I read an article about applications that help people pronounce names. These are http://www.audioname.com/ and http://hearnames.com/. The former is an application which creates an audio file to email or send by text. Users can record their pronunciation of a name in a little audio file. The latter is a website that teaches you how which helps to say names from all over the world.
I am always asked again when I give my name to workers at restaurants and stores in the U.S. Many people advise me to use a nickname in the U.S. I don’t want to use a nickname because my name, like most Japanese names, has a specific meaning. A nickname doesn’t represent the meaning in my name from my parents.
My name is Masao. It is made of two words. Masa and O. These two words each have meaning. The nickname “Masa” is easy to pronounce, but it doesn’t represent the correct meaning of my name. “Masa” means a director and “O” means a center. My parents named me “Masao” wishing me to be person who would become a decent director. I don’t know if I embody my parents’ wishes, but that is another story.
Because of my experience living away from my home country, I often think about what name would be best for my child. I have no idea, but I do know a lot of Japanese names which are funny to English speakers. For example;
Yusaku: Sounds like “You suck!”
Yudai: Sounds like “You die!”
Ryohey: Sounds like “Yo, Hey!”
These three are common names for men, but their pronunciation gives them totally different meanings in English. In Japanese, “Yusaku” means “a brave and kind man.” “Yudai” means “a brave and open-minded man.” “Ryohei” is “a man who has conscience”. The following two names are common for women;
Saiko: Sounds like “Psycho”
Mami: Sounds like “Mommy”
How does Yusaku feel ?
The 5 names above are quite good names in Japanese. I like them, but English speakers might feel that the pronunciation is funny. The reverse is also true. I know some names in the world are funny when Japanese speakers hear them. For example;
Barker: Sounds like “Idiot” in Japanese
Naming children is a big deal. I’ll start considering for the future.
