I’m pregnant with my first baby (yay!) and my husband and I are having some trouble deciding what our baby’s name will be. He is Japanese and I’m Canadian of English descent, and we are on the fence about whether to give our son a Japanese first name or an English first name. We’ll be living in Japan, so I don’t want to make his name totally odd when he goes to school, but I also love a whole bunch of really [name_u]North[/name_u] American names. We have choices picked out for both languages ([name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] or [name_u]Ren[/name_u] in Japanese, and [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] or [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] in English). Any opinions? What do you think is the best course of action?
I would personally go with a Japanese name if you are living in Japan, or at least one that can easily be said in either culture ([name_u]Ren[/name_u] and [name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] are perfect in this regard). If you were to go with a Western style name, I would probably avoid names containing ‘l’. Japanese people as a whole (this isn’t being racist- I have Japanese heritage via my beloved grandmother and it is just an observation) tend to have a lot of trouble with the ‘l’ sound, making it more an ‘r’ sound (in general), a bit like how the [name_m]French[/name_m] have trouble with ‘h’ sounds- it just isn’t common in their native language, much like the ‘ts’ combination (or ‘uu’ / ‘aa’ etc.) at the beginning of a word (e.g: tsubaki) isn’t common in English.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] that helps, and congratulations!
I think the country where you currently live, or are likely to live for the majority/entirety of your child’s upbringing should take precedence. Since you live in Japan, I think you ought to choose a Japanese name. You could then perhaps consider using an English name in the middle spot, so that the kid has a full name that reflects both sides of their heritage.
However, if I were you, I would also take into account the future bicultural identity of your child and try to give them a name that at the least can be pronounced easily by native speakers of English (who do not speak Japanese).
I’m working with two European languages, so it’s not as tricky for me, but this is basically the approach that we are taking - choosing a name from the country in which we live, but which can also be pronounced by people from my home country. I want to a) avoid marking my child as a foreigner in their own home country and b) avoid alienating them from my own family, language and culture. It can be quite limiting and hard to strike the balance, but the challenge is fun. Good luck!
P.S. Maybe this thread should be moved elsewhere, it’s not likely to get many views here?
In your case, I would choose a Japanese name that is easily pronounceable in English.
With living in Japan I would give him a Japanese name that is easily said by English speakers and an English middle name.
I agree with the pp who said you don’t want the child to feel alienated in either place. And if you’re raising your child in Japan I would stick with a Japanese first name.
I have a similar situation between my husband and my heritages ([name_f]Asian[/name_f] and European, respectively) and our American nationality. I had trouble with this, too, because picking a name from my husband’s ancestry for our son’s first name means that his first AND last names will be from that ancestry, and mine will be reflected only in the middle.
We found a first name that we both love that comes from my husband’s heritage, but is also a homophone with a name more commonly used in [name_u]America[/name_u].
For you, [name_u]Ren[/name_u] seems to fit this bill, and it would be my pick for the first name spot in your place.
Then, with a Japanese name in the first slot, I’d go for a name that honors your heritage in the middle (as we are planning for our son’s middle name).
I’ve never been to Japan, and so my impression may be wrong, but the feeling I have gotten from friends that have spent time there/are from there, is that there would generally be less diversity of names than in [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]America[/name_u]. This makes me think that perhaps a [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] in Japan would stick out more than a [name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] would in [name_f]Canada[/name_f]? If you feel that is indeed the case, I’d move towards a more Japanese name in the first name spot, given that your son will be living in Japan.
I’d go with [name_u]Ren[/name_u] [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] 
I’d give a Japanese first that is easy to be pronounced in English (and I’d suggest something that doesn’t sound too complicated or out-there), and an English middle name.
If you want, you can call him by a nickname of a more complicated Japanese first name, and that would go over well in either location.
Also, my personal feeling is that if you have a special heritage that you’re proud of, name your child with it - it will give him/her a stronger sense of identity.
It was really useful having a Japanese name when I visited Tokyo as everyone could pronounce and understand it. They struggled a lot more with my brother’s name, [name_u]Michael[/name_u]. I’d recommend what everyone else has said and use a Japanese name that is easy to say in English, which - to be honest - gives you a lot of options as I found most Japanese names simple to pronounce.
