prosper

Chiezō (ちえぞう)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: chee-e–zo: [tɕì.é̞.zó̞ː]
Variant transliterations: Chiezo, Chiezou

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The second element of this name is mainly written as 蔵/藏 (zō) meaning “possession,” though it can also be written as 三 (zō) meaning “three” and 造 (zō) meaning “structure.”
As for the first element, two commonly used kanji combinations there are 千恵 and 智恵. As a word, the latter refers to wisdom, intelligence or sense and can also be written as 知恵 or 智慧 (individually, 智/知 and 恵/慧 have the same meanings). For the former, the first kanji (千) means “thousand.” 恵 can be substituted with other e kanji, like 栄 meaning “glory, prosperity,” 枝 meaning “branch, bough,” 重 meaning “fold, layer” and 江 meaning “inlet, bay.”

Popularity:
Overall usage of this name is rare to very rare with the overall percentage in telephone book data calculated at around 0.0004%. Most of the bearers of this name were born in the Meiji period (1868-1912) or earlier.

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Moe (もえ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mo-e [mó̞.è̞]
Archaic writing: もゑ (Mowe)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name is derived from 萌え/萠え (moe) meaning “sprouting, budding​.” This kanji, along with other kanji with the (partial) reading mo like 望, shortened from the first part of 望月 (mochidzuki), referring to the 15th day of the lunar month and the full moon, 百 meaning “hundred” or 茂 meaning “luxuriant,” can be combined with an e kanji, much of which can be seen below:

  • 恵/慧 “wisdom”
  • 絵 “picture, drawing”
  • 衣 “clothing”
  • 笑/咲 “smile”
  • 瑛 “crystal”
  • 愛 “beloved”
  • 映 “reflection”
  • 永 “eternity”
  • 江 “inlet, bay”
  • 枝 “branch, bough”
  • 依 “reliance, dependence”
  • 英 “wisdom, brilliance”
  • 詠 “recitation”
  • 栄/榮 “glory, prosperity”

Popularity:
Before 萌 was added as a Jinmeiyō (personal name) kanji in October 1981, usage of this name was rare to very uncommon, much of it occurring in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the start of the Heisei period (1989-2019), it was ranking outside the top 100 with usage levels near 0.2%, though it would rise throughout the 1990s and peak at the turn of the millennium within the 0.6% range.
Though it would remain relatively popular in the first half of the 2000s, the name would experience a noticeable drop in 2005, leaving the top 100 for good by 2006 with percentages dropping to over 0.1% and going further to below 0.1% from the 2010s onward. This sudden drop in usage in 2005-6 seems to be influenced by the usage of 萌え/萠え as an anime and manga slang term, referring to feelings of affection, adoration and devotion towards a fictional character, that became increasingly known at the time.

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Mie (みえ)

Posted on by maybeitisdaijirou

Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mʸee-e [mʲí.è̞]
Archaic writing: みゑ (Miwe), みへ (Mihe)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Here are most of the kanji used for this name:

mi (み) e (え)
美/深 “beauty” 恵/慧 “wisdom”
三 “three” 絵 “picture, drawing”
実/實 “seed; fruit” 枝 “branch, bough”
未 sign of the Sheep; part of 未来 (mirai) “future” 江 “inlet, bay”
見 “looking, viewing” 栄 “glory, prosperity”
珠 “gem, jewel” 衣 “clothing”
弥 “increase” 重 “fold, layer”
英 “wisdom, brilliance”
瑛 “crystal”
依 “reliance, dependence”
詠 “recitation”
映 “reflection”

This name coincides with the word 三重 (mie; also sanjū) meaning “triple, threefold, three-ply, triplicate” (also used in reference to Mie Prefecture).

Popularity:
Usage of this name in the Edo period (1603-1868) was uncommon with percentages under 0.2% based on data from Tsunoda and Collazo. It did not rise above that mark until the Meiji period (1868-1912) and percentages peaked in the early 1920s, topping just over 0.4% and ranking in the 60s.
Falling in popularity from the 1930s, it did not rise again until the 1950s and 1960s with a second peak occurring in the first half of the 1970s. By then, percentages rose above 0.4%, similar to the first peak, and ranking within the lower half of the top 100 before dropping out again by the 1980s. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my 2014-20 names research, current yearly percentages have fallen below 0.01%.

