| Laurel: | Date: (year.month.date) | Precedent: |
| Shauna of Carrick Point | 2004.04 | The submitter requested authenticity for the Heian period (794-1184). However, the family name, Kaitou, is documented from the Kamakura period (1184-1333). Barring documentation that Kaitou was a surname in use during the Heian period, we are unable to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity. [Kaitou Naeme, 04/04, A-Northshield] |
| François la Flamme | 2004.03 | [Alternate name Souma Tae] The element Tae was documented only as a Kanji character. No documentation was presented and none was found to support Tae as a given name in Japanese. Lacking such evidence, this name is not registerable. [Tace of Foxele, 03/2004, R-Calontir] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.11 | Hidesada was constructed as a surname based on two period elements. However, the masculine nanori Sadahide exists and is dated to 1392. This suggests that Hidesada is not an appropriate order for these elements. In addition, we could find no evidence that either element (hide or sada) was used in surnames. Barring evidence that Hidesada is a plausible surname, it is not registerable. [Hidesada Tadatsune, 11/2003, R-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.08 | The submitted yobina Genkur� uses a non-standard transliteration. The term romanji is used to describe Japanese words rendered using a Roman character set. There are several standard transliteration systems used in writing romanji. Any of these transliteration systems may be used in an SCA name, but one transliteration system must be used throughout the entire name.
Genkur� uses the Hepburn system for transliteration. However, the Hepburn system uses a macron over letters rather than a caret. Therefore, this name is correctly written as Genkur{o-} using the Hepburn system, not Genkur�. As macrons can be difficult to render in publishing, they are often left off. Hence T{o-}ky{o-} is rendered as Tokyo. Solveig Throndardottír, in her book Name Construction in Medieval Japan (NCMJ) uses a modified Hepburn system that would render this name as Genkurou. Therefore, this yobina is registerable as Genkur{o-}, Genkuro, or Genkurou, depending upon which transliteration system the submitter chooses to use. No support was found for the accent on the final letter of Tanekagé. Also, no evidence was found that Tanekage is a plausible masculine nanori either in period or modernly. The submitter documented the kanji characters for Tane 'offspring' and kage 'shadow' from Edward of Effingham's "Online Japanese Miscellany" (http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/Miscellany/Names.html). The character the submitter indicated for kage is found in NCMJ (2nd ed., p. 180 s.n. Bright/Magnificent). Regarding this character, Solveig states that "when used in personal names, this character appears [to] mean 'bright' and 'magnificent' and not 'shadow' as the permissible Chinese reading for this character in personal names represents 'bright' and not 'shadow'". The character the submitter indicated for tane is found in NCMJ (pp. 204-205 s.n. Blood Heir). While many different kanji characters appear in medieval Japanese names, not all combinations are plausible. Names were formed from kanji combinations that made sense to the medieval Japanese mind. To determine whether a hypothetical combination is plausible, it is useful to compare it to documented names. There are three names that combine a kanji character meaning 'bright' with the kanji character for 'Blood Heir': Akitane (Bright + Blood Heir) dated to 1332, Masatane (Clear/Bright + Blood Heir) dated to 1600, and Mitsutane (Bright/Shining + Blood Heir) dated to 1600. In each of these cases, the element meaning 'Blood Heir' comes second. Therefore, Kagetane would be a plausible nanori while Tanekage is not. When two kanji characters are combined to form a name element, they are viewed as a single name element. Changing their order would be similar to changing a specific given name in a name submission to a completely different (though, perhaps, similar sounding) name. A parallel case would be the Old English names Bealdwine and Winebeald found in Searle. Both names are formed from the themes beald and wine. However, they are two different names. Similarly, changing the nanori in this submission from Tanekage to Kagetane would be a major change, which the submitter does not allow. [Minamoto Genkur� Tanekagé, 08/2003 LoAR, R-Artemisia] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.05 | Metron Ariston noted that Higashiyama was "the regnal name of the emperor who ruled from 1687 to 1709/10", so the question arose of whether use of Higashiyama violates RfS VI.1, "Names Claiming Rank". Higashiyama means 'East Mountain'. While we could find no dated examples of it being used as a surname in period, Solveig Throndardottír's Name Construction in Medieval Japan (NCMJ) dates Nishiyama 'West Mountain' as a surname to 1568. Nishiyama 'West Mountain' is a place a person could have been from, and so could have derived a surname from this placename. Similarly, Higashiyama 'East Mountain' is a place a person could have been from and so could have derived a surname from this placename. In this manner, Higashiyama is similar to de Bourbon (see Adelaide de Bourbon, LoAR of September 2001, Ansteorra's acceptances) since both are bynames that would refer to a placename that any person, not just royalty, could have been from. Therefore, Higashiyama, like de Bourbon, is not presumptuous.
