Etsuo
A masculine Japanese name meaning "joy and eternity".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Etsuo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Etsuo today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Etsuo births was 1926 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Etsuo. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Etsuo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1926
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1926 SSA rank
#4,422
Tracked since 1926
Popularity
Etsuo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Etsuo by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Etsuo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Etsuo
The name Etsuo is a Japanese masculine given name. It originated in Japan during the late 19th century or early 20th century, though its roots can be traced back further. The name is composed of two kanji characters: "etsu" meaning "prosperous" or "flourishing," and "o" meaning "man" or "masculine."
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Etsuo was Etsuo Shima (1871-1926), a Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives. He served in the Diet of Japan from 1902 to 1926 and was known for his advocacy of democratic reforms.
Another notable bearer of the name was Etsuo Ishiwata (1884-1949), a Japanese businessman and entrepreneur. He founded the Ishiwata Group, a major conglomerate involved in various industries such as mining, manufacturing, and trading.
In the field of literature, Etsuo Sawamura (1904-1970) was a renowned Japanese novelist and poet. His works often explored themes of existentialism and the human condition. He is considered one of the foremost writers of the late Showa period.
Etsuo Satoh (1913-1993) was a Japanese diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Japan to the United Nations from 1973 to 1976. He played a crucial role in Japan's efforts to promote international cooperation and peace during the latter half of the 20th century.
Etsuo Hara (1924-2012) was a highly respected Japanese economist and academic. He served as the president of Hitotsubashi University, one of Japan's most prestigious universities, from 1983 to 1989. His contributions to economic theory and education were widely recognized both in Japan and internationally.
While the name Etsuo has its roots in Japan, it has gained some popularity among Japanese diaspora communities around the world, particularly in countries with significant Japanese populations.
People
Etsuo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Etsuo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Etsuo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Etsuo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Etsuo going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Etsuo a common name?
We classify Etsuo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Etsuo most popular?
The single biggest year for Etsuo was 1926, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Etsuo is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Etsuo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Etsuo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Etsuo in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Etsuo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Etsuo in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Etsuo can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Etsuo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.