Japanese symbol for “surname”
姓
せい
Romaji: sei
surname; family name
In Japanese, surname is 姓, read せい (sei).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n surname; family name
- n hereditary title (used in ancient Japan to denote rank and political standing)
Written forms: 姓. Readings: せい、しょう、そう.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “surname”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 苗字 | みょうじ myouji | surname; family name; last name |
| 上の名前 | うえのなまえ uenonamae | surname; family name; last name |
| ラストネーム | ラストネーム rasutoneemu | last name; surname; family name |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 同姓 | どうせい dousei | same surname |
| 百姓 | ひゃくしょう hyakushou | farmer; peasant; farm laborer |
| 姓名 | せいめい seimei | (full) name; family name and given name |
| 旧姓 | きゅうせい kyuusei | one's original family name; maiden name |
| 別姓 | べっせい bessei | different surname |
See also: Chinese symbol for “surname”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.