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The story
Folk singer Matsuyama Chiharu (70) revealed on his radio show broadcast September 6 that his first grandchild’s name is “Selen.” Matsuyama reportedly also remarked, “Ordinary names really are disappearing, aren’t they.” On 5channel, the comment set off a wave of speculation about the origin of the name “Selen,” with users debating whether it derives from “Selene,” the Greek word for “moon,” or evokes the chemical element selenium (atomic number 34). The thread turned into more of an etymology discussion than a debate over the naming choice itself. Some also pointed out that what counts as an “ordinary” name shifts with each generation, noting that old-fashioned women’s names like “Matsu” and “Tome” would seem unusual today.
September 7, 2026, 12:30 PM
Folk singer Matsuyama Chiharu (70) appeared live on FM NACK5’s “Matsuyama Chiharu ON THE RADIO” (Sundays at 9 PM) on the 6th, where a moment arose involving his reaction to a listener’s email.
During the live broadcast, Matsuyama read out several listener emails. In this episode, he reacted to one from a listener going by “Miyuto.” “Miyuto… huh. That’s another unusual name,” he said thoughtfully.
Source: news.livedoor.com / Read the original article here
What people said
Can't even tell if it's a boy's or girl's name
It's been trending lately because of the Chiikawa movie
Same thought lol
I like Chiikawa but this one's kind of a stretch…
If some other old man's grandkid were named "Selen," this guy would probably trash the name lol
He's not exactly praising it either
Gen's probably the only normal-sounding one
Miyuto sounds like "mute," Kouya brings to mind "wasteland,"
and Aito sounds uncomfortably close to 愛人 ("aijin," meaning "mistress")…
They're toxic, so it has a negative image
Tellurium = Earth (from "tellus")
Selenium = Moon (from "selene")
That's the etymology
names chosen just for how they sound might start to look silly,
so there's a chance things swing back
toward names that actually mean something
They're literally saying Kouya and Gen sound normal
Though the parents probably have zero idea it's also a chemical symbol lol
just remember it as "Saegusa" (a common mnemonic wordplay for the number)
Q: "What's the name of comedian Nishikawa Kiyoshi's wife?"
Kawaei: "Heron" (the correct answer was "Helen")
Don't cry, Heron
Some have names mixing kanji and katakana, while others have traditional Japanese names like "Yamada Tarou" (Japan's equivalent of "John Doe")
My Olympus Pen EE still shows the red warning flag — does that mean the meter's still alive?
Matsuyama Chiharu's parents' generation probably had names like Tazu, Sue, Kin, or Gin
Even prewar names like "Tome" and "Matsu" were just picked casually.
So postwar names written with fancy kanji like 万梨阿 ("Marina") or 樹里亜奈 ("Juriana") aren't really surprising either.
Naming girls doesn't need to be taken that seriously.
which ultimately just proves human history has been a male-dominated society
He's said he hated always getting grouped with the girls on class rosters because of it
Background and Key Points of This Topic
In Japanese, “Selen” refers to the chemical element selenium (atomic number 34, also known as an antioxidant supplement ingredient), but overseas it’s also a common given name derived from Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon — and the thread’s etymology debate reflects that dual meaning. What counts as an “ordinary” name has shifted dramatically over time: names like “Tome,” “Matsu,” and “Kin” were mainstream from the Meiji through Showa eras, while in recent years naming trends have favored the sound of a name over the meaning of its kanji. The thread showed a mix of reactions — some pointed out the irony that Matsuyama himself would likely have criticized the name had it belonged to someone else’s grandchild, while others took a more positive view of naming diversity. The original article also introduces several other children’s names read out by listeners that Matsuyama reacted to on air (such as Kouya, Gen, and Miyuto), and the thread’s discussion unfolds partly in comparison to those names.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Matsuyama Chiharu reveals first grandchild’s name: “My grandkid is named ‘Selen’” / “Ordinary names really are disappearing”.”
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