I know most uses of Ichi as names are actually nicknames, or shortened forms. I have met one person who\'s name was Ichi, and he said he used 一 for the kanji - though I didn\'t exactly check his ID.

Hmm. Looking at that list... I feel sad for girls named もえ given it\'s current connotations in a certain segment of japanese society.

In regards to using numbers in names... Actually, in at least one language I\'m aware of, it does happen... Japanese.

Several japanese names use \"one\" in them, in various ways - the best example being \"Ichi\", which is simply  the number one.

Using the arabic numerals in names is admitadly quite wierd.


some other name related points...

A great many names started off as descriptive terms or job listings - I mean, think about the english family names Smith, Cartwright, Cooper, Mason, Miller, Baker, Farmer, etc.  

Most names used in english are actually just words or phrases in other languages (or even just old or middle english), that may have been corrupted somewhat heavily by their use as names in places that don\'t use those languages. The name \"Kelly\" for example, derrives, I believe, from a gaelic word for warrior. In most of the world, I believe that name meanings are generally well known and immediately recognizable. If you name your daughter \"Ai\" in Japan, there isn\'t a person who speaks the language who won\'t know that her name is, litterally, Love.

Certain name elements refer to social status. The name \"Fitz\" actually means bastard (ie. illegitimate child), for example, and would be given to an acknowledged bastard child of an aristocrat.

Then of course, you have surnames like \"Leifsdottir\" or \"Erikson\" which basicly just say who your father was.

Really, when people say \"pick something that doesn\'t mean anything\" - they are going completely against how people have been traditionally named.