Translations and Transliterations of Names

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.

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

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’
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’
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’
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)
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’
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’
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’
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’
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’
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.

Linguas

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.

Table of Contents

Translations and Transliterations of Names

Introduction

Note on Translation & Transliteration

Japanese

Trivilinks