Readings for kanji used in names


I know there are different ways to read kanji and unless you know the word you
cannot be 100% sure if you need to use kun-kun, on-on, on-kun or kun-on
reading (or some specific reading, like with 今日【きょう】). But I wonder if there
are any rules regarding the reading of first and last names, or do you need to
memorize them too.

For example, in the anime Prince of Tennis, one character mispronounced the
last name 越前【えちぜん】 as こしまえ. Is this a common mistake?




No, you cannot know. The Japanese naming convention is that you could use the
Kanji's you like, then attribute **ANY** readings to it. You can have a name
spelt as 山田 then have it read as `BANANA` and that's completely valid.

Even among native Japanese, no one can be exactly sure of the exact reading of
another person's name, so it's always better to politely ask. However, one
could deduce a possible reading given the knowledge of names they already
have. That's why the guy thought 越前 was to be read as こしまえ, as that was the
most likely.

In an anime(I forgot which one) there was a guy names 星空, but had it read as
`NASA`. Any Japanese people would read `HOSHIZORA` upon seeing this name,
until instructed to read it as `NASA`.

(Yes, he was referring to the NASA from National Aeronautics and Space
Administration in the US)




No, you cannot know. The Japanese naming convention is that you could use the
Kanji's you like, then attribute **ANY** readings to it. You can have a name
spelt as 山田 then have it read as `BANANA` and that's completely valid.

Even among native Japanese, no one can be exactly sure of the exact reading of
another person's name, so it's always better to politely ask. However, one
could deduce a possible reading given the knowledge of names they already
have. That's why the guy thought 越前 was to be read as こしまえ, as that was the
most likely.

In an anime(I forgot which one) there was a guy names 星空, but had it read as
`NASA`. Any Japanese people would read `HOSHIZORA` upon seeing this name,
until instructed to read it as `NASA`.

(Yes, he was referring to the NASA from National Aeronautics and Space
Administration in the US)

