feudal japan

Kesagiku (けさぎく)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: ke-sah-gʸee-kuu [kè̞.sá.ɡʲì.kɯ̟̀ᵝ]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Though all examples of this name that can be found are written phonetically (primarily katakana), the last element is denoted as deriving from 菊 (kiku), referring to the chrysanthemum flower. As for the first element, based on a family tree for an early Edo period (1603-1868) family from Tanegashima provided by Tsunoda, the names containing that element have it written as 袈裟 (kesa), referring to robes worn by fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns.

Popularity:
From telephone book data, there are 19 women recorded with this name with another 5 having its variant Kesakiku. Of the 24, 15 reside in Kagoshima prefecture in the south and is the 2nd most common -g/kiku name in both Kagoshima prefecture and nationwide after Suegiku/Suekiku.
Though this name (rather its variant Kesakiku) was recorded only once in Tsunoda’s pre-Meiji period (1868-1912) sources, this type of naming (combining one element with another that references a living thing) was commonly used throughout the country from the Kamakura (1185-1333) to the Muromachi (1336-1573) periods. From the early Edo period though, names like Kesagiku were largely concentrated in the Satsuma domain (part of which formed Kagoshima prefecture) which Tsunoda mentions is probably attributed to deep-seated conservatism in that domain.
Even then, as the period progressed, they became increasingly uncommon in favour of simple 2-morae names (and those suffixed with -no, -e, (later on) -ko, etc.) as in the rest of Japan, albeit with some differences (Kesa, on its own or part of a name, being highly common in the Satsuma domain). Eventually, like some female names of yesteryear, Kesagiku faded into obscurity by the mid-20th century.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Tatewaki (たてわき)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: tah-te-wah-kʸee [tà.té̞.ɰà.kʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is written as 帯刀, used as a hyakkanna, a court rank-style name that samurai used to announce oneself and give himself authority. In this case, it is taken from the title 帯刀舎人 (Tachihaki no toneri), referring to the guardians of the Crown Prince as designated by the Ritsuryō system.
As can be noted here, the current reading of Tatewaki is a sound shift from Tachihaki, a combination of 太刀 (tachi), referring to a type of long sword, and the continuative form of the verb 帯く (haku) meaning “to affix (a sword to one’s hip).​”

Popularity:
Regarding post-Edo period (1603-1868) usage of this name, it is very rare with 61 people recorded in telephone book data with this name, putting the calculated percentage at 0.0002%. The overall percentage for the 1990s and 2000s combined is around the same with yearly percentages peaking at around 0.001%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Seiemon (せいえもん)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: se:–e–mon [sè̞é̞.é̞.mṍ̞ɴ́]
Variant writing: せいうえもん (Seiuemon)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is mostly written as 清 meaning “clean, pure, chaste,” though other sei kanji can be used, e.g. 政 meaning “rule, government.” The second element, 右衛門/右エ門 ((u)emon), is a hyakkanna, a court rank-style name that samurai used to announce oneself and give himself authority, and it is classified as such since it comes from the name, 右衛門府 (Uemonfu), the government department of junior outer palace gate guards under the Ritsuryō system.

Popularity:
Based on villager data from Collazo and merchant data made available via Issendai, this name was fairly common in the latter half of the Edo period (1603-1868) with the average percentage at just below 0.3%. It was also in use among the samurai class, though examples for those who had the name at some point in their life on Japanese Wikipedia are few (two born in the early part and another born in the latter part). Like most names of pre-modern Japan, it decreased in usage in the 20th century and today, if used at all, it would be extremely rare.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Haru (はる)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Generally unisex
Pronunciation: hah-ruu [há.ɾɯ̟̀ᵝ]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is generally derived from 春, referring to the season of spring, with other kanji with relation or connotations to this including 暖/温 meaning “warmth,” 華/花 meaning “flower” and 桜 meaning “cherry (tree, blossom)” (華/花 and 桜 mostly feminine). It can also be written with kanji that relate to 晴れ (hare) meaning “clear/fine weather” (陽/日 meaning “day, sun,” 青/蒼, generally meaning “blue,” 明 meaning “bright,” etc.) or 遥か/遙か (haruka) meaning “far off, distant” (悠 or 遼, 治 meaning “govern, manage,” 永 meaning “long,” etc.).
A ru kanji, like 琉/瑠, part of 琉璃/瑠璃 (ruri) meaning “lapis lazuli,” 流 meaning “current, flow” or 留 meaning “stop,” can suffix these single kanji alongside kanji with the reading ha, such as 羽 meaning “feather,” 葉 meaning “leaf” or 波 meaning “wave.”

