Japanese Name Converter

My Name in Japanese: Katakana, Hiragana, Kanji, Furigana & Romaji Explained

Type your name into the converter above to convert your name into Japanese and see all five common ways a foreign name gets written: the katakana spelling, the hiragana equivalent, a kanji (ateji) version with meaning, a furigana reading guide, and the romaji spelling. This single Japanese name converter works as a katakana translator, a hiragana converter, a kanji name translator, and a romaji translator at once, so there's no need to run your name through several separate tools. Each output answers a slightly different question, and this page walks through what each script is actually for, so you can pick the version that matches what you need it for - an official document, a tattoo, a gift, or just curiosity about how your name would read in Japan.

Japanese uses three native scripts - hiragana, katakana, and kanji - plus romaji, the Latin-alphabet spelling used for input and signage. None of them are optional add-ons; they each cover a specific role in how the language is written day to day, and a name converter that only gave you one of them would be leaving out information most visitors actually came here to find.

Katakana Name Converter: The Standard Script for Foreign Names

Katakana is the correct, expected script for a name that did not originate in Japan. This surprises people who assumed a "cooler," more symbolic kanji version was the default - it isn't. When Emma is converted, the standard result is エマ (E-ma), not a set of kanji. Michael becomes マイケル (Ma-i-ke-ru). Sarah becomes サラ (Sa-ra).

Katakana exists specifically for loanwords and foreign names, separate from hiragana and kanji, which cover native Japanese vocabulary and grammar. On Japan's residence cards (在留カード, zairyu card) issued by the Ministry of Justice, foreign nationals' names are written in katakana. The same applies on hospital forms, bank paperwork, and business cards - katakana is what Japanese readers expect to see, and it immediately signals "this is a non-Japanese name," which is accurate rather than a limitation.

How the katakana conversion works

The process is phonetic: each sound in your name is matched to the closest available Japanese syllable, because Japanese phonology is built almost entirely from consonant-vowel pairs (plus the standalone "n").

• The English "L" does not exist in Japanese - it maps to the Japanese "R" row, so Laura becomes ラウラ (Ra-u-ra).
• Consonant clusters get split apart with an inserted vowel - Chris becomes クリス (Ku-ri-su).
• "V" maps to "B" in standard katakana - Victor becomes ビクター (Bi-ku-taa).
• Long vowel sounds are held and shown with a lengthening mark - the "ee" in Lee becomes リー.

Because of this, a katakana name can look or sound slightly different from the English original - that's simply the closest match Japanese sound rules allow, and it's the same process every reputable Japanese name translator or katakana translator applies. If you're trying to convert your name into Japanese for a form, a card, or a caption, the katakana result above is the version to use.

Common English names in katakana

Hiragana Name Converter: The Softer, Native-Style Option

Hiragana represents exactly the same sounds as katakana - every hiragana character has a one-to-one katakana counterpart, so converting between the two never changes pronunciation, only the shape of the characters. Emma in hiragana is えま instead of エマ.

Hiragana is the script Japanese children learn first, and it covers native grammar, particles, and native words without a common kanji. It is not the standard convention for a foreign name, but hiragana versions of foreign names are common in specific, deliberate contexts: personal art, calligraphy practice, a softer visual style for a signature, or simply a stylistic preference over the more angular katakana. Some Japanese parents also register their own children's given names entirely in hiragana rather than kanji, for the same softer aesthetic.

If you need your name for an official Japanese document or ID, use the katakana version above - that is the one institutions recognize. Choose hiragana when the use case is personal rather than official.

Common English names in hiragana

Kanji Name Converter: Ateji and What "Kanji Name" Actually Means

A kanji version of a foreign name is called ateji (当て字) - kanji characters chosen for their sound rather than assigned by any official body. It's a genuine, centuries-old practice, common in calligraphy, tattoos, and personal keepsakes, but it is not how Japan legally registers a foreign name. Japan's Family Register Act only permits kanji from the Jōyō and Jinmeiyō lists for names entered on the family register, and a foreign resident's legal name in Japan is recorded in katakana on their residence card, not in ateji kanji.

There is no single "correct" kanji spelling for a given name - two people named Michael could legitimately end up with different kanji, as long as both combinations produce the マイケル sound. The generator above builds an ateji version automatically by matching each syllable to a real kanji character with a documented meaning, then shows the meaning of each character it selects, so you can see exactly what the combination communicates before you use it.

Using a kanji name responsibly

If you're considering a kanji version for a tattoo, a gift, or anything permanent, verify the specific combination with a native Japanese speaker or a certified translator first. A phonetic match is not the same as confirming the meaning and readability are what you intend - a name converter can get you the sound right; only a fluent human reader can confirm the final result reads naturally.

Furigana Name Converter: A Reading Guide, Not a Separate Script

Furigana (振り仮名) are small hiragana characters printed above kanji to show how to read them - shown in the converter as <ruby> text with the kanji on the main line and hiragana above it. Furigana isn't a fourth writing system with its own rules; it's a reading aid layered on top of kanji, used anywhere a reader might not know a kanji's pronunciation - children's books, manga, and, often, personal names.

For a converted name specifically, furigana matters because ateji kanji frequently has more than one plausible reading. When you switch the converter to furigana mode, it shows the kanji version generated above with its intended hiragana reading placed above each character, so there's no ambiguity about how it's meant to sound - useful for business cards, forms that ask for both a kanji name and its furigana, or simply confirming your ateji reads the way you intended.

Romaji Converter: Writing Your Name in the Latin Alphabet

Romaji is the Latin-alphabet spelling of a Japanese word or name, and it's what this converter shows as the plain-text reading beneath every katakana, hiragana, or kanji result - in effect, a built-in Japanese-to-romaji converter for whatever name you just generated. Japan uses a few different romanization systems side by side. Hepburn romanization is the most common and the one this converter follows - it's built to match English pronunciation intuitively, which is why long vowels appear as a doubled letter or a macron (e.g. "Taro" vs. "Tarō") and why it's the system used on Japanese passports and most road signs. Kunrei-shiki and Nihon-shiki are the two other standardized systems, used mainly in Japanese-language education and some official government contexts; they follow the kana table more literally rather than optimizing for English readers, which produces different spellings for a handful of sounds (for example, Hepburn's "shi" is "si" in Kunrei-shiki).

For a converted foreign name, romaji mode gives you a clean way to double-check exactly how the katakana or hiragana is meant to be pronounced without needing to read Japanese script at all - useful when you're relaying the name verbally, romanizing a Japanese name you already have, or typing it into a Japanese input method.

Frequently Asked Questions

Want a New Japanese Name Instead of a Translation?

This tool converts the name you already have. If you'd rather be assigned a new Japanese name chosen for its meaning, try the Japanese Male Name Generator or the Japanese Female Name Generator, both of which let you filter by meaning theme.

Reviewed by Author, JLPT N1, onomastics researcher. Content follows our editorial policy.