In my experience with Japan your child will likely not be seen as a “real Japanese”-- he’ll always be a gei-jin, even with a Japanese name and being fluent in Japanese and a Japanese dad. Which can be great-- he’ll be an object of complete fascination.
I think that with dad’s surname being Japanese, it can be easy for you to be ‘lost’ if you give your son a Japanese first name. It’s easy to be dazzled by the beauty of the culture and its long heritage and think of names from your own background as dull or pedestrian. This is the same conundrum I have personally-- my kids have an Arabic surname and for a while I really considered a variety of Arabic firsts… but where am I in a child named (hypothetically) [name_f]Najia[/name_f] al-Nafis? Think too of your family and relatives-- will they feel like their cultural background isn’t good enough or respected? They too will want to think their genetic connection to your child is being honored. [This might not sound ultra-PC, I know, and it certainly isn’t implying that your family wouldn’t love a little boy named [name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] to bits]. I think it’s especially true given that middle names are essentially unknown in Japan, so the “English middle” option wouldn’t really be practicable.
Yes, the fact that you’re raising him in Japan should definitely be taken into consideration in re: writing the name (I suppose you’ll be confined to katakana if you pick an English name, no kanji) and pronouncing it in the larger culture. [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m] is probably not the best idea-- and honestly, neither is [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] or [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u].
I would pick a first that is short-- no more than 2 syllables-- and is comprised of sounds that are basically equivalent in both languages-- no consonant clusters, no L or TH, etc. Something like [name_u]Tate[/name_u], [name_m]Nash[/name_m], or [name_m]Zane[/name_m] (in keeping with the style of [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] and [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u]).
I agree that if you plan to raise your children in Japan, it would be best to give them either Japanese names or Western names that would be easy enough for a native Japanese speaker to say. [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] and especially [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] don’t really fit that criteria, with the “l” and “v” sounds usually being difficult for Japanese speakers to pronounce. They would make better middle names if you plan to give your children middle names. I like [name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] and [name_u]Ren[/name_u] [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u].
Hmmm, [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] & [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] might be hard to pronounce for Japanese speakers if you’re living in Japan. What about a Japanese (or Irish) name that is easily pronounceable in English? Some ideas:
Kaito
[name_u]Kai[/name_u]
[name_u]Kieran[/name_u]
Something simple that is used in Japan and [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]America[/name_u]. Or just easy to pronounce.
[name_u]Ren[/name_u] totally works for a boy or girl. I love it! It’s my understanding that it quite popular in Japan.
[name_f]Rin[/name_f] too!
Here are some more ideas:
Boys:
[name_u]Asa[/name_u]
[name_m]Kenzo[/name_m]
[name_m]Kenji[/name_m]
[name_m]Cato[/name_m]/[name_u]Kato[/name_u]
[name_m]Kane[/name_m]
[name_m]Kobe[/name_m]
[name_m]Raiden[/name_m]
[name_f]Ryo[/name_f]
[name_m]Ryu[/name_m]
[name_u]Rio[/name_u]
[name_m]Eli[/name_m]
Girls:
[name_u]Asa[/name_u]
[name_f]Mai[/name_f]
[name_f]Mia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lia[/name_f]
[name_f]Ria[/name_f]
[name_u]Rio[/name_u]
[name_f]Lin[/name_f]
[name_f]Hana[/name_f]
[name_f]Kaya[/name_f]
[name_f]Taya[/name_f]
[name_f]Tori[/name_f]
[name_u]Akira[/name_u] or [name_f]Kira[/name_f]
Kaida
Inari
[name_f]Suki[/name_f]
Suzu
[name_f]Kimi[/name_f]
[name_u]Ali[/name_u]
[name_u]Kenzie[/name_u]
I love the idea of [name_u]Kai[/name_u], above.
I also remembered since my first post on this thread that I went to school with a Japanese-American guy named [name_m]Ken[/name_m]–a totally Japanese/English bilingual choice.
