Forum:Meaning of names

As much as I love information on the meaning of characters name, apart from Ichigo, Kubo never explained the meaning of the characters names. As such, they are speculation and are currently being removed from the articles. (Your help and co-operation in this process would be much appreciated). However, I just love those tidbits of info so much! So I am dumping all the removed info here for all our speculative pleasure. Tinni 14:10, October 24, 2009 (UTC)


 * "Ichimaru" literally means "the well-rounded one," which fits his captain stats. (Every stat is 80)


 * Matsumoto's first name, Rangiku, can be translated to "rangaku" which in japanese terms, means western medicine. However, the most common translation divides the name into the words "Ran" and "Giku", "Ran" meaning distortion or a large number and "Giku" meaning Chrysanthemum a word which is spoken as "kiku" usually.


 * "Unohana Retsu" translates to English means Veteran Flower Sorceress. This referring to her being one of the oldest captains, skilled at flower arrangement and her strong healing abilities.


 * Kurosaki (黒崎), literally means "dark destination."


 * Karin is a homonym for Japanese quince, a name of a fruit, which matches Ichigo's name being a homonym for strawberry and Yuzu's name being a homonym for citron.


 * Orihime is another name for the Vega star and the weaver celebrated during Tanabata


 * Keigo Asano: Keigo's name can be translated as meaning "take notice of me."


 * Ryūken Ishida: The kanji of his first name means Dragon String (as in the string of an instrument).


 * Part of Ggio Vega's name comes from Vega, a rather prominent star in astrology.


 * Uryū Ishida's first name can be translated as "Rain Dragon", in contrast with the first name of Yasutora Sado that can be translated as "Calm Tiger".


 * Metastacia's name most likely originates from the Greek word metastasis, meaning "a change of state", which also refers to the spread of cancer throughout the body.


 * In the Icelandic language the name of Sawatri's doll, Baura, is similar to the word Bára which is a wave in water.


 * Demōra means delay in Spanish.

Some more that I've found from outside the wikia --Yyp 14:55, October 24, 2009 (UTC).
 * "Kuchiki Rukia" comes from Kubo Tite mis-hearing the Latin name of a variant of the cosmos plant. He also says Rukia means light. (See talk page for his full response when asked about the meaning of her name).


 * "Byakuya" means 'winter night'.


 * Chōjirō Sasakibe: Sasa can mean bamboo or stab.


 * "Shiba" can mean rock or eagle.


 * "Ganju" can mean resolve or waves.


 * Nanao's last name comes from the famous Ise shrine, a famous landmark in Japan.


 * Rangiku's last name originates from the famous Matsumoto Castle.

User:Makerofhell123 posted this on the Characters Talk Page:


 * Kurosaki = Black Peninsula
 * Isshin = Singleminded
 * Ichigo = strawberrys
 * Karin = Summer Pear
 * Yuzu = Play Child
 * Masaki = True Bloom
 * Kon = soul
 * kanonji = temple
 * Sado = Tea Give/Cross
 * Yasutora = Layer Tiger
 * Arisawa = exist
 * Tatsuki = Dragon/ honor
 * Asano = Shallow Field
 * Keigo = Open Self
 * Kojima = Small Island
 * Mizuiro = Light blue (color)
 * Inoue = well. (as well that holds water)
 * Orihime = Weave Princess
 * Chizuru = crane
 * Yoruichi = Night One
 * Urahara = Beachside Field
 * Kisuke = Joy/Happiness Help
 * Sora = Sky
 * Ishida Ryuuken = stone or rice field. dragon
 * Ishida Souken = rice field or stone. bow string
 * Ishida Uryuu = stone or rice field . rain
 * Kagine = key


 * Hirako Shinji = child.truth
 * Sarugaki Hiyori = monkey


 * Horiuchi Hironari = canal
 * Shibata Yuuichi = firewood
 * four Gods Byakko (白虎): White Tiger of the West
 * Genbu (玄武): Black Turtle/Snake of the North
 * Seiryuu (青龍): Blue Dragon of the East
 * Suzaku (朱雀): Red Pheonix of the South

While looking for the meaning of Ichimaru's name I found out the following: "Ichimaru Gin" - One man silver or One silver man in reference to him being the only man with silver hair in Bleach. Hitsugaya and Ukitake have white hair. Isane is the only other character with silver hair. Tinni  (Talk)  16:55, January 1, 2010 (UTC)

Wow, a lot of these are made up of half-truths and erroneous, folk-etymological-like fabrications and conjecture. I see several "close-enoughs" or "maybes" construed as fact, probably thanks to the inherent vagary of most translators, who often omit explanations and real etymon notes for their renderings. It's good you've removed these from the articles pending confirmation, but the volume of entries and intricacies/linguistic puns Kubo seems to favor will make sorting them out a time-taking process. Adam Restling 04:11, January 19, 2010 (UTC)

I figured as much. Which is why they weren't removed under the "junk trivia" manner but under the speculation banner. I think these translation of names business is ok for use in fanfiction but we probably shouldn't put them in articles. Tinni  (Talk)  04:22, January 19, 2010 (UTC)

That's a good call. I don't mean to make it out as "it's *ALL* wrong," as there is some truth to some of the above, but it's tempered by goofs and misleading statements. However, here in this speculation section, they at least engender discussion and interest in seeking out more and perhaps--as I mentioned--sometimes a more correct form. Adam Restling 16:40, January 22, 2010 (UTC)

You guys might be interested in this. I know it can't be used in articles, but he does leave some notes for most of the translations. http://community.livejournal.com/soul_society/330097.html NightTrain (talk) 20:34, April 3, 2011 (UTC)