Masa
A Japanese gender-neutral name meaning "truth" or "elegant".
Name Census estimates that about 490 living Americans carry the first name Masa. It is a predominantly female name (97.6% of registrations). The average person named Masa today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Masa births was 2023 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Masa. 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.
People living today
490
~ 1 in 699,499 Americans
Peak year
2023
66 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2010 SSA rank
#2,995
Tracked since 1919
Gender
Gender distribution for Masa
Masa leans heavily female at 97.6% of total registrations, but 12 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Masa as a male name
- Ranked #10,370 in 2010
- 7 male births in 2010
- Peak: 2010 (7 births)
Masa as a female name
- Ranked #2,995 in 2024
- 55 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (66 births)
Popularity
Masa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Masa from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 232 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Masa 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 Masa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Masas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Masa, while Ohio, New York, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Masa
The name Masa has its origins in the Japanese language, where it is a common given name for both males and females. It is believed to have been derived from the Japanese word "masa," which means "correct" or "righteous."
The earliest known historical reference to the name Masa can be found in the ancient Japanese chronicles known as the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, which date back to the 8th century CE. These chronicles contain stories and legends of ancient Japan, and the name Masa is mentioned in several of them.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Masa was Masa no Gon Kokushi, a Japanese Buddhist monk who lived during the late 10th century. He was a renowned scholar and calligrapher, and his works and teachings had a significant influence on Japanese culture and religion.
Another notable figure in Japanese history with the name Masa was Masa Saionji, a Japanese statesman and diplomat who lived from 1858 to 1919. He served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1906 to 1908 and played a crucial role in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji era.
In the realm of art and literature, Masa Shikibu was a prominent Japanese waka poet and lady-in-waiting who lived during the 10th century. She is best known for her contribution to the classical Japanese poetry anthology, the Kokin Wakashū.
Moving to the field of sports, Masa Saito was a Japanese professional baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants from 1936 to 1958. He was a talented pitcher and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of Japanese baseball.
Lastly, in the world of music, Masa Fukushi is a contemporary Japanese singer-songwriter and musician. Born in 1974, he is known for his unique blend of rock, folk, and traditional Japanese music genres, and has gained a significant following in Japan and internationally.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Masa. While the name has its roots in Japanese culture, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, reflecting the global influence of Japanese culture and language.
People
Masa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Masa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Masa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Masa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 490 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Masa 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 699,499 US residents.
Is Masa a common name?
We classify Masa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 509 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Masa most popular?
The single biggest year for Masa was 2023, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Masa is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Masa a female name?
Yes, 97.6% of people registered as Masa in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.