Ok, so I'm pretty solid on last names at this point after learning 500+, but I hate reading the newspaper and when it comes time to read the 容疑者’ｓ name I can only get as far as 中村, what follows might as well be an alien tongue. So I plan to start working on first names now to really solidify that skill, I would guess it is my lowest skill in the whole language, I've worked a lot with place names and save the stupid ones where they just randomly read it however they want I can read plenty no problem.

Anyways, with an end to the ramble comes the question.

How, and where should I start my first names quest?

In a semi-related request, is there any place to look up names you come across to find the pronunciation? I'd rather pick them up as I read than study a database of names, but that's just me.

With Rikaichan you can use Enamdict, which is a dictionary of names of people and places.

You can also use this http://jisho.org/words/
Select names from the drop down on the right.

I made a shared anki deck sometime ago called "Top 500 Japanese names".
Just go into Anki and search for "500" in the list of shared decks.

It's a list of the 500 most common japanese names.
I have no idea if it includes both first and last names.

I still need to make some changes to the deck.
Maybe I'll do it sometime soon.

chamcham Wrote:I made a shared anki deck sometime ago called "Top 500 Japanese names".
Just go into Anki and search for "500" in the list of shared decks.

It's a list of the 500 most common japanese names.
I have no idea if it includes both first and last names.

I still need to make some changes to the deck.
Maybe I'll do it sometime soon.

Out of curiosity, how did it come to pass that you created this deck, yet do not know what it contains? Japanese first and last names are usually quite distinguishable from one another.

There are lists of the most common japanese names on the web.
I just made an anki deck out of them.

I never really made an effort to distinguish japanese first and last names.

Come on guys, I need some better resources than that. That 500 deck is last names only and I've been through it already.

Here's the best way (imho): Find a list of popular first names (got to be somewhere on the net) and use it in conjunction with D-addict.com's wiki as it has actor's faces and names. Just search, find an actor/actress and add them. Fairly simple with Anki's paste feature for images now.

After that, it's a matter of how you want to test your knowledge. Is it straight face to knowing the name (pronunciation and writing) or face and name to knowing pronunciation.

Has a double benefit of allowing you to know famous names and an actor/actress which you will see on TV now and again. Anyway, it's just easier to put names to faces. Hope it helps.

In my experience, you shouldn't bother. There aren't an overwhelming number of names in terms of sound, but parents choose whatever kanji they want for them with the corresponding readings (and frequently even if the readings don't match). It's nowhere near as neat as last names.

Just learn people's names as you meet them. Even memorizing celebrities' names only helps you read THAT celebrity's name, not all people with the name しょうこ.

I would begin at a website like:
http://dqname.jp/

林檎 pronounced あぽー may, quite be, one of my favorites.

[Katsuo]

Coscom have a lists of Male names (478/103) and Female names (374/100) (= kanji/kana).