The submitter requested authenticity for Kamakura (1192-1333) Japan. As we were unable to find an example of Higashiyama used as a surname in that period, we were unable to confirm that this name is authentic for the submitter's requested time period. [Higashiyama Yukiko, 05/2003 LoAR, A-Atlantia] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.05 | Submitted as Kimotsuki Yorimoto Takeo, both Yorimoto and Takeo were documented as nanori. No documentation was presented and none was found to support the use of two nanori in a Japanese name in period. As the submitter allows any changes, we have dropped the second nanori in order to register this name. [Kimotsuki Takeo, 05/2003 LoAR, A-Middle] |
| François la Flamme | 2003.01 | No documentation was presented and none was found that Hashimoto is a reasonable period surname in Japanese. The only documentation provided for Hashimoto on the LoI was "Hashimoto - found in 'Name Construction in Mediaeval Japan' by Solveig Throndardottir. Surname constructed from elements Hashi on p142 and moto on p95 and p165." This information is misleading. Hashimoto does not appear in Solveig's book (which is often abbreviated NCMJ). Only the themes hashi and moto are listed.
Japanese names elements are created by combining Kanji characters, but the characters cannot be combined randomly; the characters that make up a name element only combine in groups that make conceptual sense to the medieval Japanese mind. The theme hashi is found in NCMJ (2nd ed., p. 142) and is listed as meaning 'bridge'. Three surnames are listed under this entry. Akahashi is dated to 1600 and combines the element meaning 'Red(fire) / Young' with that meaning 'Bridge'. Ishibashi, bashi being a pronunciation change of hashi, is dated to 1392 and combines the elements meaning 'Rock' with that meaning 'bridge'. Takahashi is dated to 1568 and combines the element meaning 'Tall' with that meaning 'bridge'. In all three of these cases, the element meaning 'Bridge' comes second. Also, a red bridge or a young (meaning fairly new) bridge, a rock bridge, and a tall bridge are all reasonable descriptions for a bridge. The theme moto shown on p. 95 means 'Main / Original / Root / Base' and all examples appear at the end of the surname. Of these, only Miyamoto (miya meaning 'palace') combines this element with a man-made structure. The theme moto shown on p. 165 means 'Trunk / Stalk' and all of the examples in this entry appear in nanori, not surnames. Additionally, all but one of the examples have moto at the end of the word. Lacking evidence that hashi would appear at the beginning of a word, and that it would be combined with moto in a way that has a reasonable meaning in period Japanese, Hashimoto is not registerable. [Hashimoto Arihiro, 01/2003 LoAR, R-Calontir] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.10 | The element Mokurai was submitted as a dougou. The use of a dougou is explained in Solveig Throndardottir's book Name Construction in Medieval Japan (p. 52), which states that:
[A Zen monk] would assume a dougou when they enter upon the path of enlightenment. A monk's dougou would express either his own understanding of enlightenment or his wish to achieve enlightenment. [...] As the dougou expresses a desire to achieve enlightenment or an understanding of what enlightenment, it is typically composed of two elements the first of which is descriptive while the second is the word for some type of human habitation. The submitter provided documentation from a Japanese-English dictionary for the meanings of the elements moku 'silent' and rai 'thunder'. Japanese names elements are created by combining Kanji characters, but the characters cannot be combined randomly; the characters that make up a name element only combine in groups that make conceptual sense to the medieval Japanese mind. The submitted name element Mokurai means 'silent thunder'. No evidence was presented and none was found that such a combination is plausible as a name element (regardless of whether that element is a nanori or a dougou). Lacking such documentation, Mokurai is not registerable. [Matsuyama Mokurai, 10/2002, R-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.08 | The submitted surname Uraji mixes onyomi (Chinese) and kunyomi (Japanese) readings of the Kanji characters in a single name element. Precedent states that mixing onyomi and kunyomi readings in a single name element is not registerable (Kentsuki no Ujitora Kaito Tamashi, September 2001). Lacking evidence that such a combination is plausible in period, this ruling is still valid.
