パトリック
Your name
Patrick
in Japanese
The default way to write Patrick in Japanese is パトリック — 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 Patrick actually means at the root — Derived from Latin 'Patricius' meaning 'nobleman' or 'patrician' — a member of the noble class. Finally a set of ateji, the playful tradition where the kanji match the sound and tell their own small story underneath.
Katakana — Phonetic
How Patrick is most commonly written in Japanese — used on official documents, business cards, and signage.
Meaning Kanji — Etymology
"Patrick" means: Derived from Latin 'Patricius' meaning 'nobleman' or 'patrician' — a member of the noble class.
貴士
Takashi
貴 (taka) = noble, precious, honored; 士 (shi) = gentleman, warrior, scholar — together: 'noble gentleman,' directly capturing the patrician meaning.
尊人
Takato
尊 (taka/son) = revered, esteemed, honorable; 人 (to/hito) = person — together: 'revered person,' echoing the aristocratic origin.
高徳
Takanori
高 (taka) = high, lofty, noble; 徳 (nori/toku) = virtue, moral character — together: 'lofty virtue,' the inner nobility of a true patrician.
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.
破斗利空
Patorikku
破 (pa) = break through, shatter; 斗 (to) = dipper, the Big Dipper constellation; 利 (ri) = sharp, advantageous; 空 (kku/sora) = sky, void — together: 'one who shatters the heavens with sharp brilliance,' a cool cosmic warrior image.
葉鳥陸
Patoriku
葉 (pa/ha) = leaf, foliage; 鳥 (tori) = bird; 陸 (riku) = land, continent — together: 'leaf-bird of the land,' a cute, gentle nature image of a small bird flitting among leaves.
波都璃玖
Patoriku
波 (pa/ha) = wave; 都 (to) = capital, metropolis; 璃 (ri) = lapis lazuli, glass-like jewel; 玖 (ku) = a precious black jewel — together: 'jeweled capital of waves,' a mystical Atlantis-like image of a shimmering oceanic city.
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 →
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