Moses in Japanese

Moses is written モーゼス in katakana. Katakana is the script Japanese people use for foreign names, so this is how Moses would appear on a Japanese ID card, a café cup or a name tag. Depending on the origin of the name, it can also be written モーセ.

Our top pick is 茂世寿 (Mosesu). 茂 means “lush”, 世 means “world” and 寿 means “long life”. Other good options are 百世澄 (Mosesu) and 望世珠 (Mosesu).

Not as a traditional name. Japanese people write foreign names in katakana, so 茂世寿 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.

茂世寿 has 20 strokes in total (茂: 8, 世: 5, 寿: 7). It takes some practice to write neatly, so look up the stroke order before trying it with a brush.

Each character in 茂世寿 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 “Moses”. If you want your name to be recognized, katakana (モーゼス) is clearer. Either way, ask a native speaker to check the final design.