I also searched for “bilingual Japanese names” to see if there are others that fit the bill of BOTH Japanese and English (I’m sure you’re already familiar with some possibilities in this realm) and I saw a family that called their son [name_m]Leo[/name_m]/[name_f]Ryo[/name_f] and another with a [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]/Tomu. Either of those options seems appealing to me (though deciding which one to have as the “official” name still brings you back to the original question of which heritage’s name to lead with…).
I still think [name_u]Ren[/name_u] is a nice name that feels effortlessly bilingual. [name_m]Just[/name_m] throwing out a few more possibilities, hoping to be of help
Since you will be living in Japan, I would say use a Japanese name. However, it’s also a good idea to make it a Japanese name that is familiar and easily pronounced in [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]America[/name_u]. An English middle name would also serve as a way to include that part of who he/she is. Congratulations!
I think [name_u]Ren[/name_u] [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] is a badass name, but maybe that’s just me…?
It would be best to give him a Japanese if he will be growing up there. Both of your Japanese choices seem transferable to an English speaking country which is great. Maybe consider giving him a Japanese FN with an English MN, which he can then use if he moves to an English speaking country.
I’ll also echo that a name that is easily pronounceable in both languages would be best. English names where the consonant sounds are cushioned with vowel sounds after them or Japanese names that are difficult for English speakers to completely mangle are ideal. If getting the name pronounced perfectly in both languages is preferred, avoid R, L, V, F, TH, ら/り/る/れ/”, ”, りゅ/りょ, and aim for clearer vowels. If you don’t mind, say, the difference in pronunciation between R/L/ら in both languages, I would strongly advocate for [name_u]Ren[/name_u] (which could be [name_m]Len[/name_m] or [name_u]Wren[/name_u] in English) or even Reon ([name_m]Leon[/name_m] - though the typical N. American vowels would be different) or [name_u]Rio[/name_u] (which could be [name_m]Leo[/name_m] or remain [name_u]Rio[/name_u] in English). I do have a Japanese baby name book with suggestions for names that travel well if you would like me to pick some others out for you.
If you’re giving birth to the child in Japan, I’m uncertain how easily middle names will work for you. When my family lived there they caused some confusion on official forms and in the workplace, but we never had to name a child while over there.
If I may ask: were you planning to use kanji for the Japanese names and if so which kanji? I have no intention to give input in this regard, I’m just very curious!
Congrats on your baby! I was going to suggest [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] (for some reason I always assume it’s a girl) because I think it’s japanese / common in english… but yeah, I don’t know a lot about multi-origin names.
you said that you will be living in Japan. [name_m]Will[/name_m] you be living in Japan for the unforeseeable future or just for a couple of years?if possible I would go with a Japanese name that is one syllable long atomachs to that is easily pronounceable in English and would sound like a trendy or unique name. I would not go with something like [name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] because this could risk making your child sound and feel like a foreigner if and when he moves back to the United States.
Oh man, thanks for all the replies! The input has been insanely helpful, and it’s been very beneficial to hear other people’s opinions. We have decided on [name_u]Ren[/name_u] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], and I’m glad, 'cause I’m due Feb 14th. [name_u]Ren[/name_u] is perfect, even though [name_m]Hiroshi[/name_m] was the top choice for a while. It’s easy to say, and when we travel back to [name_f]Canada[/name_f] my family won’t make fools of themselves trying to spit out my baby’s name. I didn’t even think about the “L” sound when considering other names, which is silly, seeing as am I fluent speaker. And now to answer some questions. We are going to be living in Japan for the foreseeable future. There aren’t any plans of moving to [name_f]Canada[/name_f], seeing as both my husband’s job and mine are here, and we’ve both got friends and basically set up camp in Japan. Because of this. It was really important that my son’s name was primarily Japanese, because most of his childhood will be spent here, instead of [name_f]Canada[/name_f]. If he really doesn’t like it when he’s older, he can go by his middle name. And yes, his name will be spelt in kanji! We’re using the character 蓮, which means sacred lotus. Thanks for everyone’s input!