In addition, no evidence was presented, nor could any be found, that Uraji was a plausible name. Japanese names elements are created by combining Kanji characters, but the characters cannot be combined randomly; the characters that make up a name element only combine in groups that make conceptual sense to the medieval Japanese mind. In the proposed surname Uraji, ura 'misfortune' is only documented as appearing in the feminine given name Urako (Solveig Throndardottir, Name Construction in Medieval Japan, p. 231 s.n. Misfortune). The element ji 'Buddhist Temple' is documented as deuterothemes in both placenames and a surname (ibid, p. 136 s.n. Buddhist Temple). The names listed in this entry do not support combining an element with a negative meaning like 'misfortune' with the element 'Buddhist Temple'. Lacking evidence that such a combination is plausible, it is not registerable. [Uraji Tarou Noritatsu, 08/2002, R-Meridies] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.05 | Sufficient documentation was presented that use of Fujiwara as a surname does not automatically imply relationship with the royal family of that name. Therefore, it falls into that category of names, like Stewart, which are names of royal families but which are not considered presumptuous because "use of that surname does not link one unmistakably to the royal house" as set down in RfS VI.1.
The question was raised during commentary regarding whether no is registerable as a written element in a Japanese name. In the case of languages that do not use a Roman alphabet (Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, et cetera) registerable forms of the name are not based on pronunciation, but rather on transliteration standards for the language in question. In this instance, this issue is made more complicated because Japanese uses multiple character sets. Of these, kanji is pictographic while hiragana and katakana (collectively referred to as kana) are phonetic. Standards exist for transliterating kana using the Roman alphabet. The term used to refer to this representation of kanji or kana words using the Roman alphabet is romanji. As an example, in Japanese a man's name is properly written in kanji. However, there is also a kana equivalent for his name. Using transliteration standards, his name also has romanji equivalents. Adding yet another level of complexity for this issue is the existence of furigana. Furigana is made up of kana and is written alongside of kanji characters in a text to clarify the pronunciation of the kanji in question. Since kanji is written vertically and furigana is written alongside of the kanji characters, furigana serves somewhat the same purpose as a pronunciation notation would be if written above a sentence in an English document. In the case of no, we know that it is not written in the kanji form of a name, though it is included when the name is spoken. Solveig Throndardottir notes that
Given that no is included in furigana glosses in classical texts, though not in the original texts (and so it is not appropriate for those submitters desiring authenticity), no can be viewed as a modern transliteration standard. As such, it is registerable, so long as it is not used in a construction that could be viewed as presumptous. Solveig explains:
This name is a woman's name of the type described above by Solveig. As it is not presumptuous, it is registerable. [Fujiwara no Aoi, 05/2002, A-East] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.04 | This name has a number of problems that are all reasons for return.
The surname Ryuusaki was submitted as a constructed surname intended to mean 'future dragon'. No documentation was presented and none was found that such a meaning is plausible in a Japanese surname. No documentation was presented that any Kanji with the transliteration saki is used to mean 'future'. The only Kanji character documented as being pronounced as saki was documented as meaning 'slope'. No documentation was presented that 'dragon slope' is a reasonable Japanese surname, either. Additionally, the Kanji used to construct Ryuusaki mix Chinese and Japanese pronunciations in the same word, which was not done in period and is cause for return. The nanori Raiden was documented from P. G. O'Neill's Japanese Names. However, no photocopies were provided from this source, and O'Neill is not on the "No Photocopy" list. As the College was unable to document this name element to period, it is being returned for lack of documentation. [Ryuusaki Raiden, 04/2002, R-Caid] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.03 | This name is being returned for lack of documentation of Echigo. The only documentation provided for this element was the statement in the LoI: "Echigo is a former province in northern Honshu, found undated on p. 555 in CLG. The region is now the Niigata prefecture." No photocopies were provided of this documentation and it is not on the "no-photocopy list", Appendix H of the Administrative Handbook. [Kagetora of Echigo, 03/2002, R-Caid] |
| François la Flamme | 2002.02 | ... though no is included in the spoken name in Japanese, it is not included in the written name. [Taira no Akiyo, 02/02, R-Atlantia] [Ed.: returned for lack of forms.] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.12 | The submitted elements were documented from Patrick Geoffrey O'Neill's Japanese Names. No documentation was provided and none was found that either element would have been used in a period name. Also, this source listed Yoshikichi not Yoshikishi. Neither of these elements are listed in Solveig Throndardottír's Name Construction in Medieval Japan. Lacking evidence that these elements we used in period, they are not registerable.
