lifestyleThe 10 most common surnames in Japan (and their meanings)Aug. 28, 2013 06:40 am JST Aug. 28, 2013 | 07:34 am JST By Philip KendallTOKYO31 Comments Its a little-known fact that until the Meiji era (1868-1912), the ordinary men and women of Japan did not have surnames. Rather, those names were reserved for people in positions of power, nobility, or those of noted artistic ability. There are an estimated 100,000 family names in Japan much more than in many Western countries, and vastly more than in neighboring Korea and China however whats curious is that of these surnames 10 are incredibly common, with millions of people sharing the exact same moniker. If youre on your way to Japan or learning the language, knowing how to read and pronounce at least a few of these will almost certainly get you out of a jam at some point or other, so allow us to introduce Japans 10 most common surnames, their meanings, and a few fun facts on top, just because were nice like that and we like your face. A period of great change in Japan, the Meiji era was one of tremendous social and cultural revolution. No longer an isolated island refusing to trade or communicate with the outside world, Japans new leaders propelled their country into the modern world, striving to compete with foreign visitors and rival Western inventions and thinking. With this new way of thinking came a shakeup of established social systems, and all commoners were required by law to choose and register a family name for themselves. Many chose names that were already in use, hoping to gain a little extra credibility by sharing a name with those belonging to houses of nobility. Others adopted names reflecting their trade, role in society or simply the region they were from. Its clear, though, that there were a number of favorites! In ascending order, the most common Japanese surnames today: 10. Saito Persons with name: 980,000 Written: 斉藤 Meaning: The first kanji, sai 斉, can be used to refer to a meal taken by monks and priests, but in broader terms it conveys an image of purity and divine worship. The second character, tō 藤 (pronounced with a long oh) can also be read as fuji, and means wisteria. The inclusion of this character suggests possible historical connections with the Fujiwara clan, and is found in a large number of Japanese family names, though how many of said families had genuine attachments to the group is debatable. You may have heard of: Yuki Saito, the Yokohama-born actress, essayist, author, devout Mormon and star of numerous movies and a bevy of Japanese TV dramas. 9. Kobayashi Persons with name: 1,019,000 Written: 小林 Meaning: Small forest, using the kanji small 小 and woods/forest 林 (pronounced hayashi on its own), the name may refer to the region its owner was from. You may have heard of: 35-year-old Takeru Kobayashi, holder of four Guinness World Records for competitive eating. 8. Nakamura Persons with name: 1,059,000 Written: 中村 Meaning: Literally inside or middle (naka 中), followed by village (mura 村). A person from the middle village, perhaps? You may have heard of: Professional footballer Shunsuke Nakamura, who was the first Asian player to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League. 7. Yamamoto Persons with name: 1,077,000 Written: 山本 Meaning: Composed of the characters mountain (yama 山) and base/origin (moto 本), this name is second only to Yamada (山田) for being nice, easy kanji to write, saving elementary school kids blessed with the name the hassle of learning kanji characters that they otherwise wouldnt meet for years. You may have heard of: Isoraku Yamamoto, the Marshall Admiral and commander-in-chief during the beginning of the Pacific War. Yamamoto went down in history for being the man ultimately responsible for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. 6. Ito Persons with name: 1,080,000 Written: 伊藤 Meaning: The first kanji character, 伊 is also used to denote Italy, but historically speaking 伊 literally means this or that one. Coupled with the aforementioned kanji for wisteria, 藤, we might again suggest that the name suggests links to the Fujiwara clan, however tenuous. The name is both written and pronounced differently to ito 糸 (which has a short o sound, and means thread), so be sure to clearly pronounce that long oh at the end. You may have heard of: Actor and anime voice actor Atsushi Ito, who played the nerdy male lead in popular TV drama "Densha Otoko." Or perhaps you spotted 28-year-old Hanae Ito competing as a backstroke swimmer in the London 2012 Olympic Games? 5. Watanabe Persons with name: 1,134,000 Written: 渡辺 (sometimes 渡邊) Meaning: To cross or pass over 渡, and area or border 辺. You may have heard of: Ken Watanabe, the go-to guy recently for seemingly every major role that calls for a Japanese actor. Watanabe has appeared in dozens of Western films including "Letters from Iwo Jima," "Batman Begins" and "Inception." Look out for him in the U.S. reboot movie "Godzilla," too. 4. Tanaka Persons with name: 1,336,000 Written: 田中 Meaning: Literally rice field 田 and middle/in 中, the name most likely comes from those who owned or worked the middle field in any given town or village, and has stuck around ever since. Another nice, easy name to write, Jin Tanaka is also a popular placeholder name for used for things like credit card ads or shady people checking into hotels where Westerners would scrawl John Smith or Jane Doe. You may have heard of: Tomoyuki Tanaka, the movie producer who brought us none other than the original "Godzilla." 3. Takahashi People with name: 1,416,000 Written: 高橋 Meaning: Tall/high 高 and bridge 橋 suggests that perhaps the families who originally chose this name lived in an area beyond a deep valley crossed by long bridge. There again maybe they were going for something a little more symbolic rather than literal? You may have heard of: the now extremely wealthy creator of such works as Inu Yasha and Ranma 1/2, Rumiko Takahashi. 2. Suzuki People with name: 1,707,000 Written: 鈴木 Meaning: Bell tree. Suzurin 鈴 is a small round bell, the kind of which you might put on a cats collar. Why theyre being tied to trees 木 though, were not sure. You may have heard of: New York Yankees outfielder Ichiro Suzuki. 1. Sato Number of people with name: 1,928,000 Written: 佐藤 Meaning: Alongside the ever-popular tō 藤, we find sa 佐, meaning to assist. Do todays Satōs descend from those with close ties to the once great clan, or did they just love the way it sounded and the image it conveyed? We may never know. There you have it, folks, the 10 most common Japanese family names. There may be a heck of a lot of others names out there, but with these 10 under your belt chances are youll already be familiar with a fair chunk of the Japanese population. References: Behind the names Zatsugakuki, Wikipedia Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Beauty Clinic Survey Reveals Japans Top 10 Words -- How to Get Replies from Celebrities on Twitter -- 20 Words of English Origin that Japanese People Often Mistake for the Real Thing © RocketNews24©2022 GPlusMedia Inc. Don't struggle alone!If you think you're experiencing a human rights issue, talk to us in your language.
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