ブリタニー
Your name
Brittany
in Japanese
The default way to write Brittany in Japanese is ブリタニー — a phonetic katakana spelling that captures the sound and signals, instantly to a Japanese reader, that the name comes from elsewhere. But katakana is only one of three answers Japanese gives to a foreign name.
Below, we show all three. First the official katakana. Then a set of meaning kanji chosen to express what Brittany actually means at the root — From Brittany, a region in northwestern France; ultimately from the Britons, meaning 'from Britain' or 'from the land of the Britons'. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Brittany is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Brittany" means: From Brittany, a region in northwestern France; ultimately from the Britons, meaning 'from Britain' or 'from the land of the Britons'. Often associated with Celtic heritage, coastal landscapes, and noble origin.
美里凪
Misana
美 (beauty) + 里 (village/homeland, evoking Brittany as a homeland) + 凪 (calm sea, reflecting Brittany's coastal nature)
碧海
Aomi
碧 (blue-green, jewel-like) + 海 (sea) — capturing Brittany's famous emerald coast and Celtic seaside heritage
貴郷
Kikyou
貴 (noble/precious) + 郷 (homeland/native place) — reflecting the meaning 'from a noble homeland', honoring Brittany as an ancestral region
Ateji — Sound + Meaning
Where the sound matches and the kanji tell their own small story. The Edo scholars and modern manga authors both played this game.
舞律谷
Buritani
舞 (bu - dance) + 律 (ri - rhythm/law) + 谷 (tani - valley) — a mystical name meaning 'valley where dance and rhythm dwell'
風里多仁
Buritani
風 (bu - wind) + 里 (ri - village) + 多 (ta - abundant) + 仁 (ni - benevolence) — cute and warm: 'a village of wind, abundant in kindness'
瑠璃灯
Ruritou
瑠 (ru - lapis lazuli) + 璃 (ri - glass/crystal) + 灯 (tou - lantern light) — cool and mystical: 'a lapis lazuli lantern', evoking jeweled coastal lights
Not sure which form to use?
Katakana, meaning kanji, and ateji each belong to a different part of Japanese life — official paperwork, calligraphy and gifts, signatures and wordplay. Our full guide walks through when to reach for each one.
Read the guide: the three ways to write your name in Japanese →
Seven, drawn