Jonny in Japanese

Jonny is written ジョニー in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Jonny would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag.

Our top pick is 恕新 (Joni). 恕 means “forgiveness” and 新 means “new”. Other good options are 穣新 (Jouni) and 静新 (Jouni).

Not as a traditional name. Japanese people write foreign names in katakana, so 恕新 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.

恕新 has 23 strokes in total (恕: 10, 新: 13). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.

Each character in 恕新 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 “Jonny”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (ジョニー) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.