Namae

Namae is a Japanese word that means “name.” It is used to refer to personal names, surnames, and titles in everyday conversation and formal writing. The term is read in hiragana as なまえ or in kanji as 名前. The kanji characters are composed of 女 (woman) and 女 (woman placed together), which originally conveyed the idea of “separate” or “different” individuals.

In Japanese culture, a person’s namae typically consists of a family name followed by a given name. The family name precedes the given name in written form, although in Western contexts the order is often reversed. Family names reflect ancestry, place of origin, or occupational roots, while given names are chosen by parents to convey hopes or virtues. In official documents such as passports, databases, and legal contracts, the full namae is required, and it must match the registration recorded at birth.

Pronunciation of namae is relatively straightforward: it is pronounced nah-mah-eh in English phonetics, with each vowel pronounced fully. The word is a noun and does not inflect, although it is often used in various grammatical constructions, such as "namae o shiri mashou" (let’s get to know each other's names) or "namae ga arimasu ka" (Do you have a name?).

The concept of a namae is integral to Japanese identity and social interaction. It is used in address forms, where titles such as san, sama, or sensei are attached to the name: "Tanaka-san" or "Sato-sama." In written messages, names are often followed by a stylized hand sign (“hashira”) or a bar. The use of a namae also appears in cultural works, such as fictional characters in manga and anime, where their names carry symbolic meanings.