About name naturalization

[MatoriSan]

I have a brief question about name naturalization (this is probably a frequent question asked around citizenship threads, but after searching the forum I didn't find any threads specifically committed to this).

When naturalizing your name, does your new Japanese name have to be the exact meaning or pronouncement as your original name? I'm asking this because I think my name and surname are practically unpronounceable in either Japanese words meaning something - my full name literally means "Great-peace From-the-house-of-he-who-is-merry" (kinda weird, but true considering the traditional form of Serb surnames - with the "-ić" suffix), and trying to naturalize by sound pronouncement is impossible (I've tried to formulate a possible naturalized surname based on my own and it turned out absolutely ridiculous). Other than that, further simplifying the meaning of my name and surname using a dictionary of phrases and it turned out as "Tanoshige Heisei" (in surname-name order), but I don't know if the Japanese would be accepting a citizenship with a fully custom name and surname...

[MMM]

You do not get a new name when you are accepted as a Japanese citizen. Your name will be written in Katakana, and it is stated Given Name and then Last Name.

You can see samples here

Names written by Katakana

The meaning of your name doesn't matter.

[MatoriSan]

The meaning of your name doesn't matter.

I thought it was like that although I coulda sworn I saw it somewhere on a thread where this guy named Aldwinkle gets suggestions by other people to naturalize his surname by meaning... kinda strange.

Point being was, is it possible to choose your own given name? Since i dunno how the Japanese would try to pronounce "Vel-ee-meer" (Velimir) and "Veh-seh-lee-no-vich" (Veselinović)

...probably like "Berimiiru Beseriinobichi" but that makes it way too hard for me to imagine how it would sound while used frequently in everyday talk.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by MatoriSan

I thought it was like that although I coulda sworn I saw it somewhere on a thread where this guy named Aldwinkle gets suggestions by other people to naturalize his surname by meaning... kinda strange.

Point being was, is it possible to choose your own given name? Since i dunno how the Japanese would try to pronounce "Vel-ee-meer" (Velimir) and "Veh-seh-lee-no-vich" (Veselinović)

...probably like "Berimiiru Beseriinobichi" but that makes it way too hard for me to imagine how it would sound while used frequently in everyday talk.

No, you don't get to choose your name.
Yours would probably be something like べりミール・ベセリノバビッチ. It will probably be more difficult for native English speakers than Japanese speakers, and most people with names like this find a nickname. Maybe ベリ.

[MatoriSan]

Yeah, there is a nickname I use most often... Velja (Velya) (that's tricky to pronounce until you get the trick with lya, since the lya is supposed to be pronounced like the lla from the spanish word "callas" - if you saw the "porque no te callas" video you'll see what i mean)... but i doubt there is that kind of "lya" in japanese speech so I might consider something else. Some people call me by my initial letter so I think "Vii-san" and "Vii-kun" sound quite natural.

[MMM]

Japanese seem to often take the first two characters of someone's name and use it, so I would bet "veri" would be yours. "Vii" isn't as obvious, because the first character of your name would be ベ or ヴェ.

[Nyororin]

No, you DO have to choose a Japanese name.
It has to follow the same rules as other Japanese names, barring use of certain characters, etc. This rules out keeping the same name and simply writing it in katakana.

It does not have to carry the same pronunciation or meaning as your original name - but you WILL have to change both your first and last name if you receive citizenship. Most people do choose something either similar in pronunciation to their original name, or a Japanese name with similar meaning.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

No, you DO have to choose a Japanese name.
It has to follow the same rules as other Japanese names, barring use of certain characters, etc. This rules out keeping the same name and simply writing it in katakana.

It does not have to carry the same pronunciation or meaning as your original name - but you WILL have to change both your first and last name if you receive citizenship. Most people do choose something either similar in pronunciation to their original name, or a Japanese name with similar meaning.

Are you serious? I thought that was only for sumo wrestlers. Sorry about the error, Matorisan.

[blimp]

nyororin,
i thought that requirement was removed? (no, i do not know hence the question mark).

the funny thing is that japanese ppl don't have to have a kanji name. which makes me wonder if you can change back to your original name after you have become japanese.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by blimp

nyororin,
i thought that requirement was removed? (no, i do not know hence the question mark).

the funny thing is that japanese ppl don't have to have a kanji name. which makes me wonder if you can change back to your original name after you have become japanese.

I was told that it still has to follow Japanese naming conventions. That doesn`t mean that you`ll have to make a kanji name, necessarily, it just has to fall within the limits of the same rules all other Japanese have to follow with their names. Length, use of certain characters, etc etc.
Makes complete sense to me, as you are joining the ranks so should not really be expecting special treatment.

I have to say I don`t really know about the family name - I don`t think I asked in detail as that isn`t an issue in my case. However, I imagine it is the same - if you couldn`t change your family name to it as a native Japanese citizen then you can`t keep it as a newly naturalized one.