1.
your (honored) name; your good name
An extremely polite way to refer to someone's name, used in formal ceremonies, invitations, guest books, and official correspondence. Much more elevated than お名前.
ご芳名をお書きください。
Please write your name (in the guest book).
受付でご芳名を記帳してください。
Please sign your name in the register at the reception desk.
結婚式の招待状には「ご芳名」と印刷されていたので、自分の名前を記入した。
The wedding invitation had 'your name' printed on it (in formal language), so I filled in my name.
Composed of the honorific prefix ご + 芳名 (fragrant name). The character 芳 literally means "fragrant" and is used here as an elegant honorific element. This word appears almost exclusively in written formal contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ご芳名をお書きください: please write your name
- ご芳名帳: guest book; visitors' register
- ご芳名を記帳する: to sign the guest register
USAGE:
Appears on wedding invitations, funeral guest books, formal event reception desks, and official correspondence. When replying to a wedding invitation, etiquette requires crossing out the ご and 芳 before writing your own name, since these honorific elements should not be applied to oneself.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- お名前: your name — standard polite form for everyday use
- 氏名: full name — formal but neutral, used on official forms
- 姓名: surname and given name — formal, emphasizes the two-part structure