Shikona

A shikona(四股名 or 醜名) is a sumo wrestler's ring name.

As with standard Japanese names, a shikona consists of the equivalent of a 'surname' and a 'given' name, and the full name is written surname first. However, the given name is rarely used outside formal or ceremonial occasions. Thus, the former yokozuna Asashōryū Akinori is usually referred to as simply Asashōryū. When addressing a sumo wrestler of the makuuchi or jūryō divisions, the suffix -zeki (関) should be used instead of the usual Japanese -san. The given name is often, but not always, the wrestler's actual name, though it generally resembles a Japanese male given name. These are changed more often than the surname of the shikona, at the whim of the individual wrestler. Foreign wrestlers always take a different given name, which is invariably a Japanese male given name.