Renan in Japanese

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

Our top pick is 礼南 (Renan). 礼 means “courtesy” and 南 means “south”. Other good options are 怜南 (Renan) and 蓮南 (Rennan).

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

礼南 has 14 strokes in total (礼: 5, 南: 9). That is quite simple to write by hand, even for beginners.

Each character in 礼南 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 “Renan”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (レナン) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.