Talk:Keiko

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I didn't understand the claim "The word means Lucky One in Japanese." What word does it in mind?

Keiko can be written with several kind of chinese charactors. The most popular one consits of two charactors: 恵 and 子. The first charactor itself means "lucky" or "gifted" and the second "child". By the way, I don't think there are any Keiko as 輕子 or 軽子. I believe that all Japanese agree that these are weired. 蛍子 is cute but not common. I would recommend to show normal ones such like: 慶子, 圭子, 恵子, 啓子, or 景子.

[edit] another meaning

Doesn't it also mean "practice" as in (but probably not limited to) martial arts practice, etc.

Yes, but that is a distinct word in Japanese (稽古). It's just a homophone and has nothing to do with the name really. -Jefu 05:40, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Name "meanings"

It is important to understand that names don't really have "meanings" in Japanese. That is why we transliterate Japanese names rather than tranlate them (unlike Native American names, for example, where the name is so strongly associated with a meaning, that it is common to actually translate it into English, "Sitting Bear" for example, than to just transliterate it). Nobody associates the sound "keiko" with any particular meaning, and it is not uncommon to know the name of an acquaintance in Japan without knowing how to write it. And some kanji don't really have "meanings" to the typical Japanese mind in any event. 奈 is used quite commonly in names, but good luck finding even a well educated Japanese who can explain what it means. Something like 恵 is fairly clearly associated with the concept of being lucky or blessed, etc. (because of megumu, which is written with the same kanji). But something like 景 is typically thought of in the context of compounds that use the kanji, like 景色 (scenery), and not so much as having a distinct meaning that can easily be articulated.-Jefu 05:38, 27 July 2006 (UTC)