Baby Name: Akiko

Yesterday I discovered the “Asian Name Pronunciation Guide,” which was created by California State Polytechnic University (Pomona) to help its students “more accurately pronounce some common Asian first and last names.” What a cool thing for the school to make available.

There are pages for names in Cambodian, Cantonese, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai and Vietnamese. Best of all, most pages include audio files of native speakers correctly pronouncing selected names.

Here are all the first names listed:

Cambodian First Names & Pronunciations

• Bopha, bohpah
• Chanda, chahndah
• Chandarith, chahnrit
• Chhoun, choo-en
• Dara Khan, dahrah kahn
• Khan, kahn
• Kosal, kohsahl
• Kunthea, kunt-hee-ah
• Lai, lah-ee
• Lun Ang, loom-ang
• Maly, mahlee
• Map, mahp
• Moeuk, mew
• Pean, pee-in
• Phalla, pahlah
• Phireak, pee-re
• Poew, pohew
• Rith, rit
• Ry, ree
• Sarit, sahrit
• Srey, sray
• Soas, soo-uh
• Socheat, sohjee-et
• Soeun, sew-in
• Sok, sawk
• Somally, sawmahlee
• Sopea, sohpeeah
• Sophal, sohpahl
• Sophat, sohpaht
• Sophea, sohpeeah
• Sopheap, sohpee-up
• Suon, soo-in
• Theary, t-ih-ree
• Thy, tee
• Tren, trayng
• Vanna, wahnah
• Vannak, wahnak
• Vantha, wahntah
• Veng Kim, wayng kum
• Vuthy, wootee

Cantonese (Chinese) First Names & Pronunciations

• Chi-Kung, chee-kahng
• Chi-Man, chee-mahn
• Ka-Ling, gah-leeng
• Kok-Wing, kaw-wing
• Lai-Ying, ly-ying
• Mei-Yee, may-yee
• Pui-Pui, puhyee-pahyee
• Sau-Ha, sow-han
• Shuk-Yee, suh-yee
• Sin-Feng, sin-fuhng
• Siu-Kao, seeyoo-kayoo
• Tak-Wah, duh-wah
• Wai-Keung, wy-kuhung
• Wai-Ling, wy-ling

Filipino First Names & Pronunciations

• Adelaide, ahdelydah
• Angelita, ahngheleetah
• Annal, ahnah
• Antonio, ahntoneeyo
• Aunor, awnor
• Carlo, karlo
• Catalina, kahtahleena
• Dakila, dahkeelah
• Dalisay, dahleesy
• Diego, deeyaygo
• Floricel, florreesel
• Gemma, jemah
• Guillermo, geelyermo
• Honesto, ohnesto
• Irma, irmah
• Isabel, eesahbel
• Ligaya, leegahyah
• Liwayway, leewaiwai
• Luningning, looningning
• Lourdes, lordess
• Magdalena, mahgdahleena
• Manuel, mahnoowel
• Maria, mahreeyah
• Maricar, mahrikahr
• Miguel, meegel
• Norma, normah

Indonesian First Names & Pronunciations

Female Names

• Ade, ada
• Devi, day (silent y)-vee
• Dewi, day (silent y)-we
• Erlin, arleen
• Fanny, funny
• Farida, fareeda
• Glenna, glenna
• Harjanti, harjantee
• Hartanti, hartantee
• Ida, eda
• Inge, enge
• Lanny, lunny
• Leony, leony
• Liana, leeana
• Liani, leeanee
• Ratna, rutna
• Shinta, shinta
• Siska, sisca
• Sri, seri
• Sucianty, soocianty
• Susanti, soosantee
• Utami, utami
• Vera, vera
• Verawati, verawatee
• Veronika, veronica
• Widya, wedya
• Widyawati, wedyawati
• Yanti, yunti
• Yenny, yenny
• Yulia, yoolia
• Yuliana, yooleeana
• Yuliani, yooleeanee

