Different, Yet Similar: Given names of contemporary Japanese and Taiwanese young women
Different, Yet Similar: Given names of contemporary Japanese and Taiwanese young women

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a comparative overview of basic characteristics of given names in Japan and Taiwan, and, based on an analysis of primary data, provides a closer look at names of Japanese and Taiwanese females born in the last decade of the twentieth century. The names are examined from the point of view of their length, structure, and especially their semantics. They are discussed in the context of the period, and also in respect to the culture-specific naming criteria as well as current name selec¬tion trends. The findings suggest that despite various differences at all levels of de¬scription the names are remarkably similar in the meanings they convey. Through the characters in which they are written, the names reflect, directly or through various associations or allusions, similar contemporary values, aspirations for and expecta¬tions of the named individuals, providing an unconventional insight into the two societies of the examined period.

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