Jess in Japanese

Jess is written ジェス in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Jess would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag.

Our top pick is 慈栄寿 (Jiesu). 慈 means “compassion”, 栄 means “prosperity” and 寿 means “long life”. Other good options are 路恵寿 (Jiesu) and 路栄寿 (Jieisu).

Not as a traditional name. Japanese people write foreign names in katakana, so 慈栄寿 is a creative kanji spelling (called ateji), chosen for its sounds and meanings. Japanese readers will understand what each character means, and many will enjoy the idea behind it.

慈栄寿 has 29 strokes in total (慈: 13, 栄: 9, 寿: 7). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.

Each character in 慈栄寿 has a positive meaning, so it is a reasonable choice. Keep in mind that Japanese people will read it as the meaning of the characters, not instantly as “Jess”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (ジェス) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.