Translations and Transliterations of Names

This article lists a random assortment of names that I translated into other languages. Currently, it’s limited to translations in Japanese.

Note: I’m thinking of finding some way of reorganizing this page. Not because it’s messy, but because variant names and whatnot just don’t really work. Currently, variant names and names with the same meaning are all included together. But I’m thinking of properly separating them. Or even separating the transliterations with Ateji into their own article.

Linguas

Introduction

Some time in the past I was curious as to what my name would be if translated into Japanese, but, to my disappointment, I only found transliterations of my name. This was when I decided to just do it myself.
The ‘how’ was not as difficult as I thought. To translate a name, you simply find the meaning of the name, and then find a word that represents that meaning in another language.
It turned out that my name has a rather complicated meaning, so I decided to go at much simpler names first. Eventually, I will be able to say ‘that’s my name right there!’ but, for now, that won’t be possible.

Note on Translation & Transliteration

Translation is the act of converting something from one language to another, while transliteration is the rewriting of something in another language/script.
Using ‘sky’ as an example, a Japanese translation would be '空(そら)’, while a transliteration would be スカイ - sukai.

Japanese

A

Aenor
- The name either means ‘rich & famous’¹⁾, or it’s related to ‘light’. For the latter meaning, refer to ‘Noor’. For the former, the best I could find^A) are the following:
  - 富子(とみこ) - (Tomiko) - ‘wealth, abundance’ with a feminine suffix.
  - 裕子(ゆうこ) - (Yūko) - Same as above.
- For the transliterations:
  - By Pronunciation^B):
    - Aenor → イーノラ (Īnora)
      - Ateji: 衛埜等(イーノラ) - ‘Defense of the wild etc.’
    - Aenor → エノラ (Enora)
      - Ateji: 榎鑼(エノラ) - ‘Japanese Hackberry gong’
    - Aenor → エーノラ (Ēnora)
      - Ateji: 映苗(エーノラ) - ‘Reflecting seedling’
    - Aenor → アエノラ (Aenora)
      - Ateji: 饗泉蘿(アエノラ) - ‘Treating a guest to fountain moss’
  - By Spelling:
    - Aenor → アエノラ (Aenora)^C)
      - Ateji: 存榎螺(アエノラ) - ‘Being aware of Japanese Hackberry spiral shellfish’
Alicia (and variants thereof)
- This name means ‘nobility’¹⁾, so I believe it would be:
  - 君子(きみこ) - (Kimiko) - ‘noble’ with a feminine suffix.
- For the transliterations:
  - By Pronunciation:
    - Alicia → アリシア (Arishia)
      - Ateji: 昂蜊摯網(アリシア) → ‘A rising kind of bivalve gifted a net’
    - Alice → アリス (Arisu)
      - Ateji: 四抄崇(アリス) → ‘Four volumes of adoration’
    - Adelaide → アデレード (Aderēdo)
      - Ateji: 艶囹弩(アデレード) → ‘Glossy prison crossbow’
    - Adelina → アデリナ (Aderina)
      - Ateji: 有泥茘舐(アデリナ) → ‘Possessing muddy scallion lick’
  - By spelling:
    - Alicia → アリキア (Arikia)
      - Ateji: 在起庵(アリキア) → ‘The country’s beginning retreat’
    - Alice → アリケ (Arike)
      - Ateji: 上犂計(アリケ) → ‘Above measuring spade’
    - Adelaide → アデライデ (Aderaide)
      - Ateji: 艶罹出(アデライデ) → ‘Gloss caught exit’
Arthur
- This name has one of three possible meanings¹⁾, and I believe that each of them can be translated like so:
  - Artorius has an unknown meaning, but I did find a proposal on Wikipedia suggesting it means ‘Descendant/family of the Assembler’²⁾ - I’ll simplify this as ‘assembler’:
    - 建築(けんちく) - ‘to build, to construct’³⁾
    - 造(つくる) - ‘to make, build, construct’⁴⁾
  - ‘Bear’ or ‘Bear man’:
    - 熊(くま) - ‘Bear’^D)
  - The third possibility is that Arthur derives from an old Irish word meaning ‘stone’. I’m currently^E) having difficulty locating this particular one.
- Transliteration:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Arthur → アルター (Arutā)
      - Ateji: 蛙路発(アルター) → ‘Departing Frog Road’
    - Arthur → アルさー (Arusā)
      - Ateji: 我流狹(アルさー) → ‘My narrow style’
    - Artorius → アルトリアス (Arutoriasu)
      - Ateji: 堊婁酉安(アルトリアス) → ‘Cheaply whitewashed bond and rooster’
  - By Spelling:
    - Arthur → アルツル (Arutsuru)
      - Ateji: 海璢攣(アルツル) → ‘Precious crooked sea stone’
    - Arthur → アルテゥル (Aruturu)
      - Ateji: 存達屡(アルテゥル) → ‘Often aware of friend’
    - Artorius → アルトリウス (Arutoriusu)
      - Ateji: 有名李凉(アルトリウス) → ‘Famous, nice and cool Japanese Plum’

