Hinata and Mitsue.

This is really helpful, so thank you so much!