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

Manae (まなえ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mah-nah–e [mà.ná.é̞]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is most commonly written as 愛 (mana) meaning “beloved,” originally stemming from a compound of 真/眞 (ma) meaning “pure, true” and the Old Japanese possessive particle な (na). These kanji can combined with 苗 (nae) meaning “(rice) seedling, young plant” (though it’s rarely used) and can also be used in a three-kanji combination, which can be seen below:

ma (ま) na (な) e (え)
麻 “hemp, flax” 奈 phonetic kanji 恵/慧 “wisdom”
茉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 菜 “greens” 永 “eternity”
万 “ten thousand” 那 phonetic kanji 絵 “picture, drawing”
満 “full, whole” 江 “inlet, bay”
希 “rare” 枝 “branch, bough”
栄 “glory, prosperity”
瑛 “crystal”
英 “wisdom, brilliance”

Popularity:
Rarely used in the early 20th century, Manae began to see a little bit of a pick-up in usage in the late Shōwa period (1926-1989). By 1990, percentages amount to over 0.02%, remaining that way until late 1995 when the dorama ‘Koibito yo’ aired which featured a character with this name, written as 愛永.
By 1996, the name peaked at well over 0.1% by which point 愛永 briefly became its most popular form. However, it would revert to its pre-dorama levels within a few years and based on Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my 2014-20 names research, percentages fell below 0.01% by the late 2010s.

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

Yoshimasa (よしまさ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: yo-shee-mah-sah [jò̞.ɕí.mà.sà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element usually comes from the classical adjective 良し/善し/好し (yoshi, modern yoi/ii) meaning “good, excellent” (can also be written as 吉, 佳 or 宜), though it can also come from 由 (yoshi) meaning “reason, cause.” Other kanji related to the adjective include 義 meaning “morality, justice, honour,” 慶/喜/欣/悦 meaning “delight, pleasure,” 芳 meaning “fragrance, aroma” and 祥 meaning “blessedness, (good) omen.”
As for the second element, it is derived from either 正 (masa) meaning “exact, precise,” as a name also written as 将 (hence the usage of 政 meaning “rule” and 真/眞 meaning “pure, true”) or the verb 勝る/優る (masaru) meaning “to excel, surpass, exceed; to outweigh” (hence the usage of 昌 meaning “prosperous” and 雅 meaning “refinement, elegance”).

Popularity:
Before the Meiji period (1868-1912), this name was used as an adulthood name among the upper class with over 20 examples of its full or partial usage found in the Japanese Wikipedia dating as far back as the early Heian period (794-1185).
As far as post-Edo period (1603-1868) usage is concerned, it is uncommon among the overall population with percentages peaking above 0.2% at times, particularly in the first half of the Meiji period. By the 1990s, it dropped to below 0.05%, falling further to within the 0.01% range by the 2010s.

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

Eijun (えいじゅん)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: e:-zhuun [é̞è̞.ʑɨ̃̀ᵝɴ̀]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Here are most of the kanji used for this name:

ei (えい) jun (じゅん)
英 “wisdom, brilliance” 純 “pure, genuine”
瑛 “crystal” 順 “obedient”
栄/榮 “glory, prosperity” 淳 “pure”
永 “eternity” 潤 “richness; profit; blessing, grace”
詠 “recitation” 絢 “gorgeous, brilliant”
準 “associate”

Popularity:
Overall usage of this name is rare for the most part with percentages not getting above 0.005%. It did peak at around 0.02% in 2014, shortly after the anime adaptation of the manga ‘Ace of Diamond’ started broadcasting which stars a main character going by this name (written as 栄純).

