Here is a translation off Anno's personal webpage (which is downnow unfortunatly, and I didn't mirror it when I had the chance) which was posted to JAE a couple of years ago (actually back in 2000 looking at this header). Anyway Anno described the basis for all the names in the series and put it on his webpage (in Japanese of course) and here is a rough translation:
From: "massangeana" <ez3k>
Subject: Re: Anno's official web site...
Date: Tuesday, 26 December 2000 1:14 AM
massangeana <ez3k> writes:
> Anno's official page: http://www.gainax.co.jp/hills/anno/
> Essay page: http://www.gainax.co.jp/hills/anno/essay1.html
I tried translating it to English. Notes by me are surrounded by
square brackets.
Part 1 (11/02)
Ikari Shinji:
Ikari [anchor] is a component of a ship. It's also the name of my
friend when I was a college student. Shinji is also named after my
friend for many years [Higuchi Shinji]. Since both his wife and
daughter's names are used as Anime characters, I wanted to make
them an anime family. Sorry, Shin-chan.
Ayanami Rei:
Ayanami is named after a ship of the former Japan navy. Rei is just
a pun of 'Rei' [zero], but actually named after Hino Rei of Sailor
Moon. It was a beit to invite Iku-chan (Ikuhara Kunihiko) as a staff,
but he ran away. Too bad.
Souryuu Asuka Langley:
Souryuu is named after a ship of the former Japan navy [different
kanji]. Langley from the US navy ship. Asuka is named after Wada
Shinji's manga heroine ["Chou-Shoujo Asuka"].
Katsuragi Misato:
Katsuragi is named after a ship of the former Japan navy. Misato is
a heroine of Narita Minako's manga [Izumi Misato of "Aitsu"].
Kaji Ryouji:
Kaji [rudder] is a component of a ship. Ryouji is also from a hero
of Narita Minako's manga [Sawada Ryouji of "Aitsu"].
Part 2 (11/13)
Ikari Gendou:
Gendou is borrowed from another anime project that was aborted. I
didn't notice Gendou and Shinji is the same combination with
Ishikawa Ken's manga until one of my friends pointed out. [I think
he means Kuruma Shin'ichi and Kuruma Genzou of "Majuu Sensen"]
His former name Rokubungi [sextant] is also a component of a ship.
Just FYI, Asuka Rei of "Reideen" is also a coincidence.
Fuyutsuki Kouzou:
Fuyutsuki is named after a ship of the former Japan navy. Kouzou
is just I thought it sounds well.
Ikari Yui:
Yui sounds like Rei, and also a pun [only one].
Kiel Lorentz:
Kiel is a component of a ship [keel]. Lorentz is named after a
zoologist or something, but I can't remember well. Am I becomming
senile? Oh, well.
Akagi Naoko:
Naoko is named after a friend of mine when I was an elementary
school child.
Souryuu Kyouko Zeppelin:
Kyouko is also from Wada Shinji's manga. Zeppelin is named after
a ship of the German navy that was never completed.
Pen-Pen:
Super straightforward naming, but I thought the reduplication
sounds cute. His official name is the 2nd power of Pen. I was
reluctant at first, but it appeared the show because we thought we
need a mascot animal. The show is set in a hot-spring resort
Hakone, and one associates a monkey to a hot-spring. But that
is no fun, so we decided to make it a penguin, most unsuited
animal in a hot-spring. I remember "Hot-spring penguin" is
Sadamoto's idea.
Part 3 (11/17)
Hyuuga Makoto:
Hyuuga is named after a ship of the former Japan navy, but what was
Makoto? I don't remember. Maybe because I liked Shinsen-gumi of
Shiba Ryou[tarou]? Sorry, I'm not sure about this one either.
Aoba Shigeru:
Aoba is named after a ship of the former Japan navy. Shigeru is a
spoof of the movie title "Aoba Shigereru" directed by Okamoto Kihachi.
Ibuki Maya:
Both Ibuki and Maya are named after a ship of the former Japan navy
because they sounded good. Ibuki is also the name of the captain in
"Kaette kita Ultraman," my personal favorite. I chose Maya because
I love Takao-class heavy cruisers best after Yamato-class battleships.
Suzuhara Touji:
I borrowed his name from Murakami Ryuu's novel ["Ai to Gensou no
Fascism"] I read on my friend's recommendation.
Aida Kensuke:
Also from Murakami's novel. BTW I was just interested in a character
"Zero" in this novel, rather than the story about revolution and
dictatorship itself.
Horaki Hikari:
Horaki also comes from Murakami's novel. Hikari, and her sisters
Nozomi and Kodama are Tokaido Shinkansen express train names.
Nagisa Kaworu:
This character was named by the screenplay writer Satsukawa Akio.
Nagisa [beach] is a name related to the sea. Also the kanji 'nagisa'
consists of katakana SHI and kanji SHA, therefore he's SHISHA (angel).
He said it also comes from the movie director Oshima Nagisa. But
what is Kaworu? Sorry, I will ask him next time.
Tokita [Shirou], Manda and Yasugi of episode 7 also come from
Murakami's novel. Takahashi Nozoku of episode 11 comes from the name
of a production manager and my friend [Takahashi Nozomu of Studio
Ghibli. Actually Ghibli did animation work of this episode]. It's a
in-joke by staff. Characters in episode 15 etc. names also follow a
hidden convention. Guessing the rule might be fun when you have time.
Originally posted on: 04.30.2004, 07:28 PM