C

Catalina (and variations thereof)
- This name has a debated meaning¹⁾, so I’m not going to bother with the translations yet.
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Catalina → カタリナ (Katarina)
      - Ateji: 柯渡農(カタリナ) → ‘Axe handle transit agriculture’
    - Lina → リナ (Rina)
      - Ateji: 俚舐(リナ) → ‘Rustic lick’
    - Katherine → カセリン (Kaserin)
      - Ateji: 械棆(カセリン) → ‘Machine camphor Tree’
    - Hecate → ヘカテー (Hekatē)
      - Ateji: 経縣奠(ヘカテー) → ‘Sutra for prefecture decision’
  - By spelling:
    - Katherine → カテリネ (Katerine)
      - Ateji: 嫁樋抄年(カテリネ) → ‘Extraction chute for wife’s year’
    - Hecate → ヘカテ (Hekate)
      - Ateji: 舳糧(ヘカテ) → ‘Prow food’

E

Estelle
- Variants:
- This name means ‘star’¹⁾ in the original lingua. So I believe it would work as:
  - 星(ほし) - (Hoshi) - meaning ‘star.’
- For the transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Estelle → エステル (Esuteru)
      - Ateji: 回吸晃(エステル) → ‘An instance of clear inhalation’
  - By spelling:
    - Estelle → エステッレ (Esuterre)
      - Ateji: 衞鬚逹礼(エステッレ) → ‘Gratitude for arriving at the defense of whiskers’

G

Guinevere
- Guinevere has an unknown meaning.
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Guinevere → グエネヴィール (Guenevīru)
      - Ateji: 供笑寐伝鏤(グエネヴィール) → ‘Laughing and sleeping companion set as an intermediary’
    - Jennifer → ジェニファー (Jenifā)
      - Ateji: 璽貮鳳(ジェニファー) → ‘Emperor’s seal of two big birds’
  - By spelling:
    - Guinevere → グイネヴぇレ (Guinevere)
      - Ateji: 食留禮(グイネヴぇレ) → ‘Food stops social customs’
    - Jennifer → ジェンニフェル (Jenniferu)
      - Ateji: 雀煎耽嚠(ジェンニフェル) → ‘Sparrow infused with the addiction to a clear sound’^F)

I

Igraine
- This one has an unknown meaning¹⁾.
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Igraine → イグレイン (Igurein)
      - Ateji: 娃博咽(イグレイン) → ‘Beautiful doctor of singing voices’
  - By spelling:
    - Igraine → イグライネ (Iguraine)
      - Ateji: 市椋稲(イグライネ) → ‘Market for Mukutrees and Rice plants’

K

Keira/Ciara
- This one means ‘black’¹⁾ in the original lingua - I think I can safely say this would become:
  - 黒(くろ) - (Kuro) - which means ‘black’.
- However, it should not be forgotten that ‘Ciara’ is a feminine version of the original word. So, logically, the translation should also be feminized:
  - 黒子(くろこ) - (Kuroko) - Which means ‘black girl/child’ ^G).
- For the transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Keira/Ciara → キーラ (Kīra)
      - Ateji: 北(キーラ) → ‘North’
  - By spelling:
    - Keira → ケイラ (Keira)
      - Ateji: 薊楽(ケイラ) → ‘Comfort thistle’
    - Ciara → キアラ (Kiara)
      - Ateji: 季讐蘿(キアラ) → ‘Enemy moss season’

L

Lancelot
- This name means ‘land’ (probably):
  - 陸(りく) - ‘land’
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Lancelot → ランセロと (Ranseroto)
      - Ateji: 嵐竸櫨闍(ランセロと) - ‘Storm contest of Japanese wax-tree watchtowers’
  - By spelling:
    - Lancelot → ランケロト (Rankeroto)
      - Ateji: 瀾笥炉蚪(ランケロト) - ‘Large waves and a lunch box in a hearth with a tadpole’
Lilian (and variations thereof)
- This name is a variant of ‘Lily’¹⁾ which is a flower, and Japanese has a direct name:
  - 百合(ゆり) - (Yuri)
- For the transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Lily → リリ (Riri)
      - Ateji: 貍成(リリ) → ‘Turning into racoon-dog’
    - Lilian → リリアン (Ririan)
      - Ateji: 入鮟(リリアン) → ‘Entering angler-fish’
    - Liliana → リリアナ (Ririana)
      - Ateji: 入孔(リリアナ) → ‘Entering hole’

M

Maybel (and variations thereof)
- This name means ‘lovable’¹⁾. 可愛い(Kawaii) is close in meaning to this so:
  - 可愛(あい) - (Ai)
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Maybel → メイベル (Meiberu)
      - Ateji: 馬鋳缶児(メイベル) → ‘Horse minting a tin child’
    - Amabel → アマベル (Amaberu)
      - Ateji: 稱摩米螻(アマベル) → ‘Call the rubbing rice Mole Cricket’
  - By spelling:
    - Maybel → マユベル (Mayuberu)
      - Ateji: 牧油罐褸(マユベル) → ‘Pasture oil, tin rags’
    - Mabel → マベル (Maberu)
      - Ateji: 米留(マベル) → ‘Rice Stop’ or ‘Stop America’

