Is Miyazaki a comon name in Japan?

[Mr. Versipellis]

Because I've heard of Tsutomu Miyazaki... I do hope Miko isn't named after him! :smallfrown:

[Cactuar_Tamer]

Yes, it's at least relatively common, though I don't know enough to say if it's very common (say, as common as something like Satou).

[Somewhere]

The same Miyazaki in Miyazaki Hayao (of Studio Ghibli fame) is the 67th most common family name in Japan, according to this:
http://park14.wakwak.com/~myj/lanking/zenkoku1b.html
I think that was done sometime this decade, which works enough for me.

Whether or not the Miyazaki in Miyazaki Miko is the same Miyazaki cannot be definitively answered without official kanji by Rich :smalltongue:

[derfenrirwolv]

What is this "Japan" you speak of

[rewinn]

What is this "Japan" you speak of
I believe the name it is linguistically related to the verb Jape (http://middleenglishcomics.blogspot.com/), and hence most likely an in-joke of the bards.

[Scarlet Knight]

For comparison's sake, a random search found "Torres" as #67 in the US, "Simpson" as 67th in England, "Strom" for Sweden, "Ferreya" in Argentina, and "Randhawa" in Northern India.

[osaka40]

For comparison's sake, a random search found "Torres" as #67 in the US, "Simpson" as 67th in England, "Strom" for Sweden, "Ferreya" in Argentina, and "Randhawa" in Northern India.

Thanks for that. Just be aware that there are some complications with this comparison (although they don't detract from its utility).

Firstly, although Japanese has a wider spread of names in it than many languages, the "really common" ones are relatively more common than they are in many other countries. Thus no name in the UK is shared by even 1% of the population (although Smith is very close), whereas in Japan, I believe 3, possibly 4 names make over a bit over 1% each. (but cf. over 7%(!) of China all sharing the name Wang). And because of his, the rarer ones, and there are something like 300000 on record, are really rare.

Secondly, since there is no "spelling" as such in Japan, one has to define what you mean by "name". On one hand, two names that are pronounced the same, and also written the same, if you use a syllabary such as hiragana, can be written using different kanji characters. These would normally be counted as "different" names in Japan. On the other hand, two names can be written using the same kanji characters, but pronounced differently, and thus written differently in hiragana, and these would normally count as the "same" name. Thus the names the names "Shimoda" and "Take****a" (assuming the usual kanji) would count as the "same" name in Japan. Since lists of Japanese names tend to be compiled by Japanese people, they naturally use the Japanese way of looking at their names. So individual names may be over or under-counted, depending on how you define "same/different name".

Not only is Miyazaki a reasonably common name in Japan, it is also a very stereotypical Japanese name in that it is firmly geographically-based; it combines the two characters for palace and ridge. The vast majority of the most common Japanese (family) names either combine sort of descripor descriptor with a man-made feature (middle village, middle field, little copse (for Nakamura, Tanaka, Kobayashi)) or a natural one (stone river, mountain ridge, pine root (for Ishikawa, Yamazaki, Matsumoto)).

[sam79]

**Snip**

Thanks for that; really interesting and informative. I feel I have learnt something today already!

[Vargtass]

I seem to remember The Giant actually explaining to speculators previously that he did indeed pick the names Miko and Miyazaki from a list of common Japanese names, or possibly a compilation of Japanese-sounding names.

Anyway, no reference to a certain Miko or Miyazaki was intended.

[ref]

I wonder what was the false positive for the censor...

[Rutskarn]

I'm guessing it rhymes with "quit".

[Yiuel]

I wonder what was the false positive for the censor...

As common with this forum, it would be what is pronounced /s\it/. I suppose the intended name was Takesita　たけした。 However, no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to find any way how Shimoda and Takesita could be written with the same kanji... Osaka40, could you provide the kanji? I am completely lost here.

Also, for the very common names in Japan, you also have all the (kanji)+tou/dou (藤). Indeed, "Kato", Kasumi's last name, is one of them : 加藤 かとう Katou*. I think it's actually THE most common family name in Japan.

(* Yes, I do pedantly romanize as if I were writing straight with kana. It helps me write properly in Japanese with my keyboard.)

[Somewhere]

加藤 (Katou) is around 10 or 11th most common. 佐藤 (Satou) is the most common in the lists I've seen.

Romanizing straight from kana makes more sense to me; especially when I don't feel like memorizing the alt+ numbers to get letters with macron.