English → Kanji
Your name in real kanji.
Two methods: meaning-based etymology and ateji phonetic wordplay. Choose what fits.
Meaning-based kanji
Every name has an etymology — Michael means "Who is like God" in Hebrew, Sophia means "wisdom" in Greek, Hiroshi means "generous" in Japanese. Meaning-based kanji takes the etymological meaning and finds kanji whose meanings align.
Ateji (当て字)
Ateji is the practice of using kanji for their phonetic value while still picking characters with evocative meanings. It's how Japanese has historically transcribed foreign names — and it's a kanji game Japanese people genuinely enjoy. Names of anime characters, hip-hop tags, and even old transliterations of European countries (亜米利加 = America) are ateji.
Which should you use?
- Meaning kanji for tattoos where you want a serious, etymologically grounded name
- Ateji for play, social media bios, or just because you like the result
- Both — the main page shows them together
Directory
Popular names
The 100 most common American first names — each with its full kanji breakdown.
Directory
Anime & game characters
Famous anime and game characters in real kanji, grouped by series.