Please help translate this tattoo that I got as a dumb teenager

[Blanca]

I got this tattoo as a teenager (16) and it only took about a year to completely regret it. I clearly learned my lesson because this is the one and only tattoo I have ever gotten. My friends always ask what it means and I joke and say something random like "popcorn" "fat pig" or "young and dumb" because I honestly have no idea what it means and don't remember what it was supposed to mean. Now that I'm almost 30 I'm pretty curious of what it actually means. I THINK it is Chinese but really have no idea. Any help is appreciated!!

[langxia]

In Pin-yin it reads Lei Ni.

[Zbigniew]

Don't despair just yet, Blanca. The characters are legitimate Chinese characters, even if the name (assuming it's meant as a complete Chinese name) is somewhat unconventional; in Chinese it's usual when stating someone's name to give their family name first (the complete name usually being either two or three characters), but what you have there comes across as just a given name for a female made up of two characters.

 

To break it down, 蕾 means "flower bud",  妮 means "girl", but the latter is sometimes combined with a preceding character to form a given name. I have two Chinese friends in fact one of whom has 蕾 as her given name, and one of whom has 云妮.  

[vellocet]

Congratulations, the calligraphy looks good!  A lot of tattoos are malformed or unreadable, but this one is fine.  It's clearly not a dictionary word but a sweet feminine name.  Is your name Rainy?  

[lakesandrivers]

蕾妮 Lěi nī is a transliteration of Renee. Are you a Renee?

 

There are too many transliterations to remember and I have long given up. But Renee is one of the few I remember, just because. Do not even know the transliteration of my first name! This is a female name, usually consisting of 草字头 (note the upper radical of 草, grass)and 女字旁 (女, female)。雷 and 尼 are phonetics. 

 

For future reference, definitely avoid these permanent markings prior to research, as below ? On the second photo, I have nothing against the profession, but it will give the wrong impression otherwise.

 

[Blanca]

Thank you eveyone!!! I appreciate you taking time to help me! My middle name is Renee. I remember thinking about getting a tattoo of Renee but for some reason I thought I couldn't find a translation anywhere for it thats why I don'

[Blanca]

Thank you eveyone!!! I appreciate you taking time to help me! My middle name is Renee. I remember thinking about getting a tattoo of Renee but for some reason I thought I couldn't find a translation anywhere for it thats why I don't remember what it is supposed to mean. I am VERY happy to know that it doesn't translate to "fat pig" like I always joke about. I am even happy with "flower bud" and "girl". I have absolutely learned my lesson i will never get anything permanently on my body ever again especially something that needs translation. Thank you so much everyone!

[langxia]

Do not just yet give up on tattoos Next time just ponder a little longer on what you will get and get some nice drawing or whatever ?