Male Names

• Ade, ada
• Adi, adee
• Agus, agoos
• Ari (Ary), ari
• Bambang, bumbung
• Benny, banny
• Budi, boodee
• Deddy, deddy
• Djaja (Djaya, Jaya), jaya
• Doddy, doddy
• Hadi, hudee
• Hadian, hudeean
• Hamdani, hamdani
• Handoko, handoko
• Hartono, hartono
• Hendra, hendra
• Hendri, hendori
• Hengki (Hengky), hanki
• Herman, herman
• Indra, endra
• Irwan, erwan
• Ivan, evan
• Iwan, ewan
• Johan, johan
• Ridwan, ridwan
• Sonny, sonny
• Sudirman, soodirman
• Sudomo, soodoomo
• Sugiarto, soogiarto
• Suharto, sooharto
• Suhendra, soohendra
• Sukarno, sookarno
• Suparman, sooparman
• Surya, soorya
• Suryadi, sooryadee
• Susanto, soosanto
• Teguh, taguh
• Yandi, yundee
• Yohanes, yohanes

Japanese First Names & Pronunciations

Female Names

• Akiko, a-ki-o
• Etsuko, eh-tsu-ko
• Hiroko, he-ro-ko
• Hiromi, he-ro-me
• Junko, june-ko
• Kaoru, ka-o-ru
• Kazuko, ka-zu-ko
• Keiko, keh-ko
• Kuniko, koo-ni-ko
• Kyoko, kyoh-ko
• Mariko, ma-ri-ko
• Masako, ma-sa-ko
• Michiko, me-chi-ko
• Miho, me-ho
• Miki, me-ki
• Miyuki, me-you-ki
• Naoko, na-o-ko
• Noriko, no-lee-ko
• Reiko, reh-ko
• Sachiko, sa-chi-ko
• Takako, ta-ka-ko
• Tomoko, to-mo-ko
• Yoko, yoh-ko
• Yoshiko, yo-shi-ko
• Yuki, you-ki
• Yumi, you-me
• Yumiko, you-me-ko

Male Names

• Akio, a-ki-o
• Akira, a-ki-ra
• Hideo, hi-de-o
• Hiroshi, hi-ro-sih
• Ichiro, e-chi-roh
• Junichi, june-e-chi
• Kazuo, ka-zu-o
• Kenji, ken-ji
• Kiyoshi, ki-yo-shi
• Koichi, ko-e-chi
• Koji, ko-ji
• Makoto, ma-ko-toh
• Osamu, o-sa-mu
• Shigeru, shi-ge-ru
• Shinichi, shin-e-chi
• Shiro, shi-ro
• Susumu, su-su-mu
• Tadashi, ta-da-shi
• Takao, ta-ka-o
• Takashi, ta-ka-shi
• Takeo, ta-ke-o
• Takeshi, ta-ke-shi
• Toru, toh-ru
• Tsutomu, tsu-to-mu
• Yoshio, yo-shi-o
• Yuji, you-ji
• Yutaka, you-ta-ka

Korean First Names & Pronunciations

Female Names

• Eun-A, euna
• Eun-Hee, eunhee
• Eun-Ju, eunju
• Eun-Jung, eunjung
• Eun-Kyoung, eunkyoung
• Eun-Mi, eunmi
• Eun-Su, eunsu
• Eun-Sun, eunsun
• Eun-Young, eunyoung
• Hye-Su, hiesu
• Hyun-Ja, hyunja
• Hyun-Ju, hyunju
• Hyun-Jung, hyunjung
• Hyun-Young, hiuniung
• Jin-Sook (Jing-Suk), jinsuk
• Kun-Sun, keunsun
• Kyoung-Mi, kyungmi
• Min-Hee, minhee
• Min-Hoe, minhoe
• Min-Jung, minjung
• Min-Young, miyoung
• Mi-Kyoung, mikyoung
• Mi-Sun, misun
• Mi-Young, miyoung
• Na-Young, nayoung
• Sang-Hee, sang/hee
• Sang-Mi, sangmi
• So-Young, soyoung
• Sun-Hee, sunhee
• Su-Jung, sujung
• Young-Hee (Yung-Hee), young-hee
• Young-Ja, youngja
• Young-Mi, youngmi
• Yun-Hee, iunhee