N

Niamh
- This name has the same meaning as Noor, so refer to that for translations.
- Transliterations:
  - By Pronunciation^H):
    - Niamh → ニィアワ (Nyiawa)
      - Ateji: 駑朝輪(ニィアワ) - ‘Slow horse dynasty ring’
    - Niamh → ニィーワ (Nyīwa)
      - Ateji: 若房(ニィーワ) - ‘Youthful tuft’
    - Niamh → ニィアヴェ (Nyiave)
      - Ateji: 儿有挾(ニィアヴェ) - ‘Legs of existence sandwiched’
    - Niamh → ニィーヴェ (Nyīve)
    - Ateji: 駑米(ニィーヴェ) - ‘Slow Horse Rice’ or ‘Slow Horse America’
    - Nia → ニア (Nia)
      - Ateji: 泥充(ニア) - ‘Mud-full’
    - Neve → ニーヴァ (Nīva)
      - Ateji: 岻招(ニーヴァ) - ‘Name of a mountain beckons’
  - By Spelling:
    - Niamh → ニアムハ (Niamuha)
      - Ateji: 尼厚霧播(ニアムハ) - ‘Nun in a thick fog planting’
    - Neve → ネヴェ (Neve)
      - Ateji: 嶺廛(ネヴェ) - ‘Summit of a fine residence’
    - Nia → ニア (Nia)
      - Ateji: 迯讐(ニア) - ‘Escape the enemy’
Nimuë
- This name’s meaning is unknown, so I’ll only provide transliterations.
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Nimuë → ニムエ (Nimue)
      - Ateji: 煎鶩誉(ニムエ) → ‘Infusing a domestic duck with glory’
Noor (and variations thereof)
- This name means ‘light’¹⁾ in the original lingua, so I believe it would become:
  - 光(ひかり) - (Hikari) - which means ‘light.’
- For the transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Nora/Norah → ノラ (Nora)
      - Ateji: 苗(ノラ) → ‘Seedling’
    - Nura/Noora → ヌラ (Nura)
      - Ateji: 褪蠡(ヌラ) → ‘Worm-eaten fade’
  - By spelling:
    - Noora → ノーラ (Nōra)
      - Ateji: 応騾(ノーラ) → ‘Agreeable spiral shellfish’
    - Nour(a) → ノウラ (Noura)
      - Ateji: 惱螺(ノウラ) → ‘Spiral shellfish filled with hate’

U

Uther
- This name’s meaning is unknown, so I’ll only provide transliterations.
- Transliterations:
  - By pronunciation:
    - Uther → ウウサ (Ūsa)
      - Ateji: 茹総(ウウサ) → ‘Boil whole’
  - By spelling:
    - Uther → ウタヘル (Utaheru)
      - Ateji: 碓高舳児(ウタヘル) → ‘A quantity of mortars on the prow with a child’

Trivilinks

For a quick and easy way of transliterating English to Katakana, use this converter by the sljfaq.
I’ve (perhaps temporarily or not) added ateji transcriptions of the various transliterations, as a little bonus. I’m using the sljfaq converter for that.
- Note 1 on Ateji: I base the meanings off of the meanings of the individual Kanji characters, which I then try to ‘convert’ into something that makes sense.
- Note 2 on Ateji: These are really more for fun than anything else. If, for whatever reason, you want to actually use Kanji with original pronunciations, I would recommend just using the translated kanji, and then assigning it the original pronunciation. Ex.: 百合(リリ)(Riri).
I use BehindTheName to find the meanings of names. I would use a proper etymological dictionary, but I don’t own any.
I was gonna start adding some names translated to English, but I changed my mind (for now). So, instead, I’ll be listing names here that I want to translate into English/Japanese/Other at some point.
- Aileen, Arsinoe, Daxter, Dexter, Eleonora, Éowyn, Galahad, Gawain, Iseult, Leticia, Merlin, Mordred, Morgan, Pendragon, Percival, Shirley, Tristan, Uther.

¹⁾ ^{^ a,
b,
c,
d,
e,
f,
g,
h,
i,
j} Names

²⁾ ^{^ a} Artoria_gens

³⁾ ^{^ a} https://www.behindthename.com/name/kenchiku/submitted

⁴⁾ ^{^ a} https://www.behindthename.com/name/tsukuru/submitted

^A) So far, that is.

^B) The actual pronunciation is unknown, so I’m mostly guessing here.

^C) Yes, it is the same as one of the pronunciations.

^D) Can’t yet verify if this is actually used as a name.

^E) Meaning at this particularly moment.

^F) Audiophiles!

^G) 子(こ) - (Ko) is a frequently used suffix in Japanese for feminine names.

^H) I’m doing my best here, it is Irish after all.

Essarr LoreBook

Table of Contents

Translations and Transliterations of Names

Introduction

Note on Translation & Transliteration

Japanese

A

C

E

G

I

K

L

M

N

U

Trivilinks