I have a question about Japanese pennames. Basically, I want to know if a Japanese penname can be made with whatever Kanji you want. In other words, can you get two of your favorite Kanji, slap them together, and use the readings of each of them to make a penname, even if that name is not "real"? I was reading a manga (Bakuman, if it helps to know) and the characters create a penname by putting together Kanji symbolic of their personality/predicament. The name they come of with is 亜城木 夢叶. "夢叶 (むと)" is written with the Kanji for "dream" and "grant/make come true," representing their desire to fulfill their dreams. The other part of the name is a combination of the names of three characters in the manga. As far as I know, these are not common names (correct me if I'm wrong).

This is obviously a manga, so it's probably not the most realistic source, but assume I were to create a Japanese penname for myself. Could I choose two random Kanji like "猫好" and read it as "びょうこう," just because I like cats? Or should it be an actual Japanese name? And I know that theoretically, you could choose whatever name you want, but I'm generally asking what the norm is, and if any Japanese pennames you know of are written with strange Kanji combinations.

Thanks!

Huh? Isn't a penname just a made up name anyways? Like people would use on a forum?
Wtf does Socky mean anyways?

Even in REAL names, people have weird kanji just used for the meaning.

I haven't seen many strange kanji combo names outside of foreigners attempting to put their names to kanji. They do exist but most Japanese people searching for pennames tend to go for things that can be taken as real names. If you want to "fit in" It'd be best to go with a real name.. if you want to stand out and still fit in, go for a real name with a crazy reading etc. Or with a name that is incredibly rare or was used by nobility or otherwise special people of the past. I have some friends with names like 大宮司、西明寺、西園寺 that are generally regarded as "cool" because of their rarity.

I received a Japanese name from a friend here in Osaka. The last name is 千林[せんばやし] .. which is also rare, but is a running joke as my friends claim that I came from a place in Northern Osaka called 千林..!

I think it depends exactly on what you mean by "penname" -- if you're talking about a handle for a forum or blog or something like that, I think anything goes. If it's real life, stick to your real name.

On the websites I go to, most people slap together kanji or names that have some kind of meaning, ex. "foul stench". If they are using kanji for their name at all, I mean. When I started playing an online game, I didn't know so I made a kanji name for myself (don't remember what I put but it was something like the "captain porridge" I have here), then when I logged in for the first time, I realized most people weren't using kanji names... Some people even use random English words.

yudantaiteki Wrote:I think it depends exactly on what you mean by "penname" -- if you're talking about a handle for a forum or blog or something like that, I think anything goes. If it's real life, stick to your real name.

By penname, I'm generally referring to fake names used by authors, singers, actors or actresses, Manga-ka, etc.
As for online forums, you'd have a lot more freedom with that since... well, it's an online forum.

drdunlap Wrote:I received a Japanese name from a friend here in Osaka. The last name is 千林[せんばやし] .. which is also rare, but is a running joke as my friends claim that I came from a place in Northern Osaka called 千林..!

I realize now that this is a stupid question, considering that virtually anything can be used as a name. I think it would be best if no further replies are written.

To me, 猫好 doesn't look bad at all for a penname, though it sounds ねこよし.

猫好き（ねこずき）cat lover, is already a word so 猫好 might not be so bad (unless you don't like cats) .