Myoshi
A feminine Japanese name meaning "beautiful and attractive".
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Myoshi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Myoshi today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Myoshi births was 1978 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Myoshi. 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 Myoshi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
1978
8 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1984 SSA rank
#11,573
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Myoshi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Myoshi from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 32 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Myoshi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Myoshi 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 Myoshi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Myoshi
The given name Myoshi has its origins in Japanese culture, dating back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE). It is derived from the combination of two Japanese words: "mi," meaning "beautiful," and "yoshi," meaning "good luck" or "auspicious." The name is believed to have been created as an expression of hope and well-wishes for the bearer to have a beautiful and fortunate life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Myoshi can be found in the ancient Japanese literary work "The Tale of Genji," written by Lady Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. In this classic novel, Myoshi is the name of a minor character, a young woman of noble birth.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Myoshi. One of the most prominent figures was Myoshi no Munetaka (1242-1280), a powerful samurai warrior and military strategist who played a significant role in the Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century. His bravery and leadership during these conflicts earned him a place in Japanese historical records.
Another notable bearer of the name was Myoshi Kiyotsugu (1639-1711), a renowned scholar and Confucian philosopher during the Edo period. Kiyotsugu was widely respected for his contributions to the study of classical Chinese texts and his influential teachings on ethics and moral principles.
In the realm of art, Myoshi Umeko (1908-1994) was a celebrated Japanese painter known for her vibrant depictions of nature and traditional Japanese landscapes. Her works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums around the world, and she is recognized as one of the most influential female artists of the 20th century in Japan.
Additionally, Myoshi Masaru (1928-2008) was a prominent Japanese businessman and philanthropist. As the founder of a successful electronics company, he amassed a considerable fortune, which he generously donated to various charitable causes, including education and environmental conservation efforts.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the given name Myoshi, a name that has been imbued with cultural significance and positive connotations in Japanese society.
People
Myoshi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Myoshi 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
Myoshi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Myoshi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Myoshi 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Myoshi a common name?
We classify Myoshi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 42 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Myoshi most popular?
The single biggest year for Myoshi was 1978, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Myoshi is about 49 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Myoshi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Myoshi 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.