I’m not entirely sure if this fits the sub, but I wanted to share it in case anyone else is interested in surnames.
[Myoji Yurai](https://myoji-yurai.net/) (名字由来) is a website that aims to be a database of all Japanese surnames, including history and meanings, readings, location data, family crests (kamon), number-related statistics (ie how many people roughly have the surname), etc. The site claims to have 99.04% of surnames documented.
The site menu has the following headings:
* Search, which is just a link to the main page (see below).
* [Basic knowledge](https://myoji-yurai.net/basicKnowledge.htm) and understanding of how Japanese surnames work.
* [Popularity rankings](https://myoji-yurai.net/prefectureRanking.htm)
* [Rare and unusual kanji](https://myoji-yurai.net/rareNameTop.htm) that you can search surnames for.
* A link to another website about surname-related news and statistics.
* [Reference materials](https://myoji-yurai.net/reference.htm) in case you’re interested about learning more than what the website has to offer.
The sidebars:
Left:
* みんなの名字の由来 shows a list of newly-submitted name origins and histories. Click the link below for a full list, sorted by newest first.
* 名字の基礎知識コラム shows the latest columns written by the site. Click the link below for a full list, which is also sorted by newest first.
* みんなの家紋のはなし shows the latest submissions about kamon, Japanese family crests. Click the link below for a full list.
* ニュースリリース shows you the latest news and information about the database.
* サイト内のおすすめ shows you recommended articles about the website.
* 新着・更新 is a list of newly submitted and updated surnames.
* 情報求む seems to be a list of surnames missing information that people have put in requests for.
* 名字関連ニュース is a list of news articles about surnames.
* There are two sections for phone apps. In order, they are: Android (free), iPhone (free)
Right:
* アクセスランキング shows you the most searched for surnames by day (left) and month (right). Click on either link below to see more than the top ten (the first is daily, the second is monthly).
* 誕生日の有名人 shows you 5 random Japanese celebrities celebrating their birthday today. Click on their name to learn more about them and their surname. Clilck the link below for the full list.
* 本日の有名人アクセスランキング is a list of celebrities by search popularity. It resets daily. Clilck the link below for the full list.
* 同姓同名アクセスランキング is a list of how many people share the same surname **and** given name by search popularity. Clilck the link below for the full list.
* あなたの家系図 専門調査できる？ seems to be something about family tree information.
* 名字おみくじ is surname fortune telling. See how lucky your surname is!
* 誰が何をした日？is an “on this day in history” field.
* 名字伝言板(掲示板)盛り上がりランキング lists popular threads on the message board.
For starters, it’s best to stick to just looking up surnames. Enter a name you want to search for in the 名字(漢字) field. The options below are translated as follows:
* 名字で By surname kanji (entire)
* 読み方で By surname reading (partial)
* 名字で (一部文字で) By surname kanji (partial)
* 読み方で (完全一致) By surname reading (entire)
For example, if you wanted to search the surname Maeda, but only knew the hiragana, you would write まえだ into the field and select 読み方で (完全一致), [it shows you](https://myoji-yurai.net/resultList.htm?kind=%E8%AA%AD%E3%81%BF%E6%96%B9%28%E5%AE%8C%E5%85%A8%E4%B8%80%E8%87%B4%29&keyword=%E3%81%BE%E3%81%88%E3%81%A0) a list of all the surnames that can be read as Maeda. (NOTE: If you search for まえだ using the second option (読み方で), it shows you surnames that **contain** まえだ, rather than surnames that are **only** まえだ. For instance, one of the names it returns is いまえだ, or Imaeda. To narrow your search results for more accuracy, please select – 読み方で (完全一致) when searching by hiragana!)