Additionally, this submission has the given name (nanori) first and the surname second. In Japanese, the surname comes before the given name. [Yoshikishi Hashiro, 12/01, R-Ealdormere] |
| François la Flamme | 2001.09 | This name is being returned for a number of problems.
The first problem is lack of documentation of the combinations of Kanji characters (rendered here in the Romaji transliteration) included in each element (clan name, clan branch, yobina, and nanori) of the name. Though we only register the Romaji transliteration of a Japanese name, the underlying Kanji characters give the meaning to each element of the name. Japanese is a pictographic language. As such, elements only combine in groups that make conceptual sense to the medieval Japanese mind. A second problem with this submission is that it mixes onyomi (Chinese) and kunyomi (Japanese) readings of the Kanji characters in a single name element. The elements Kentsuki and Kaito have this problem. The third problem is that some of the underlying Kanji used in this name are only documented as deuterothemes (used in the last half of a name element), but they are included in this submission as prothemes (used in the first half of a name element). Documentation of a Kanji character as a deuterotheme does not serve as documentation for the same Kanji as a protheme. The elements Ujitora and Tamashi both use prothemes and deuterothemes in undocumented locations. The submitter constructed the clan name Ujitora, the clan branch Kentsuki, the yobina (common name) Kaito, and the nanori (official given name) Tamashi by choosing elements from Solveig Throndardottír's Name Construction in Medieval Japan (NCMJ) and combining them. Solveig details some issues with this submission (all references from NCMJ): [Kentsuki] The problem with KEN on page 310 is that it is an ONYOMI reading used as a prototheme in [a] yobina. All of the examples except for Takebe use the ONYOMI reading and are yobina. Takebe is one of the special occupational -be names. Consequently, Kentsuki just does not work for a surname, a clan name, a nanori or as a yobina. It also fails as a place name. Tsuki does appear as a deuterotheme in precisely one attested surname on page 240. It is taking a kunyomi reading as indicated by the lower case reading. I am pretty sure that I told people in the text to avoid mixing onyomi and kunyomi readings in single names. Regardless, there is precisely one name in the entire pamphlet which uses the tsuki theme.Additionally, though no is included in the spoken name, it is not included in the written name. As there are four editions of NCMJ, simply citing a page number is not useful. The header needs to be included in the documentation as well. We would like to thank the submitter for including with his documentation, the specific Kanji characters that were combined in the elements of this name. We do not register the Kanji characters; instead we register the Romaji transliteration. But as multiple Kanji characters have the same pronunciation, it made researching the name easier to know which Kanji were used to create the submitted name. [Kentsuki no Ujitora Kaito Tamashi, 09/01, R-Caid] |
| Elsbeth Anne Roth | 1999.10 | No evidence was given to indicate that Asagiri, meaning "Morning fog", is a reasonable surname, which are primarily based on geographical features, not weather phenomenon. Furthermore the submitter's given name was incorrectly spelled as Tetsuo instead of Tatsuo. While not a reason for return, the submitter should be informed that men in the samurai class invariably has a nanori as well as a surname and given name. [Asagiri Tetsuo, 10/99, R-Atlantia] |
| Jaelle of Armida | 1997.03 | While registerable, please inform the submitter that to the best of our knowledge, the name is suitable only for a child. (Akechi Nobumaru, 3/97 p. 4) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.12 | [Sekimura no Minamoto Akiranaga]The particle no is never written out in Chinese characters, though it is spoken and may be included when the name is written in Roman characters. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR December 1995, p. 12) [Note: "Chineseharacters" in this ruling refers to the Kanji character set as opposed to Hiragana, Katakana, or Romanji.] |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.11 | Kitsu no Taro is the spoken form of the name; when a Japanese name is written in characters, the particle no is never written. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR November 1995, p. 7) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.11 | No evidence has been presented for multiple surnames in Japanese. [The name was returned.] (Ko Fujibayashi Tashikage of Togakure, 11/95 p. 15) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 2nd year) | 1995.09 | Both elements of the name are nanori, or `formal names'; unfortunately, a name consisting of two nanori and no surname does not appear to follow period Japanese practice. (Talan Gwynek, LoAR September 1995, p. 32) |
