If someone is named an item in English (cookie, pearl, rose etc) would it be more common for it to be translated to the equivalent in Japanese or would katakana be used to pronounce the English name?

2 comments

1. Katakana, because it’s their name.

   If your family name is Green or Black, it’s not changed to 黒 or 緑.

2. Generally, if it was recognized by the Japanese culture before western culture was introduced, there’s a Japanese word for it (or an imported Chinese word, etc), if not, the imported western word is in katakana. Of course, there are exceptions where they make up a word, but usually the katakana version is mainly used.

   If we speak of the exception, the word commonly used for democracy is 民主主義 (which is a Japanese in origin and not Chinese) and the katakana version デモクラシー is rarely used, but still people will get it.