Gareth in Japanese

Gareth is written ガレス in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Gareth would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag. Depending on the origin of the name, it can also be written ギャレス (as written in Japan).

Our top pick is 雅礼寿 (Garesu). 雅 means “refinement”, 礼 means “courtesy” and 寿 means “long life”. Other good options are 雅怜澄 (Garesu) and 画礼澄 (Garesu).

Not as a traditional name. Japanese people write foreign names in katakana, so 雅礼寿 is a creative kanji spelling (called ateji), chosen for its sounds and meanings. Japanese readers will understand what each character means, and many will enjoy the idea behind it.

雅礼寿 has 25 strokes in total (雅: 13, 礼: 5, 寿: 7). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.

Each character in 雅礼寿 has a positive meaning, so it is a reasonable choice. Keep in mind that Japanese people will read it as the meaning of the characters, not instantly as “Gareth”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (ガレス) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.