Post # 1

Member
1784 posts
Buzzing bee
We’re starting to talk babies, and I’m starting to think about names. Out of this list of maybes, are there any that you would look at and know you would butcher if you tried to say them?
Chihiro
Runa/Luna
Kaede
Hotaru
Akane
Hana
Hikari
Mirai
Sora
Tsubasa
Hikaru
Eiji
Kenta
Hiro
Yuuta
Post # 2

Member
7564 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I would have trouble with most of those. The ones that feel most approachable to me would be Runa/Luna, Hana, Hikari, Sora, Kenta, and Hiro.
Post # 3

Member
2675 posts
Sugar bee
- Wedding: September 2012 - Southern California
As an English speaker in the US, I would likely be butchering practically all of these :/. Will you be living in a country (Japan?) where these names will come naturally?
Post # 4

Member
68 posts
Worker bee
Chihiro
Kaede
Hotaru
Akane
Hikari
Mirai
Tsubasa
Eiji
Yuuta
these are the ones that i would not easily know how to pronounce.
Post # 5

Member
1668 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: October 2014 - Church
Jabberwocky: These are the ones I would not butcher:
Luna
Kaede (why not just have Katie instead – I think of Kraft Dinner – K.D. whenever I would say this?)
Hana
Post # 6

Member
1534 posts
Bumble bee
laceydoilies: oh, you thought it was pronounced as Katie? I would have said Kade. I have no idea which one is correct!
Post # 7

Member
9520 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I grew up in an area with a large Japanese population (even though I’m as white as white bread myself), so wouldn’t have too much trouble with most of these, but these would cause me some hesitation: Kaede, Eiji, Yuuta.
For a girl, I think Hana (pronounced Hah-na and not like “Hannah”) is a beautiful name. Sora is pretty as well. I like Hiro for a boy.
Post # 8

Member
1668 posts
Bumble bee
- Wedding: October 2014 - Church
LeonardLady: I think it is pronounced Ka-dee. But, like I said, it reminds me of Kraft Dinner 😛
Post # 9

Member
1784 posts
Buzzing bee
stephanie091512: My husband is Japanese and we live in Japan. I’m just thinking about which ones my American relatives might have trouble with.
Post # 11

Member
9520 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
Jabberwocky: Have you considered Koji or Sachiko/Michiko for a girl? Those are some of my favorite Japanese names (and they’re kind on the American tongue!).
Post # 12

Member
1784 posts
Buzzing bee
TheGridMonster: No because two of them are friends’ names and I don’t really want to use a girls name ending in ko.
Post # 14

Member
1773 posts
Buzzing bee
I wouldn’t have a problem with any of them. In My Humble Opinion the family will learn it.
Post # 15

Member
9541 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I lived in Japan, so I think I could handle most of them, but this is how I would rank them from easiest to hardest:
Luna (American’s will pronounce with an L, Japanese will pronounce with the R/L sound they use)
Hana
Sora
Kenta
Hiro (help that the Heros show was popular and there was a character with this name)
Hikari
Hikaru
Hotaru
Chihiro
Tsubasa
Mirai
Eiji
Yuuta
Akane
Kaede
Sorry, I mixed boys and girls, but you get the picture.