| Da'ud ibn Auda (2nd tenure, 1st year) | 1994.06 | [Returning Ryuugatani, Shire of.] There was a fair amount of commentary with the belief that a Japanese place-name does not appear to fall within the defined scope of the Society, which is pre-17th Century Western culture (RfS I.1. See also "Scope of the Society: Period and Culture" in the Organizational Handbook, pp. 74-75). "Its domain includes Europe and areas that had contact with Europe during this period." (RfS I.1.) It was noted that while there was clearly some contact in very late period between Europe and Japan, and evidence that some few Japanese actually visited Europe, the contact between Europe and Japan was not great enough to justify a Japanese place-name in pre-17th C. Europe. [6/94, p.17] |
| Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme | 1993.05 | "It has previously been determined that, as far as the College of Arms is concerned, the names of the clans with an hereditary claim to the shogunate of Japan are equivalent to the surnames of royal families in Europe, and so may not be registered. I agree with this decision, and am upholding it. Tokugawa may not be used." [BoE, 18 May 86] I agree with this decision, and am upholding it. Tokugawa may not be used. (Tokugawa Basha, May, 1993, pg. 16) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1986.09.27 | [(Name) (Name)-no-Okami] By the submittor's own documentation, the name Okami is a family name rather than a given name. While many family names, particularly those involving totemic beasts also appear as elements in given names, not all such names exist as given names in themselves. In fact, this appears to be the exception rather than the rule.... Additionally, as several commenters pointed out, the final two syllables in practical pronunciation, would be almost indistinguishable from "no-kami" which is the approved Japanese equivalent for "Lord" in the Society. This being so, the collocation should be rigorously avoided. Also, the passages provided by the submittor from Japanese Names and How to Read Them indicate that the "no" element would not be written in a name construction of family name plus clan name plus personal name. (LoAR 27 Sep 86, p. 12) |
| Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane | 1986.10.26 | Some commenters raised the issue of the suffix "-ko" as potentially a reserved title suffix indicating a prince or duke. However, substantial evidence has been presented that the suffix itself should not be reserved. I.V. Gillis in the preface to Japanese Personal Names says "Women's ordinary personal names, are commonly written in hiragana, but more formally with Chinese characters as with men. These names are usually short, consisting of but one or two syllables, rarely three or more. The diminutive ko is often suffixed. . ." (LoAR 26 Oct 86, p. 4) |
| Baldwin of Erebor | 1985.12.15 | ["Mitsuhashi no Masaie."] According to Monsho, no is a particle of grammar "that is understood and, therefore, unnecessary to write or say." Ibis states that "it doesn't belong here between a family name and a given name." [BoE, 15 Dec 85, p.8] |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1981.01.27 | I have learned that the surname for the imperial clan in Japan is Yamato. I therefore restrict its use as a surname in the SCA, along with that of Taira, a clan which briefly achieved the shogunate. WVS [33] [CL 27 Jan 81], p. 3 |
| Wilhelm von Schlüssel | 1980.12.29 | The Tokugawa Shogunate was a special case where the warrant and the title of Shogun became hereditary. Only the Tokugawa shoguns could be considered kings. The clan name of Tokugawa, therefore, qualifies as a royal house name and may not be used. While the Minamotos and Fujiwaras do not really qualify as royal houses, they are close enough to it that, as a special case, they are also restricted. The surname of Minowara used in the novel Shogun by James Clavell is a step removed from reality and does not have the reference in the real world given to the three shogunate families. Therefore it is not restricted. WVS [32] [LoAR 29 Dec 80], p. 3 |