Translating names of anime characters

[MilKyXxdreamXx]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Names are names. They only mean the sound of the name. I`m sure you could look up what your name meant, but that isn`t what it actually means in reality to you and everyone who hears it.
Someone with the last name of, say, Smith is not going to have people react with "His name means he forges iron!" It`s just a name.
If you want to look into the history or root of a names, that is fine. But don`t assume that anyone ever thinks of their "meaning" in daily life. A Japanese name means no more it`s "meaning" than Linda means "Lime Tree" to those listening to it.

i'm impressed, does Linda actually mean "lime tree"?

actually, for american names, majority doesn't mean anything. so i'm guessing i then should think of japanese names are like american, just the sounds of a name but deals no meaning. (unless if you were to look it up)

so.. i think it would be useless for the OP to get its answers on the name. lol
[unless if it's possible]

[Ryzorian]

Before names people used "Hey You, get over here"...wich could be confuseing when you had a large crowd..so of course they improvised... "Hey you..guy with the pitch fork, get over here"...to "Hey pitchfork guy, get over here" and finially just "PitchFork!!..get over here".

This has been a loosely paraphrased historical acount.......

[MMM]

But "American names" DO have meaning.

[MilKyXxdreamXx]

Originally Posted by MMM

But "American names" DO have meaning.

very unlikely.

if you were to say that, then i am able to state that most japanese names DOES have a meaning.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by MilKyXxdreamXx

very unlikely.

if you were to say that, then i am able to state that most japanese names DOES have a meaning.

But it's the same thing. You say "American names" have no meaning, even though they do, but nobody worries about it. It's the same in Japan. Trying to place significance in the meanings of names in either country is kind of a waste of energy.

[MilKyXxdreamXx]

Originally Posted by MMM

But it's the same thing. You say "American names" have no meaning, even though they do, but nobody worries about it.

well, majority that i know doesn't. or at least "normally" wouldn't be recognize to be expressed as a meaning (ie. Aaron, Chris, Brad, Wilson, Anthony, Derek, Mike, Henry, etc.)
henceforth, the list goes on.

however, it is true that no one worries about it, that's why even those a few that i listed "may" have a meaning, but majority of americans doesn't even know the meaning to those names. unless if they are REALLY religious with names then they would've know the meaning behind most names.

i don't really see how american names WILL have a meaning, in general, unless if they are studying the backgrounds and history of american names (although majority of american names came from other side of the world, like hebrew, french, italian, british, swedish, etc origins of names) which now some are took as considerations to "american" names instead.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by MilKyXxdreamXx

well, majority that i know doesn't. or at least "normally" wouldn't be recognize to be expressed as a meaning (ie. Aaron, Chris, Brad, Wilson, Anthony, Derek, Mike, Henry, etc.)
henceforth, the list goes on.

however, it is true that no one worries about it, that's why even those a few that i listed "may" have a meaning, but majority of americans doesn't even know the meaning to those names. unless if they are REALLY religious with names then they would've know the meaning behind most names.

i don't really see how american names WILL have a meaning, in general, unless if they are studying the backgrounds and history of american names (although majority of american names came from other side of the world, like hebrew, french, italian, british, swedish, etc origins of names) which now some are took as considerations to "american" names instead.

Just because you don't think people's names have meaning doesn't mean they don't have meaning.

My point is the actual meaning is as meaningless to us as it is in Japan. So the point is pretty much moot.

Aaron: "high mountain" or "exalted"

Christopher: "bearing Christ"

Bradley: "broad clearing"

Wilson: "son of Will"

It goes on...

[Nyororin]

You know MMM, I am thinking that the reluctance to accept that a name may just be a name in Japanese is because kanji have meanings. And we both know how strange beliefs can be about the deep "mystical" meanings of those.

Usually, the only people who think about the meaning of a name are parents. Just like in other places, they buy baby name books and look up names. And then if they find a name they like - just like elsewhere - they may change the way it`s written/spelled to be more "unique". Or they may just think up a cool sounding name and use it (applying kanji that will make the right sound).

Really, if you have to look your name up to figure out what it means, or do some research into it... The name doesn`t have a real life meaning. It`s just a name. This is the same in Japan.

Asking what the names of certain anime characters mean is really along the same lines as looking up the names of characters on a US sitcom to see what they mean. Imagine someone doing that then going on and on about how perfect the meaning was for the character or how cool it was for the character to have a name meaning such-and-such like is common with anime names.

It sounds a bit silly when put into those terms, doesn`t it?

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

You know MMM, I am thinking that the reluctance to accept that a name may just be a name in Japanese is because kanji have meanings. And we both know how strange beliefs can be about the deep "mystical" meanings of those.

I have a Chinese Character-based name, like 96% of South Koreans do, and I always think my name doesn't suit me at all when it comes to the literal translation of my name. Go figure.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

Asking what the names of certain anime characters mean is really along the same lines as looking up the names of characters on a US sitcom to see what they mean. Imagine someone doing that then going on and on about how perfect the meaning was for the character or how cool it was for the character to have a name meaning such-and-such like is common with anime names.

It sounds a bit silly when put into those terms, doesn`t it?

Most people seem to go completely overboard with this whole name thing but there are some stories that have characters with names that are deliberate play on words or puns, which are totally lost in dubs and translation.

I don't think it's wrong to want to understand where a joke is coming from but all too often they seem to go about it the wrong way; it's like asking why the idea of an amorous dwarf called 'Cassanunda' is supposed to be funny and being told "Oh, well, 'cassa' means 'house' and 'unda' means 'shadow' and he like... sneaks into people houses to seduce women all the time, lol!".