It then displays a table:
​
|名字(読み)|全国人数|全国順位|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Name (reading)|Number of people in Japan with the surname|Popularity ranking|
|(NOTE: Many surnames have several readings, and these are cut off by … — click on the name to see all the readings)|(NOTE: 約 means “roughly”, as these statistics most likely aren’t 100% accurate)|Shows where the surname ranks against other surnames in terms of how many people bear it|
If you click on a name, you get taken to its page. Let’s use [Maeda](https://myoji-yurai.net/searchResult.htm?myojiKanji=%E5%89%8D%E7%94%B0) again for this example.
The first section has the info displayed on the search result page: readings, popularity ranking, number of people (in that order).
Below that, there’s a section titled 【名字の由来解説】, or “Explanation of the surname’s origin”. This is a bit more complex as it describes the origin and history of the surname, as well as famous historical figures with connections to the surname. Click on 続きはこちら (“Continuation is here,”, which is just the same as “Read more”) to read the full article.
The map shows the distribution of the surname throughout Japan, along with a breakdown of instances by prefecture.
前田さんの多い地域 TOP5 (“TOP5 areas with the most Maeda-sans”) lists the prefectures and the cities with the highest number of people named Maeda(-san), while 前田さんの比率が多い地域 TOP5 (“TOP5 areas with the highest percentages of Maeda-sans”) has the same data but by percentage instead.
前田さん有名人アクセスランキング (“Maeda-san celebrity access ranking”) TOP10 is a list of Japanese celebrities with the surname. It only lists the top ten most popular celebs, but if you click on the 前田さん有名人一覧 (“List of celebrities named Maeda-san”) button below it, it shows you a complete list.
【戦国武将・大名の家紋】 (“Sengoku (Era) Military Commander & Feudal Lord \[Daimyou\] kamon”) shows a gallery of kamon, Japanese family crests, that are connected to the surname. Click on the image of the kamon to learn more about it.
前田さん みんなの名字の由来 (“Maeda-san: Everyone’s surname origin”) is a section for visitors of the website to share any information they have on the history and origin of the surname. In the case of Maeda, nobody has submitted anything yet.
みんなの名字の由来 投稿 (“Everyone’s surname origin: submission”) is where you can submit your own info, but you need an account to do so.
前田さん みんなの家紋のはなし (“Maeda-san: Everyone’s kamon stories”) is a sections for visitors of the website to share any information they have about their family’s own kamon that are connected to the surname.
Below that is a disclaimer about the website’s accuracy and how it stores data, along with another search input field.
Then there’s a list of surnames that have been searched for recently. The link above just takes you to a page where you can join their premium membership service to gain access to more search features (I presume).
前田さん(男の子)の名づけ (“Maeda-san (boy) names”) and 前田さん(女の子)の名づけ (“Maeda-san (girl) names”) take you to another website where you can look at baby names in combination for the surname in question.
Afterwards there’s another section to search kamon.
Lastly, there’s a bunch of links to articles and lists that the site is trying to promote. Of interest, [the first](https://myoji-yurai.net/rareNameTop.htm) is a directory for rare/uncommon surname kanji you can look up.
And the page finishes off with another search input field.
The main page also has 家紋検索 (kamon search), 同姓同名検索 (same surname/given name search), 文献・古文書検索 (reference material search), 名字おみくじ (surname fortune telling), and a large section with a detailed history of the website, as well as its goals.
Please let me know if I’ve missed anything or if you have any questions about the site that I didn’t cover here! I love Japanese names and find them extremely fascinating for some reason. Also, my Japanese isn’t perfect so I may have misunderstood what one of the sections listed is about. If that’s the case, feel free to correct me.
This site can also be useful for looking up surnames you come across in things you’re watching/reading if you don’t know their reading (although, as you’ll quickly learn from this, you should never, ever guess how a surname is read! Looking at you, [丹生](https://myoji-yurai.net/searchResult.htm?myojiKanji=%E4%B8%B9%E7%94%9F)…). Alternatively, it could be good if you’re creating original characters who are Japanese/have Japanese surnames, whether to give you ideas or checking to see if the surname you have in mind is real (not that it matters in fiction).