Name post #15: Hinata Shouyou and Natsu

In celebration of Hinata's birthday (and the start of my favorite season), I thought I'd take a look at his name. I'll add Natsu's analysis as well because it's summer solstice and it's appropriate.

Family name: Hinata 日向 /'hinata/

日 (/hi/) - "day", "sun", "Japan"; read with its kun-yomi (native Japanese reading), it means "day" or "sun" (日 /hi/); with one of its on-yomi readings, it is found in the word "Japan" (日本 /nihon/ or /nippon/, literally "the origin of sun"); 日 is fairly often found in family names

向 (/nata/) - "to face", "to approach"; usually found in the verb "to face", "to go towards" (向かう /mukau/); the kanji also means "having the propensity for something" in many cases; the reading /nata/ is a special reading used in names, nanori

The two kanji combine to create a common word, 日向 (/hinata/), which translates as "sunny place" or "in the sun". The choice of this family name for Hinata's character might also allude to his tendency to be bright, cheerful and open.

Translation: "sunny place"

Hinata exists as both a family name and a unisex given name, with the given name using the same kanji combination as in Hinata's family name, as well as many others. It is a rather common family name, with over 3200 households using that kanji combination (source).

Given name: Shouyou 翔陽 /'shouyou/

翔 (/shou/) - "to fly", "to soar"; the kanji is generally used in people's names or as an alternative to the more common kanji for flight, 飛 (found in both Kageyama's given name and on Karasuno's banner)

陽 (/you/) - "sunshine", "positive", "male"; with its kun-yomi /hi/, it is an alternative kanji to 日 from Hinata's family name; with the on-yomi (adapted Chinese reading), it's found in many common words, notably "Sun" (太陽 /taiyou/), "cheerful"/"lively" (陽気 /youki/) and "positivity" (陽性 /yousei/) and some less common, for example "diversion" (陽動 /youdou/, a possible reference to Hinata's decoy plays); it also signifies "yang" in yin and yang and therefore has the connotation of masculinity

Translation: "flying sun/positivity"

Transliteration note: can also be transliterated as Shōyō. More on various Japanese transliteration methods here.

Imagery of the name (source):

For 翔: 自由にのびのびと。夢に向かって羽ばたいてほしい。(Jiyuu ni nobinobi to. Yume ni mukatte habataite hoshii.)To be free and without worries. Wishing to spread one's wings towards their dreams.

For 陽: 太陽のように周囲を元気にさせる人に。(Taiyou no you ni shuui wo genki ni saseru hito ni.)To be a person who shines brightly upon their surroundings.

I think this is an extremely accurate characterization of Hinata as someone who keeps striving towards his goal and is a positive influence on people around him, inspiring many to give their best and encouraging their growth like the sun does for many things in nature.

Shouyou is an exclusively male name. Based on the stroke order fortune telling, it is an extremely lucky name. Combined with his family name, it is exceptionally lucky in aspects such as character and interpersonal relationships, and unlucky in more esoteric aspects (luck based on the five Chinese elements and yin and yang) (source). I think that is still pretty appropriate as he was not blessed with the physique that would be beneficial to his dream and therefore faces many obstacles in that regard, but is also extremely positive and sociable.

Hinata shares all kanji except 日 with at least one other character (and he obviously shares 日 with his sister).

Given name: Natsu 夏 /'natsu/

夏 (/natsu/) - "summer"; used in various words relating to the summer season, among others, in the word for "summer solstice" (夏至 /geshi/), which is also her brother's birthday; the reading /natsu/ is the common reading for the word "summer"

Translation: "summer"

Imagery of the kanji (source):

明るく活発な子に。(Akaruku kappatsuna ko ni.)To be a bright and lively child.

This seems to be an accurate description of Natsu as we have seen her in the story.

Natsu is a unisex name, which makes Hinata Natsu's entire name unisex. On its own, it's pretty unlucky based on the stroke order and stays that way in combination with Hinata as a family name (source).

Bonus stuff: another common reading of the 日向 kanji combination is /hyuuga/. There is a citrus fruit called hyuganatsu, which basically makes Natsu an orange, which in turn corresponds to her and her brother's color scheme.

Bonus stuff 2: totally random and unrelated, but as mentioned, /hinata/ and /hyuuga/ are two readings of the same kanji combination, which means that Hyuuga Hinata from Naruto is basically named the same thing twice. Since Naruto doesn't use kanji for given names, it's impossible to say whether her name would really be written as 日向 日向, but it's a fun idea. Other members of the Hyuuga family generally also have given names related to the sun or turning/spinning. There is also a minor Hyuuga clan member, Hyuuga Natsu, who shares her name with Hinata Natsu and consequently the citrus fruit as well.

I had originally planned to add the ways Hinata and Kageyama's names combine in this post, but realized halfway through that the post is way too long as is. I hope it was an interesting read to anyone who actually gets to the end.

I'd like to do name combinations as a separate post, but I'd like to do Kageyama's name post before that. I don't know when that might be, but hopefully before Kageyama's birthday.

Japanese names overview as usual.

And thanks for reading!