Male Names

• Chang-Ho, changho
• Chang-Su, changsu
• Chang-Uk, chang-uk
• Dong-Min, dongmin
• Dong-Uk, dong-uk
• Du-Ho, doho
• Hyun-Su, hyeonsu
• In-Ho, inho
• Jang-Ho, jangho
• Ja-Hoon, jahoon
• Jong-Cheol (Jong-Chul), jongchul
• Jong-Pil, jongpil
• Jong-Su, jongsu
• Jung-Hee, jeonghi
• Jung-Hun (Jung-Hoon), jeonghun
• Jung-Yeol, jung yeol
• Ki-Hoon (Ki-Hun), kihun
• Kwang-Ho, kuangho
• Man-Su, mansu
• Min-Ho, minho
• Min-Ki, minki
• Min-Kyu, minkiu
• Min-Su, minsu
• Sang-Ho, sangho
• Sang-Ki, sangki
• Sang-Kyu, sangkiu
• Sang-Min, sangmin
• Suk-Chul, sukchul
• Sung-Uk, sung-uk
• Yong-Su, youngsu
• Young-Ho, young-ho
• Young-Il, young-il
• Young-Min, youngmin
• Young-Su, youngsu

Mandarin (Chinese) First Names & Pronunciations

• Chien, chee-en
• Chiu, cheeoo
• Di, dee
• Du-Wah, doo wah
• Fah, fah
• Fong, fong
• Jinho, rinho
• Jong, rong
• Ki, kee
• Kwai, kwai
• Lai-Ching, ly ching
• Len, len
• Li-Li, lee lee
• Liang, lee ang
• Li-Kung, lee kung
• Lin, lin
• Ling, ling
• Li-Sheng, lee sheng
• Mei, may
• Riu, ree oo
• Soon, suhn
• Sung, sung
• Wah-Tai, wah tahee
• Wang, wang
• Yung-Ling, yung leeng
• Zhuo-Shing, choh sheeng

Thai First Names & Pronunciations

Female Names

• Amporn, um-porn
• Areya, ar-ree-ya
• Budsaba, bud-sa-ba
• Chompoo, chom-poo
• Chompunut, chom-ou-nut
• Duangrat, duang-rat
• Intira, in-ti-ra
• Jutharat, ju-ta-rat
• Korrakoj, kor-ra-kod
• Krittiga, krit-ti-ga
• Nattaporn, nat-ta-porn
• Nuntida, nun-ti-da
• Orapan, or-ra-pun
• Ornanong, on-a-nong
• Patsaporn, pud-sa-porn
• Pim, pim
• Porntip, porn-tip
• Pradtana, prad-ta-na
• Premwadee, prem-wa-dee
• Preyanutch, pre-ya-nut
• Promporn, prom-porn
• Sangrawee, sang-ra-wee
• Sinee, si-nee
• Sirirat, si-ri-rat
• Sunisa, su-ni-sa
• Suttida, soot-ti-da
• Suwattanee, su-wat-ta-nee
• Tidarat, to-da-rat
• Utumporn, au-tum-porn
• Vipada, wi-pa-da
• Yada, ya-da

Male Names

• Adirake, a-di-rake
• Akkarat, aek-ka-rat
• Chaowalit, chaow-wa-lit
• Chayond, cha-yond
• Chuan, chuan
• Jettrin, jet-trin
• Kiettisuk, kiet-ti-suk
• Kittikorn, kit-ti-korn
• Krit, krit
• Ned, nade
• Niwat, ni-wat
• Nontawat, non-ta-wat
• Pairote, pai-rote
• Paradorn, pa-ra-dorn
• Petch, petch
• Pongrit, pong-rit
• Pracha, pra-cha
• Prakorb, pra-korb
• Pramod, pra-mote
• Prasopchai, pra-soap-chai
• Sakchai, suk-chai
• Sarawut, sa-ra-wut
• Songpole, song-pole
• Sunya, sun-ya
• Surat, su-rat
• Suttipong, sut-ti-pong
• Thongchai, tong-chai
• Tuksin, tuk-sin
• Udom, au-dom
• Vit, wit
• Winai, wi-nai
• Worrawut, wore-ra-wut

Vietnamese First Names & Pronunciations

• Chi, chee
• Cuc, kuk
• Diem, yeeyim
• Duc, duk
• Dung, yuhng
• Duong, yoong
• Hanh, hahn
• Ho, hoh
• Hoa, hwa
• Hong, howng
• Hung, huhng
• Lan, lahn
• Liem, leeyim
• Lien, leeyin
• Loc, lowk
• Mai, mah-ee
• Minh, min
• Nam, nahm
• Nga, nga
• Nguyet, nwyit
• Pham, fam
• Phu, foo
• Thi, tee
• Thien, teeyen
• Tho, toy or tahoo
• Thuy, twee
• Tuan, twahn or twuhn
• Tuyet, tweeyit
• Viet, wee-et
• Xuan, swuhn