Japan Bans “Flashy” Baby Names

As you prepare for a little one to join your family, you’ve probably got this all-important question on your mind: “What should we name baby?!” You have so many to choose from, whether you want a popular option or something a little more avant-garde. If you live in Japan, though, you may encounter some issues on your quest to give baby a name that’s truly out of the box.

In response to a rise in “glittery” baby names, Japan recently imposed new rules on how names in the Chinese-based characters, kanji, can be pronounced. Flashy, unusual name pronunciations—which Japan calls kirakira names—are now at risk of being rejected when submitted for approval, The Guardian reports.

Here’s how it’ll work: Japan has revised a law that requires all names in the national family registry to include phonetic readings, so parents will have to stick to standard pronunciations of the characters they use to spell a child’s name. This means that parents can’t give the name a different pronunciation than how the combined kanji sound phonetically.

Some previously registered Japanese names that fall under this category pay homage to different cartoon and video characters. Some examples include Pikachu, the iconic Pokémon character; Naruto, the anime protagonist and Pu, which is written to sound like the character from Winnie the Pooh. In the past, some creative parents have chosen the name Shiizaa, the Japanese interpretation of Caesar; Eren, sometimes used as a version of the English, Ellen and even Purin, which is meant to sound like the English word “pudding.” These will all most likely be going on the banned baby names list.

The list may also include names which are considered relatively popular in the US, like Naike, which is made to sound like the feminine name and sportswear brand, Nike.

The goal of the Japanese government is to prevent confusion among public services and in public spaces, like hospitals, and to hinder negative attention (and bullying) among children in schools. Some reports say the move was also influenced by a 1994 case where a couple wasn’t allowed to keep the name Akuma for their child, since the moniker translates to “devil.”

According to South China Morning Post report, some popular names on The Bump are also potentially on the chopping block. If you’re feeling curious—or even a bit rebellious—take a look at some monikers of the names in question, below:

Jewell
Parents can choose kanji to make the name sound as close as possible to the English word “jewel,” with the closest arguably being Jueru. This definitely fits the glittery kirakira name, but may sound a bit strange to others when you first hear it pronounced.

Lovely
In Kanji, it would be pronounced like “Raburi,” which can translate to “love” or “affection,” but may still leave the door open for some misinterpretations.

Kitty
This definitely could have been inspired by Sanrio’s Hello Kitty character, but when written in kanji, it literally means “love cat.”

Elsa
In Japanese, the closest version of this name is Erusa, which can mean “ice princess,” but could also have unrelated translations and can be confusing when pronounced.

Prince
In 2019, a teenager with the name Oji-sama, meaning “Prince,” legally changed his name because of the confusion and embarrassment he received.