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

Mizue (みずえ)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: mʸee-zuu–e [mʲì.zɨ́ᵝ.é̞]
Alternative writing: みづえ
Archaic writing: みずゑ/みづゑ (Mizuwe/Midzuwe), みずへ/みづへ (Mizuhe/Midzuhe)

Etymology and/or ways to write:
The first element of this name is mostly written as 瑞 (mizu) meaning “youth, freshness, purity,” though it can also be written as 水 (mizu) meaning “water” or a combination of two kanji, a mi kanji, e.g. 美 meaning “beauty,” and a (d)zu kanji, e.g. 寿 meaning “congratulations; longevity.” As for the second element, it can be written as:

  • 恵/慧 meaning “wisdom”
  • 枝 meaning “branch, bough”
  • 江 meaning “inlet, bay”
  • 絵 meaning “picture, drawing”
  • 栄 meaning “glory, prosperity”
  • 衣 meaning “clothing”

Popularity:
[For this post, the percentages for both Mizue and Midzue are added up]
The name first peaked in popularity in the early 20th century with percentages close to 0.1%. Following a drop-off in usage starting in the 1930s, it peaked again in the 1970s, going up above 0.1%. By the start of the Heisei period (1989-2019), it already starting dropping off again from around 0.04% in 1989 to around 0.005% by the turn of the millennium, becoming a very rare baby name.

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

Erina (えりな)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Female
Pronunciation: e-rʸee-nah [é̞.ɾʲì.nà]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
Here are most of the kanji used for this name:

e (え) ri (り) na (な)
絵 “picture, drawing” 里 “village” 奈 phonetic kanji
恵/慧 “wisdom” 梨 “pear” 菜 “greens”
英 “wisdom, brilliance” 理 “reason, logic” 那 phonetic kanji
江 “inlet, bay” 利 “advantage, benefit” 名 “name”
瑛 “crystal” 莉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” 南 “south”
愛 “beloved” 璃 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli” 捺 phonetic kanji
衣 “clothing” 吏 “officer”
枝 “branch, bough” 李 “Japanese/Chinese plum”
栄 “glory, prosperity”
依 “reliance, dependence”
笑/咲 “smile”
映 “reflection”
永 “eternity”
衿/襟 “collar, neck(band)”
えり (phonetic)

This name may also have hints of foreign influence, being that エリナ transcribes the name Elina (+ variants) and エリナー (with a longer final vowel) is one way to transcribe the name Eleanor.

Popularity:
Erina first grew in usage in the 1970s, though it was still uncommon back then with a decadal percentage of over 0.04%. Usage jumped by the mid-1980s and by 1990, over 0.4% of girls received this name, placing it within the bottom half of the top 100.
However, this peak of popularity was short lived as it already dropped out of the top 100 by the turn of the millennium. Since the mid-2000s, percentages remain below the 0.1% threshold. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my own 2014-20 names research, the average percentage from 2017-20 is around 0.05%.

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

Issei (いっせい)

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Sources Pronunciation guide

(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: ees-se: [ís.sè̞ː]

Etymology and/or ways to write:
For the first element of this name, any kanji with the reading ichi or itsu is used, mainly 一/壱 (ichi) meaning “one,” but also 逸 (itsu) meaning “ease, comfort” or 稜 (itsu) meaning “angle, edge.” In rare, modern-day contexts, this can also apply to kanji that are partially read as ichi/itsu, e.g. 樹 meaning “tree,” taken from the nanori reading itsuki.
As for the second element, any sei kanji can be used, such as:

  • 生 meaning “life, living”
  • 成 meaning “growth, reach, attainment”
  • 誠 meaning “truth, reality”
  • 星 meaning “star”
  • 晴 meaning “clear, fine”
  • 晟 meaning “clear”
  • 惺 meaning “realise”
  • 正 meaning “exact, precise”
  • 聖 meaning “sacred, holy”
  • 世 meaning “generation”
  • 誓 meaning “oath, vow”
  • 清 meaning “clean, pure, chaste”
  • 盛 meaning “prosperous”
  • 勢 meaning “force, vigour, energy”

The reading issei can also be found in words such as 一斉 meaning “simultaneous, all at once​,” 一世 meaning “generation, lifetime; the age/day​​” (literally “first generation”) and 一声 which refers to a voice, cry or shout.

Popularity:
Usage of this name was rather uncommon for much of the 20th century with percentages peaking at no more than 0.02% before the 1970s. From that point on, its general track was upwards, reaching over the 0.1% by the second half of the 1990s.
Since then, it is still sticking onto the 0.1% range albeit going up and down on occasions, barely making it above 0.2% (and peaking several 10ths of a percent below the top 100) for a year or two. Combining Baby Calendar rankings data as well as my own 2014-20 names research, the 2020 percentage is averaged out at over 0.175%.

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