Japanese to English names?

[aurelia sabina]

Some of them make sense.... but how did they come up with them all?


Usagi = Serena
Makoto= Lita
Minako = Mina (that makes a little sense)
Rei= Raye (also makes sense)
Ami = Amy (makes sense)
Hotaru = Hotaru (thank god they kept one)
Chibi-Usa= Rini
Haruka= Amara
Michiru= Michelle
Setsuna= Sharon
Mamoru= Darien
Umino = Melvin
Naru= Molly


I mean really, how did they come up with some of these?  

[Ryuondo]

Everything in Sailor Moon has interpretations and symbolic meanings. Even in the dub.

Michiru, if it was written in katakana would make me translate it to Michelle. That would be obvious an obvious translation to me. Michelle is also the feminine version of Michael. Michael is the Archangel who protects Israel. So you can link it to the status of a warrior or defender. Both of which the outer senshi are.

Sharon and Setsuna. Her's is easiest. Charon, even if properly pronounced like Kharon, is mispronounced, sounds like Sharon. Charon is the ferryman of the dead in Greek Mythology. Setsuna's attack names are a dead giveaway why she's named that. The etymology of Sharon bears no resemblances to her character, so I would assume it was a mispronunciation.

The name Darien is Persian and means "He who upholds good". Mamoru is a verb and means to protect or to guard. As a name, it all depends on the kanji. A little research involved but another obvious reason why.

Amara has a few differing meanings depending on the continent and language. In Africa it means "paradise" or "urgent business". In both German and Greek it means "eternal". In Spanish it means "imperishable". All of which can be linked to her importance during the season she was introduced.

Rini is another with multiple meanings. Of which they range from "Pure" to "Joy" or "Song".

Serena means serene or calm. A Saint bore the name. St. Serena was also married to an Emperor. Emperor Diocletian to be exact. He was a Roman emperor and military commander. Ironically, he also lead the bloodiest persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. I guess the fact that Usagi and Mamoru were destined to be Emperor and Empress of their own kingdom was enough to give her the name Serena.

Another spelling for Lita is Leta. Leta is another name for Leto. Leto is mother of Apollo and Artemis. The only thing I can piece together here was that their father was Zeus. Zeus is who Sailor Jupiter most identifies with. Zeus' Roman name is Jupiter, his tree is the oak(the attack Oak Evolution), and wields as a weapon; lightning. Lita on it's own is just a shortened name for names that ending "lita". Such as Carmelita.

No idea about Umino and Naru however.  

[aurelia sabina]

A lot of it makes more sense I guess.


I just don't see why they couldn't keep Japanese names though. *shrug*  

[Princess Makoto Kino]

It was either Selene or Serenity which was the name of the moon goddess I think so that one makes sense .

I didn't know the stuff that Ryuondo posted ,that's interesting and it makes sense.  

[Luamervara]

Huh, I thought Setsuna's dub name was Trista. *did something similar to this a long time ago just based on the name meanings themselves.*  

[Magical Girl BunnyWinx]

Rei Torano

Huh, I thought Setsuna's dub name was Trista. *did something similar to this a long time ago just based on the name meanings themselves.*

I was about to post that until I read you saying the same thing...
I don't remember the name Sharon, I also believed it to be Trista.

And does anyone remember, before the outer senshi were even aired on American TV,
Irwin Toys released their dolls - and they were given different names.
According to the dolls, Neptune was Nerissa, Uranus was Corrin,
and Pluto was Celia.

 

[Ryuondo]

I do remember a Sharon. She could have been a bad guy though.

Not that it changes much. Trista directly corresponds with her depressing personality. In English it means "Noisy" or "full of sorrows". In Irish and Italian it means "sad". In Welsh "Bold" and in Latin "the melancholy one".

So either way they both make sense. Since I'm getting mixed results of her name in my searches.  

[pink princess of the moon]

if you want a laugh and to find out what they originally were going to name them watch this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5YK10HU6bM after watching you will be grateful they weren't given those names.  

[Magical Girl BunnyWinx]

pink princess of the moon

if you want a laugh and to find out what they originally were going to name them watch this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5YK10HU6bM after watching you will be grateful they weren't given those names.

That was extremely lol.
xd

 

[DragonicFlames]

Lmao, that was pretty amusing. 'VICTORIA!"

Anyway, I liked most of the names they used in the Dub, for the exception of a few that I thought were just annoying for Sailor Moon's voice actress to pronounce.  

[BaolinhA]

I love Chibi-Chibi and Usagi!  

[orphics]

me too :3 especially chibi-usa <3

((i havent been on in a while, and the guilds already made so much progress! =D))  

[Princess Makoto Kino]

pink princess of the moon

if you want a laugh and to find out what they originally were going to name them watch this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5YK10HU6bM after watching you will be grateful they weren't given those names.

That is hilarious . Annoying voices though.
Did they say Ami's name was Blue?
Masked Tuxedo XD  

[Minnie001]

thats what they really mean in english. weird huh? also shes called bunny! *points to usagi  

[Lady Regina Jane]

Yamimaru Reina

Some of them make sense.... but how did they come up with them all?


Usagi = Serena
Makoto= Lita
Minako = Mina (that makes a little sense)
Rei= Raye (also makes sense)
Ami = Amy (makes sense)
Hotaru = Hotaru (thank god they kept one)
Chibi-Usa= Rini
Haruka= Amara
Michiru= Michelle
Setsuna= Sharon
Mamoru= Darien
Umino = Melvin
Naru= Molly


I mean really, how did they come up with some of these?

The names of the senshi are puns on their character... For example, Usagi Tsukino means "Rabbit of the Moon". Usagi has two buns on her head, which to some resemble rabbit ears (Chibi-usa's hairstyle is like this, also, but resembles rabbit ears in a more profound way). Her guradian planet is the Moon. Makes sense right? I think the reasoning for using Serena in the dub was possibly because of her heritage as The Moon Princess. Her mother's name was Serenity. That's my logical explaination.