Kousuke
A masculine Japanese name meaning "advancing scholar" or "rising scholarly accomplishment".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kousuke. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kousuke today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kousuke births was 1991 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kousuke. 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 Kousuke. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1991
5 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,971
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Kousuke: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kousuke 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 Kousuke during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kousuke
The name Kousuke is of Japanese origin, deriving from the words "ko" meaning "light" or "radiance" and "suke" meaning "assistance" or "help". Its meaning is often interpreted as "light that assists" or "shining helper".
This name is believed to have originated during the Heian period of Japan, which lasted from 794 to 1185 AD. It was a time when Japanese culture, art, and literature flourished, and many traditional names were established.
While there are no known references to the name Kousuke in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been used as a masculine name in various regions of Japan during the medieval and pre-modern periods.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Kousuke dates back to the 16th century, when a samurai warrior named Kousuke Nagai lived during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). He is known for his service under the renowned daimyo (feudal lord) Hideyoshi Toyotomi.
Another notable figure with the name Kousuke is Kousuke Satake (1785-1858), a Japanese daimyo who ruled the Akita Domain during the late Edo period. He is remembered for his efforts in modernizing the domain's administration and promoting education.
In the world of literature, Kousuke Ariyoshi (1914-1976) was a renowned Japanese novelist and playwright. His works often explored themes of social injustice and the struggles of ordinary people. He is considered one of the most influential writers of the Showa period.
Kousuke Masuda (1924-1999) was a Japanese politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1987 to 1988. He played a significant role in Japan's diplomatic relations and was known for his efforts in promoting international cooperation.
Kousuke Atari (1975-present) is a contemporary Japanese artist and film director. His experimental and avant-garde works have gained critical acclaim, and he is recognized for pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms.
People
Kousuke + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kousuke as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kousuke: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kousuke?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kousuke 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 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kousuke a common name?
We classify Kousuke as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Kousuke most popular?
The single biggest year for Kousuke was 1991, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kousuke is about 34 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 Kousuke in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kousuke a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kousuke 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 Kousuke still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kousuke 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 Kousuke 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 have Kousuke as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Kousuke, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.