I don’t have a middle name. Japanese people usually don’t have middle names.
I chose my kids’ names. They all end with -IAN. The reason is that it is easy to pronounce for both Japanese speakers (me) and Spanish speakers (my husband).
My eldest daughter is VIVIAN. I think the V sound is a bit difficult for Japanese speakers. Japanese has a B sound but no V sound.
My second daughter is LILIAN. The L sound is easy but sometimes tricky for Japanese speakers because Japanese doesn’t distinguish between L and R.
I think only the eldest daughter and son have middle names. After giving birth, while filling out a lot of documents and visiting the Japanese embassy, I lost track. I repeated the same thing four times.
I tell the kids to see their passports if they have a middle name or not. It is more accurate than my memory.
Photo by Pixabay
those are such lovely names Lili-san! You have great taste and your daughters will thank you 🙂 Mike
I think Japanese names are relatively easy. My real name is Mari. It’s a common name 🙂
What a delightful and heartfelt reflection this is. I love how it blends cultural insight with personal storytelling in such a natural, warm way. The thoughtful care you put into choosing names that bridge both Japanese and Spanish pronunciation is especially touching—it shows not just creativity, but a deep love for your family’s shared identity.