What’s in a Name?

Growing up, all Yuni Matsumoto wanted was to fit in. But his name made that hard. It was highly uncommon in Japan and, on top of that, it was essentially unreadable as written. Middle school classmates ridiculed him. The bullying got so bad that he dropped out of school.

Matsumoto, now 24, had what’s known in Japan as a kira-kira name—meaning “shiny” or “glittery.” A growing number of Japanese parents are choosing these unconventional names in the hope of making their children stand out in a nation where pressure to conform is strong.

But to Matsumoto, his name was a shackle. Last spring, he went to family court and had it changed to a common one, Yuuki, written in a way anyone could read.

“I felt like I had finally been freed,” he says.

Japan isn’t the only place where unusual names are on the rise. But Japanese children with unconventional names face societal and practical challenges unique to their country and its written language. Citing those difficulties, the government is moving to rein in the practice. Within the next two years, a new law will bar parents from giving their children very unusual names. And for the first time, official family records will include notes indicating how names should be read.

When Yuni Matsumoto was growing up, all he wanted was to fit in. But his name made that hard because it was highly uncommon in Japan. It was also unreadable as written. Middle school classmates made fun of him. He dropped out of school because the bullying got so bad.

Matsumoto, now 24, had what’s known in Japan as a kira-kira name. Kira-kira means “shiny” or “glittery.” More and more Japanese parents are choosing these unconventional names for their children. They hope this will make their children stand out in a country where these is pressure for everyone to be the same.

But Matsumoto felt his name was holding him back. Last spring, he went to family court. He changed his name to Yuuki, a more common name. It is also written in a way anyone could read it.

“I felt like I had finally been freed,” he says.

Japan isn’t the only place where unusual names are on the rise. But Japanese children with uncommon names face more social pressure and practical challenges. These challenges are unique to their country because of how the language is written. Due to these difficulties, the government is moving to put limits on unconventional names. Within the next two years, a new law will stop parents from giving their children very unusual names. And for the first time, official family records will include notes showing how the names should be read.

Not everyone with an unconventional name dislikes it. Urara Takaseki, 25, a founder of multiple startups and a Ph.D. candidate in engineering at the University of Tokyo, says her unique name, which means “spring beauty,” has helped her stand out in business and social settings.

“It’s a great conversation starter,” Takaseki says. It “makes it easy for others to remember you.”

But cases of people unhappy with their unusual names have been rising. According to a survey by NHK, a public-service broadcaster in Japan, 4,000 people a year change their names for reasons other than marriage. In Japan, people can legally change their name without parental permission starting at age 15.

The new law will limit readings of the kanji in children’s names to those “generally recognizable by society.” For example, the name Takashi, written with a character meaning “high,” won’t be permitted to be read as the Japanese word for “low.” Also disallowed: names that would cause confusion because their reading resembles, but is slightly different from, the usual reading.

Not everyone with an unconventional name dislikes it. Urara Takaseki, 25, a founder of multiple startups and a Ph.D. candidate in engineering at the University of Tokyo, likes hers. It means “spring beauty.” She says it has helped her stand out in business and social settings.

“It’s a great conversation starter,” Takaseki says. It “makes it easy for others to remember you.”

But cases of people unhappy with their unusual names have been rising. According to a survey by NHK, a public-service broadcaster in Japan, 4,000 people a year change their names for reasons other than marriage. In Japan, people don’t need their parents’ permission to legally change their name once they turn 15 years old.

The new law will limit readings of children’s names to those “generally recognizable by society.” For example, the name Takashi, written with a character meaning “high,” won’t be permitted to be read as the Japanese word for “low.” The law also will not allow names whose reading resembles, but is slightly different from, the usual reading.

Kubota, the legislator, insists the law leaves room for inventiveness. Ogihara, the professor, isn’t convinced. He worries the changes would “restrict the creativity of parents in naming their children when giving them their very first gift.”

For his part, Matsumoto wants parents to think twice before giving their children unconventional names. Before he changed his to Yuuki, he had wanted to someday give his son that name. It is written with two characters that mean “kindness” and “hope.”

“If you have a kira-kira name, other people will look at you and think that your parents are socially inept or unintelligent,” Matsumoto says. “A name,” he added, “can change the trajectory of a life.”

Kubota, the legislator, says the law leaves room for creativity. Ogihara, the professor, isn’t convinced. He worries the changes would “restrict the creativity of parents in naming their children when giving them their very first gift.”

Matsumoto wants parents to think twice before giving their children uncommon names. Before he changed his to Yuuki, he had wanted to someday give his son that name. It is written with two characters that mean “kindness” and “hope.”

“If you have a kira-kira name, other people will look at you and think that your parents are socially inept or unintelligent,” Matsumoto says. “A name,” he added, “can change the trajectory of a life.”