Your Name in Japanese
Michael Smith in Japanese is マイケル・スミス (maikeru sumisu). Japanese writes foreign names in katakana, with a dot between the first and last name.
How to use
- Type your name in English letters, for example Emily Johnson.
- Read the katakana, hiragana and romaji. Names marked estimate are not in the dictionary and were spelled by rule.
- Tap a character to hear it and to watch its stroke order.
- Pick a font, size and direction, then save the name as a PNG.
How it works
Japanese writes foreign names in katakana by how they sound, not by letters. The tool first looks the name up in a dictionary of 423 common English first and last names, using the spelling Japanese media use for well known people with that name (Michael マイケル, Emily エミリー, Christopher クリストファー).
Names not in the dictionary are spelled by rule, following the government notice on writing loanwords (外来語の表記, Cabinet Notice 1991): long vowels take ー, a short vowel before a final stop takes ッ, and a consonant with no vowel after it gets one added (o after t and d, u after the others). English th becomes サ行, v becomes バ行 and l and r both become ラ行. English spelling does not always show sound, so these results are marked estimate.
Hiragana is the same sounds in the other kana set. Romaji uses Hepburn, with a macron for long vowels.
Sounds that change
| English | Katakana | Example |
|---|---|---|
| th | ス, ズ | Smith スミス |
| l, r | ラ行 | Laura ローラ |
| v | ブ or ヴ | Kevin ケビン (ケヴィン) |
| -er, -ar | ー | Peter ピーター |
| final t, d | ト, ド | Matt マット |
Sources: Cabinet Notice: 外来語の表記 (1991) · KanjiVG stroke data (CC BY-SA 3.0)Last reviewed 2026-10-17
FAQ
Why is my name written in katakana and not kanji?
Japanese uses katakana for foreign names. Kanji for a foreign name are only chosen for sound or meaning (ateji) and have no official form, so the tool does not make them up.
Why does my name have two spellings?
Some names have more than one accepted form, such as スティーブン and スティーヴン for Steven. The first is the one used most, and the others are listed after it.
What does estimate mean?
The name is not in the dictionary, so the katakana was built from spelling rules. Check it against how you say your name, since English letters do not always match the sound.
Which order do I write first and last name?
Foreign names usually keep their own order in Japanese, first name then last name, joined by a middle dot (・).
Can I use the PNG for a tattoo or a print?
The fonts are Noto Sans JP, Noto Serif JP, Zen Maru Gothic, Zen Kurenaido and Yuji Syuku, all under the SIL Open Font License, which allows commercial use. Check the spelling with a native speaker before anything permanent.