Popularity:
The earliest example of this name being used for females was from the late Nara period (710-794) (back then suffixed with suffixed with 賣/女 (me)), found in Tsunoda’s book. It would not be found in his book again until you get to the section for the Kamakura period (1185–1333) with at least 4 examples found. By the early Edo period (1603-1868), it was already a somewhat commonly used feminine name (mainly written phonetically) with percentages at any one time not below 1%, which would stay that way through to the latter half of the Meiji period (1868-1912).
By the 1910s, Haru already started to drop down in popularity and it was at this time that rare masculine usage can be encountered. By the time the Shōwa period (1926-1989) started, it was already out of the top 100. It would remain rarely used for both genders throughout the middle and latter thirds of the Shōwa period before rising in the Heisei period (1989-2019). In this period, the gender proportion of this name has shifted, turning Haru to a mainly masculine name with significant feminine usage. It has been ranking in the boys’ top 50 for over 15 years now with percentages not below 0.4% while spending some of that time in the bottom half of the girls’ top 100, sometimes ranking within the top 50 there.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Kiku (きく)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: kʸkuu [kʲí̥.kɯ̟̀ᵝ] (on its own)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is mainly written as 菊, which refers to the chrysanthemum flower, a type of flowering plant that has a number of representations and symbolisms, like autumn, longevity and the Imperial family. It can also be written as two kanji, combining a ki kanji like 喜 meaning “delight, pleasure” or 幾, a phonetic kanji that is otherwise attached to nouns that implies an indefinite number or quantity, and a ku kanji, mostly 久 meaning “long time.”

Popularity:
Based on available information from Tsunoda, the first instances of Kiku from that source were from the Kamakura (1185–1333) and Nanboku-chō (1336-1392) periods, then suffixed with 女/売 (-me). By the early Edo period (1603-1868), it was already a very popular feminine name, ranking within the top 5, with its popularity lasting well into the 1890s and 1900s.
The Taishō period (1912-1926), however, was the period which would see Kiku drop a somewhat steep fall in popularity and by the end of that period, it was already outside the top 100. Since the middle of the 20th century, it is a very rarely used name.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Masayuki (まさゆき)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: mah-sah-yuu-kʸee [mà.sá.jɯ̟̀ᵝ.kʲì]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is derived from either 正 (masa) meaning “exact, precise” or the stem of the verb 勝る/優る (masaru) meaning “to excel, surpass, exceed; to outweigh” while the second is mainly written as either 之/行 meaning “way, travel” or 幸 meaning “good luck, happiness.” Other kanji in use for the first element include:

  • 雅 meaning “refinement, elegance”
  • 昌 meaning “prosperous”
  • 政 meaning “rule”
  • 真/眞 meaning “pure, true”
  • 将, see 正
  • 晶 meaning “sparkle, crystal” (may be used for similarity to 昌)
  • 理 meaning “reason, logic”
  • 誠 meaning “truth, reality”

Popularity:
The name saw some usage as an adult name among the upper class before the Meiji period (1603-1868), counting over 25 examples from the Kamakura (1185–1333) to the Edo (1603-1868) periods on the Japanese Wikipedia, two of which also included on the English version (Hoshina and Sanada).
Heading into the latter half of the Meiji period, the name was already within the top 100 among the wider population. This would last well into the early 1990s with a general peak in popularity from the 1950s to the 1970s with percentages at 0.6% or over. By 2000, less than 0.1% of boys received this name and usage of Masayuki slowly fell over the years and decades. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage for that time frame is calculated at only over 0.03%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Seishirō (せいしろう)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: se:–shee–ro: [sè̞é̞.ɕí.ɾó̞ː]
Variant transliterations: Seishiro, Seishirou

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The second element of this name is usually written as 四郎 (shirō), a birth order suffix indicating a fourth son, though they can be replaced with other shi kanji, like 志 meaning “will, aim, goal,” 士, referring, in this case, to a man or samurai, 史 meaning “history” or 司 meaning “office,” and rō kanji, such as 朗 meaning “cheerful” or 良 meaning “good.”
As for the first element, any kanji with the reading sei can be used and these include:

  • 誠 meaning “truth, reality”
  • 清 meaning “clean, pure, chaste”
  • 晴 meaning “clear, fine”
  • 正 meaning “exact, precise”
  • 政 meaning “rule, government”
  • 星 meaning “star”
  • 聖 meaning “sacred, holy”
  • 成 meaning “growth, reach, attainment”
  • 征 meaning “conquest”
  • 世 meaning “generation”
  • 静 meaning “quiet, calm”
  • 勢 meaning “force, vigour, energy”
  • 盛 meaning “prosperous”
  • 晟 meaning “clear”

