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LILI EN FLORIDA

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Japanese Educator, Content Writer and Traveler

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

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by

LILI FLORIDA

in

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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.

 

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6 responses to “What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?”

  1. Michael Williams Avatar
    Michael Williams

    those are such lovely names Lili-san! You have great taste and your daughters will thank you 🙂 Mike

    Reply
    1. LILI FLORIDA Avatar
      LILI FLORIDA

      I think Japanese names are relatively easy. My real name is Mari. It’s a common name 🙂

      Reply
  2. vermavkv Avatar
    vermavkv

    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.

    Reply
  3. pedmar10 Avatar
    pedmar10

    My son have middle names French but easy to pronounce in English or Spanish been born in Florida. I do not have one.

    Reply
    1. LILI FLORIDA Avatar
      LILI FLORIDA

      Nice! 🙂

      My mother-in-law has a middle name. She said that Cuban women usually don’t change their last name after marriage.

      In Japan, women change their last names after marriage. But I have used my father’s last name at school (outside) and my mother’s last name at home. I am the oldest grandchild (no siblings) and the only woman among the cousins. Cousins moved to other cities. In the future, I may become an heir. So I can’t change my last name and nationality. I don’t like this tradition, but I have to accept it.

      Reply
  4. pedmar10 Avatar
    pedmar10

    Yes True the last name is our roots families know the tree by it. And we have two last names by father and mother.great need my mom to have crédit !

    Reply

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