Is there an official system of katakana-fying Latin alphabet names for official documents or do you write down the katakana yourself and they just go with it?
I could see the Japanese government having some big book or database of official translations but there are sometimes regional differences in how a name is pronounced so using different katakana than what is normally used may provide a more phonetically accurate translation.
This is of course of very little consequence but I’m just curious. : – )
3 comments
No, while there are general or typical ways, there is no official system, because, like you said, it can vary by region / dialect and also language (think about “Jesus” in typical American English vs. the common Mexican name of “Jesus” as pronounced is Spanish).
Basically you just wrote it and they accept it, but it’s always a good idea to see precedents (famous people on Wikipedia with your same name, for example).
Considering how many variations of Katakana words I know… it feels like they just mouth it out and type variations. Some authors swap in the middle of their works. The more complex the more likely to be varied.
Is there is anyone famous with your name, look them up on Wikipedia and use the Japanese pronunciation on the Japanese article.