Popularity:
This name has been (very uncommonly) used in the Edo period (1603-1868), based on a few counts found from villager (2 villager men named 清四郎) and merchant data (1 merchant named 政四郎). Continuing to be used in 0.05%+ percentage levels in the 19th century portion of the Meiji period (1868-1912), the name already started decreasing in popularity by the Taishō period (1912-1926).
By the start of the Heisei period (1989-2019), it was given to less than 0.01% of baby boys, though it would slowly creep back up above the mark in the 2000s. It jumped in usage in 2009 to over 0.04%, thanks to Katō Seishirō who was, at the time, a child actor in his breakthrough role as both the child form of Naoe Kanetsugu and Kanetsugu’s first son in the taiga drama ‘Tenchijin’. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my preliminary 2014-9 names research, the average percentage in that time frame dropped a bit to around 0.03%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Yō (よう)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Generally unisex
Pronunciation: yo: [jó̞ò̞]
Variant transliterations: Yo, You, Yoh
Archaic writing: えう (Eu), えふ (Efu), やう (Yau), やふ (Yafu)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Any kanji with this reading can be used, such as:

  • 陽 meaning “day; sun”
  • 葉 meaning “leaf”
  • 耀/燿 meaning “brightness, brilliance”
  • 瑶, used in compounds referring to beauty
  • 洋 meaning “ocean, sea”
  • 羊 meaning “sheep”
  • 曜 meaning “weekday”
  • 遥/遙 meaning “far off, distant”
  • 應 meaning “answer, reply”
  • 要 meaning “pivot; vital point, cornerstone, keystone”
  • 蓉, part of 芙蓉 (fuyō), referring to the Confederate rose
  • 鷹, referring to a hawk
  • 庸 meaning “common, ordinary”

They can also be suffixed with a kanji that can be read or otherwise shortened/shifted to u, like 羽 meaning “feather,” 生 meaning “grow,” 央 meaning “middle, centre” or 大 meaning “big, large.”

Popularity:
Given its structure, Yō was used as a feminine name in the latter half of the Edo period (1603-1868), though it was fairly uncommon at that time with an average of just over 0.2% based on data from Tsunoda and Collazo.
By the mid-20th century, Yō decreased in popularity as a feminine name and increasing became more commonly used as a masculine name. Even so, percentage levels didn’t reach above 0.1% until fairly recently. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research, over 0.15% of baby boys received this name in that time frame. At the same time, feminine usage grew back slightly from its mid-20th century lows with percentage levels at over 0.05%.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Motozane (もとざね)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: mo-to-zah-ne [mò̞.tó̞.zà.nè̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is derived from 元 (moto) meaning “origin, source; basis, foundation,” with other kanji used for names with moto including 基 and 志. As for the second element, it is derived from 実/實 (sane) meaning “seed (of a fruit), pit, pip, stone; substance, essence, entity,” other kanji for names with sane including 真/眞 and 孚. As for the etymology of the second element, both Ōtsuki and Yamada derive it from a combination of 小/狭 (sa) meaning “narrow, thin” and 根 (ne) meaning “root” (other dictionaries covered by Kotobanka and Sora transcribe the etymon as 真根, the first normally read as ma and having the meaning of “true”).

Popularity:
There is some level of usage as an adult name among the upper class before the Meiji period (1603-1868) with at least 9 examples found on Japanese Wikipedia, those found on the Motozane page on English Wikipedia including middle Heian period nobleman and waka poet Fujiwara no Motozane (10th century), late Heian period kugyō Konoe Motozane (1143-1166) and Sengoku period samurai Abe Motozane (1513-1587).
As a given name used among the massed after the Meiji period however, it is an extremely rare name. Counting up the number of people with combinations like 元実 or 志真 places the overall percentage at less than 0.0009% and that percentages disregards variations in readings (志真, for example, can also be read as Shima). From FamilySearch and general search results, I’ve only been able to found 3 examples (or 4 if you include the variant Motosane).

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.

Fusa (ふさ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: fsah [ɸɯ̟̥́ᵝ.sà] (on its own)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 房/総 (fusa) meaning “bunch, cluster (of flowers); segment.” It can also be written with two kanji, a fu kanji like 婦 meaning “(married) woman,” 富/冨 meaning “riches, wealth, fortune” or 芙, part of 芙蓉 (fuyō), referring to the Confederate rose, combibed with a sa kanji, such as 佐 meaning “help” or 沙/砂 meaning “sand.”

Popularity:
Usage in the early years of the Edo period (1603-1868) is rare (one 17th century example belonged to one of the concubines of Date Tadamune), picking up steam in the latter half. Data from Tsunoda and Collazo place the average percentage in the latter part of the period at over 0.42%, within the lower half of the top 100.
Peak usage of this name occurred in the Meiji period (1868-1912), especially the 19th-century portion where Fusa ranked within the top 50. As with most feminine names of the olden days, the name fell down in popularity throughout the first half of the 20th century. Since the second half of the 20th century, Fusa is and remains a very rarely used name.

If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.