Expert: Dreams - 8/1/2009

Question
What might the surnames Asada, Echi, Ochi, Taketou and Yanagita mean? Just wondering, thanks.

Answer
Hello,

Using the specific spellings you requested, I came up with these name readings by finding the kanji through this dictionary: http://www.gokanji.com/cgi-bin/j-e/dict The names could have any of these readings; without already having the kanji it is impossible to know. Some names come together nicely, others more or less are just a combination of kanji (like the use of 田 "rice paddy" at the end of names). You will also notice that many kanji can have the same meanings.

ASADA:
阿佐田 - corner + help + rice paddy
阿早田 - corner + early/fast + rice paddy
浅田 - superficial + rice paddy
朝多 - "many mornings"
朝田 - morning + rice paddy
麻多 - "much flax"
麻田 - flax + rice paddy

ECHI:
愛知 - "love and wisdom"
曳地 - pull + ground
越 - cross/exceed/move through
越知 - "exceeding wisdom"
越智 - "exceeding wisdom"
恵知 - "kind and wise"
恵智 - "kind and wise"
江知 - inlet + wisdom
惠智 - "kind and wise"

OCHI:
越 - cross/exceed/move through
越知 - "exceeding wisdom"
越地 - exceed + ground
越智 - "exceeding wisdom"
恩地 - "kind ground"
生地 - "living ground"
大路 - "big path"
尾知 - tail/end + wisdom
尾地 - tail/end + ground
尾池 - tail/end + pond
落 - falling
落知 - "falling wisdom"

TAKETOU:
岳藤 - "mountain wisteria"
竹当 - bamboo + correct
竹筒 - bamboo + cylinder/pipe
竹藤 - bamboo + wisteria
竹當 - bamboo + accept
武藤 - military + wisteria
武任 - "military duty"

YANAGITA:
柳多 - "many willows"
柳田 - willow + rice paddy
楊田 - willow + rice paddy

I hope that helps!
~Dreams