- Write the sound, not the spelling: Sophie → ソフィー.
- Japanese has no L: it becomes R (ラ, リ, ル, レ, ロ).
- Consonants get a vowel: Mark → マーク (mā-ku).
- Long sounds use ー: Lee → リー.
- There’s often more than one correct spelling.
The 6 rules
- Write what you hear. Thomas sounds like “Tomas” → トーマス.
- L → R. Laura → ローラ, Emily → エミリー.
- Add vowels to lone consonants. Usually u (ク, ス), but o after t and d (ト, ド): Kurt → クルト, David → デイビッド.
- Long vowels get ー. Jean → ジーン, Lee → リー.
- Short stops become ッ. The punchy middle of Matt → マット.
- Sounds Japanese lacks get approximations: th → s/z, v → b (or ヴ), f → フ + small vowel (ファ, フィ).
30 common names in katakana
| Name | Katakana | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Anna | アンナ | Anna |
| Emma | エマ | Ema |
| Olivia | オリビア | Oribia |
| Sophie | ソフィー | Sofī |
| Laura | ローラ | Rōra |
| Sarah | サラ | Sara |
| Jessica | ジェシカ | Jeshika |
| Emily | エミリー | Emirī |
| Mia | ミア | Mia |
| Julia | ジュリア | Juria |
| Lisa | リサ | Risa |
| Hannah | ハンナ | Hanna |
| Charlotte | シャーロット | Shārotto |
| Chloe | クロエ | Kuroe |
| Maria | マリア | Maria |
| Michael | マイケル | Maikeru |
| David | デイビッド | Deibiddo |
| Daniel | ダニエル | Danieru |
| Thomas | トーマス | Tōmasu |
| James | ジェームズ | Jēmuzu |
| Chris | クリス | Kurisu |
| Matt | マット | Matto |
| Max | マックス | Makkusu |
| Lukas | ルーカス | Rūkasu |
| Ben | ベン | Ben |
| Alex | アレックス | Arekkusu |
| John | ジョン | Jon |
| Paul | ポール | Pōru |
| Kevin | ケビン | Kebin |
| Tom | トム | Tomu |
Introduce yourself with your name
- ソフィーですSofī desuI’m Sophie.
- マイケルです。よろしくおねがいしますMaikeru desu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasuI’m Michael. Nice to meet you.
- おなまえは？o-namae wa?What’s your name?
Then use the template in our self-introduction guide.
What about kanji names?
You might see websites offering to turn your name into kanji. Be careful: these are usually ateji, kanji chosen for sound, and they can carry odd or unfortunate meanings. Japanese people will always expect a foreign name in katakana. If you want a kanji name, ask a Japanese friend to help choose meaningful characters.
Japanese has no L. Laura becomes:
Which rule explains マーク (Mark)?
Foreign names are usually written in:
Frequently asked questions
How do I write my name in Japanese?
Foreign names are written in katakana based on their pronunciation. Break your name into sounds, replace L with R, add vowels after lone consonants and use ー for long vowels. For example, Mark becomes マーク and Laura becomes ローラ.
Can I write my name in kanji?
Kanji spellings of foreign names (ateji) exist, but they can have strange meanings and aren't standard. Japanese people expect foreign names in katakana.
Why is my name spelled differently on different websites?
Katakana spellings follow pronunciation, which can be approximated in several ways, so more than one spelling is often correct.