Japanese Names

[Knave]

How are japanese names made? Can one just choose any word and make it a name for somebody? Like if one wanted to call their son "Sunboy" in Japanese would one use the kanji of the two words and make it a name? Is that even possible. Please help me with names.

I am trying to give some characters of mine Japanese names, but I don't know if there are only set names one can use or if one can invent names into real Japanese names.

I appreciate your help.

Thanks a lot...

 

[pipokun]

You can select your kid's name from joyo kanji, jinmei kanji and hiragana/katakana.

Once before, the govenment rejected an application of a J parent who submitted AKUMA 悪魔, or demon, as their kid's name. Both characters are on the Joyo kanji list, but it was judged as an appropriate name. In the end, the parent named the kid as AKU.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

I read somewhere that there is a book of names that you can choose from in Japan and that they add new names to it every year. I read that last year they added Turnip and Spider. Was someone having fun there?

:?

 

[Knave]

Thanks a lot for your help...

I still have a few more questions though.

Can one really just look through the list and choose the kanji and it then becomes a name (eg: 天 ten)? Please tell me what the correct way is.

Also if you can, please help me make a name whose kanji means (if it's possible):
Sun
Sky
Water

Thanks...

 

[Tsuyoiko]

The name Yoko 陽子 means 'sun child' and is a real girl's name. I don't know if they have a boy's name with sun in it.

 

[orochi]

For boys, you could use 晃、光 or 明. They all mean light or bright... close enough, right?

I know a girl named 青空, blue sky.

 

[nekomusume]

>Can one really just look through the list and choose the kanji and it then becomes a name (eg: 天 ten)?

Pretty much so. Unless you are trying to register.
What are you trying to do? If it is your personal use or naming some catoon charactor, it shouldn't be a problem.


The sun=太陽 can be boy's name as it is.
So, in addition to Kanji orochi-san listed for the sun : 旭、晶、陽、照

Sky: 天(I like this Kanji)、空、高(High)
Water: 水、清(Pure)、流、澄(Clear)、河