モーガン
Your name
Morgan
in Japanese
The default way to write Morgan in Japanese is モーガン — 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 Morgan actually means at the root — From Welsh origin meaning 'sea-born' or 'sea circle' (mor = sea, cant = circle/great). Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Morgan is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Morgan" means: From Welsh origin meaning 'sea-born' or 'sea circle' (mor = sea, cant = circle/great)
海生
Kaisei
海 (kai) = sea/ocean; 生 (sei) = born/life — captures the core 'sea-born' meaning
海環
Kaikan
海 (kai) = sea; 環 (kan) = ring/circle — reflects 'sea circle' from Welsh 'mor-cant'
蒼洋
Souyou
蒼 (sou) = deep blue/azure; 洋 (you) = vast ocean — evokes the boundless sea of one's origin
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.
藻雁
Mogan
藻 (mo) = seaweed/water plant; 雁 (gan) = wild goose — mystical, evokes a goose gliding over kelp-strewn waters
茂願
Mogan
茂 (mo) = lush/flourishing; 願 (gan) = wish/prayer — cute and warm, 'a flourishing wish'
模岩
Mogan
模 (mo) = pattern/model; 岩 (gan) = rock/boulder — cool and grounded, 'a model of stone'
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