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\nThe “International Handbook of Forenames,” used at registry offices in Germany, lists existing names together with their gender and language of origin, as seen in Berlin on July 20, 2026. (Mainichi\/Tomoko Igarashi) <\/p>\n
\n BERLIN (Mainichi) — “Ikea,” “Fanta” and “Chanel.” These names of a major furniture retailer, a soft drink and a famous brand, respectively, have all also been given to babies in Germany. But joining this brand lineup, names drawn from Japanese such as “Taro” and “Kasai” are also said to be proving popular overseas in recent years.
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\n Japan’s law reform brings “kira-kira names” to global attention
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\n In Japan, the revised Family Register Act took effect in May 2025, requiring the readings of names to be added in family registers in the phonetic katakana syllabary. For so-called “kira-kira” names, or “sparkling” names with unorthodox readings, including foreign-style names and character names assigned to kanji, the revised law set a standard that readings differing from the original readings of the kanji must be “generally recognized as readings of characters used in names.”
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\n The legal revision was reported around the world, including by The New York Times. The German magazine Der Spiegel, in an article with a headlined translating as “Japan introduces stricter rules for children’s names,” presented names symbolized in kanji for “Pikachu,” “Nike” and “Kitty” as examples of kira-kira names.
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\n But as the German examples above show, “eccentric” names also exist in Europe and the United States.
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