Noboru
Rising, ascending, soaring; a Japanese masculine name signifying lofty ambitions.
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Noboru. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Noboru today is around 99 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Noboru births was 1920 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Noboru. 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
- • The typical person named Noboru is about 99 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Noborus were born before 1937.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Noboru. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1920
34 babies that year
Average age
99
years old
1945 SSA rank
#3,641
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Noboru: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Noboru from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 260 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Noboru 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 Noboru during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Noborus live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Hawaii, California, Washington recorded the most babies named Noboru, while Washington, California, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 133 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Noboru
The given name Noboru has its origins in Japan, deriving from the Japanese language. It is a masculine name that has been in use for centuries, with records of the name appearing as early as the Heian period (794-1185 AD).
Noboru is a combination of two Japanese words: "nobo" meaning "to climb" or "to ascend," and "ru" being a verb-forming suffix. The name essentially translates to "one who climbs" or "one who ascends," suggesting a sense of ambition, growth, and perseverance.
While the name does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been associated with various notable figures throughout Japanese history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name was Noboru Nobunaga (1334-1388), a Japanese samurai who served under the Ashikaga shogunate during the Muromachi period.
Another prominent individual bearing the name was Noboru Aoki (1868-1937), a Japanese businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in Japan. He founded the Aoki Iron Works, which later became part of the Nippon Steel Corporation.
In the realm of literature, Noboru Kawabata (1913-1972) was a renowned Japanese novelist and short-story writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968. His most celebrated works include "Snow Country" and "The Old Capital."
The world of martial arts also boasts a notable figure with the name Noboru Takano (1959-present), a Japanese karateka and multiple-time world champion in karate kumite (sparring). He has made significant contributions to the promotion and development of karate on a global scale.
Lastly, Noboru Takeshita (1924-2000) was a prominent Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1987 to 1989. He played a crucial role in shaping Japan's economic policies during his tenure as Prime Minister.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Noboru, each making their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of Japan and the world.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Noboru
People
Noboru + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Noboru as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Noboru: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Noboru?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Noboru 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Noboru a common name?
We classify Noboru as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 484 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Noboru most popular?
The single biggest year for Noboru was 1920, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Noboru is about 99 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Noboru a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Noboru 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.
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.