Names

To prepare for the class, answer questions in the text book on page 9 number 1, 3 and 7.

1. How do you choose a child's given name in your family?

Japanese people choose their child's given name freely. Some of them think from good number of strokes in chinese character, imply their various wishes and use one letter from their name. In my family, my brother's name is given one letter from my father's name because of good number of strokes in chinese characters. My name is given the last letter because the letter means 'child' is used girl's name from old days.

3. Does your given name or your family name mean anything?

I don't know my family name's meaning. Perhaps it may be have some meanings in history. My given name was named by my parents. My parents seem to have wanted to choose the name that was easy to be called by a nickname from another person. In addition, they just used the chinese character from the woman entertainer that was good personality and had naiveness in those days.

7. How do you know if names are boys' names, girls' names, or both?

There were much typical names such as the last letter of girls' name is 'ko' and the last letter of boys' name is 'o' or 'rou' in the old days, but there are various names now. I judge it whether the name is used by many boys or the name is used by many girls. I don't know the name that seems to be both.