蓮 in Chinese / Japanese...

蓮 is another name for “lotus.”

This happens to be a single character that expresses “lotus” in Chinese, and the common name of “lotus” in Japanese and Korean (note that there are two ways to pronounce this character in Korean).

貝蓮 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Belén.

靑蓮 is a common title for Blue Lotus.

靑蓮 is often used in a Buddhist context for blue lotus from the Sanskrit “utpala.” This often refers to the clarity and purity of the lotus blue eyes possessed by a Living Buddha. It can also represent the purity of mind (without desire, suffering, fear, etc.).

查蓮 is the name Charlene in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Elaine.

愛蓮 is the name Eleonora in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Guylaine.

This is the most common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Hélène or Helene.

茱蓮 is one transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jolene.

This applies if you pronounce Jolene like “Joe-lean.”

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female name Maylene.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Mylène or Mylene.

日蓮 is the title Nichiren.

This title refers to a Buddhist priest who lived from 1222 to 1282. He is the founder of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism.
According to historical documents, the Nichiren sect was established in 1252. Adding the character 宗 for sect, this would be 日蓮宗 (Nichiren sect), which is also known as the 法華宗 or Lotus sect.

According to Soothill-Hodous...
Nichiren's chief tenets are the three great mysteries 三大祕法, representing the trikāya:
1. 本尊 or chief object of worship, being the great maṇḍala of the worlds of the ten directions, or universe, i.e., the body or nirmāṇakāya of Buddha.
2. 題目 the title of the Lotus Sutra 妙法蓮華經 Myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo, preceded by Namo, or “Adoration to the scripture of the lotus of the wonderful law,” for it is Buddha's spiritual body.
3. 戒壇 the altar of the law, which is also the title of the Lotus as above; the believer, wherever he is, dwells in the Pure-land of calm light 寂光淨土, the saṃbhogakāya.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Solène or Solene.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Solenn.

蘇蓮 is the name Solenne in Chinese (Mandarin).

白蓮 is the title for the white lotus (flower) or a short name for the White Lotus society.

The white lotus represents purity or a pure heart and is often associated with Buddhism.
Notes: This can be the Japanese given name Byakuren. In the Buddhist context, the white lotus represented by these characters is originally puṇḍarīka in Sanskrit.

伊蓮 is the name Yilian in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Yolaine.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female name Charlena.

達蓮娜 is the name Darlene in Chinese (Mandarin).

伊蓮娜 is the name Elena in Chinese (Mandarin).

艾蓮諾 is the name Elenor in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Ghislaine.

伊蓮娜 is the name Helena in Chinese (Mandarin).

茱蓮娜 is another transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jolene.

This applies if you pronounce Jolene like “Joe-lean-ah.”

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the male German name Karlene.

This is the most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Marilyn.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Marjolaine.

瑪麗蓮 is the name Marylin in Chinese (Mandarin).

美蓮達 is the name Melinda in Chinese (Mandarin).

蓮華智 is the lotus or mystic wisdom of Amitābha.

It's one of the five kinds of wisdom in Buddhism.

星蓮花 is the title Star Lotus in Chinese.

For star lotus, some may write 星荷 instead - especially in Taiwan for reasons I am not sure of. 星荷 is sometimes romanized as “sing he” or “sing ho” though it would be “xīng hé” in mainland pinyin romanization. If you need a particular version or more info, please get in touch with me.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Violaine.

妙蓮華 means the wonderful lotus and the symbol of the pure wisdom of Buddha.

This lotus is unsullied in the midst of the impurity of the world.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Marie-Hélène or Marie-Helene.

日蓮大聖人 is the title Nichiren Daishōnin or Nichirendaishōnin in Japanese Kanji.

大蓮華智慧三摩地智 is the title for “The wisdom of the great lotus, samādhi-wisdom.”

This is also the penetrating wisdom of Amitābha.

南無妙法蓮華經 is sometimes translated as the “Devotion to the Law of the Lotus Flower Scripture.”

This is a meditation chant and homage to the Lotus Sutra, used by Nichiren Buddhists in Japan.
This is also a chant used in China by certain sects of Buddhism that celebrate the deity Guanyin.

Also romanized as “Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō” or without accents as “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.”

Modern
Japanese
Variant

Original
Traditional
Version

The last character was originally written as seen on the left. Sometimes, you will see it written in the Japanese variant form as shown on the right. If you want this Japanese variant, click on the "Modern Japanese Variant" text instead of the button up by the main title of this entry.