Bob Schroeck Wrote:I recall one set of advice to fic writers somewhere -- not mine -- that suggested just working with an English-Japanese dictionary to come up with names that have appropriately symbolic meanings for their owners, on the grounds that Japanese names are barely one level of abstraction above things like "He Who Runs Fast". After all, "Ichiro"/"Jiro" basically means "first son" and is traditionally used for first sons (for example). So following this advice, you would name a character who's going to be in fistfights a lot the Japanese equivalent of "Strong Arm" or maybe "Easy Anger", whatever they might be, and you'd build the family name much the same way, unless you have a "stock" name you've already decided with. I can't see that you can go too far wrong with this method.
Ah, if that's what BA's looking for, then the http://www.incompetech.com/named/multi.pl]First Names Reference Database will be useful. It isn't a complete database of all given names, but it's a darn sight better than nothing.
Let's see... Sex: "Female", Language/Origin:"Japanese", and Meaning contains: "beautiful":
Name Origin Sex Meaning Variations
Machiko Japanese Female Child who learns truth; beautiful child
Maciko Japanese Female Beautiful child
Miyo Japanese Female Beautiful generations Miyoko
Sumiko Japanese Female Child of goodness or Beautiful child
Yoshe Japanese Female Lovely, beautiful
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
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