Rubens in Japanese

Rubens is written ルベンス in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Rubens 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 ルーベンス (as written in Japan) and ルッベルス (as written in Japan).

Our top pick is 瑠平寿 (Ruheisu). 瑠 means “lapis lazuli”, 平 means “peace” and 寿 means “long life”. Other good options are 瑠経寿 (Ruhesu) and 瑠平澄 (Ruhesu).

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

瑠平寿 has 26 strokes in total (瑠: 14, 平: 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 瑠平寿 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 “Rubens”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (ルベンス) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.