Nobuyoshi
Composed of "nobu" meaning faithful or trustworthy and "yoshi" meaning good or virtuous.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Nobuyoshi. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nobuyoshi today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nobuyoshi births was 1932 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nobuyoshi. 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 Nobuyoshi is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Nobuyoshis were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Nobuyoshi. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1932
6 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1932 SSA rank
#3,654
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Nobuyoshi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nobuyoshi from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 6 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
Nobuyoshi 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 Nobuyoshi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nobuyoshis live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nobuyoshi
The given name Nobuyoshi has its origins in Japan, where it has been in use since ancient times. It is a combination of two Japanese words - "nobu," meaning "prolonged" or "eternal," and "yoshi," meaning "good" or "virtuous." Thus, the name Nobuyoshi carries the meaning of "enduring goodness" or "eternal virtue."
In its earliest recorded use, the name Nobuyoshi appeared in historical records and literature from the Heian period (794-1185 AD) in Japan. It was particularly popular among the nobility and samurai classes during this era, reflecting the cultural values and aspirations of the time.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Nobuyoshi was a Japanese Buddhist monk and scholar who lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD). Renowned for his contributions to Zen Buddhism, he played a significant role in shaping the spiritual and philosophical landscape of medieval Japan.
Throughout the centuries, the name Nobuyoshi has been associated with various historical figures and cultural icons. Nobuyoshi Araki, born in 1940, is a renowned Japanese photographer known for his provocative and boundary-pushing work. His contributions to contemporary art have garnered both critical acclaim and controversy.
Nobuyoshi Fukunaga, born in 1967, is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His acclaimed films, such as "Sin Nombre" and "Beasts of No Nation," have explored themes of identity, migration, and human resilience, earning him international recognition and numerous awards.
In the realm of literature, Nobuyoshi Kawabata, born in 1899 and died in 1972, was a celebrated Japanese novelist and literary figure. He was the first Japanese author to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, cementing his place as a pioneering voice in modern Japanese literature.
Nobuyoshi Tamura, born in 1933, is a Japanese composer and musician renowned for his contributions to the world of jazz and fusion music. His innovative style and collaborations with artists from various genres have earned him a unique place in the global music scene.
Nobuyoshi Kiuchi, born in 1821 and died in 1899, was a prominent Japanese scholar and educator during the Edo and Meiji periods. His efforts in promoting Western learning and modernization played a crucial role in shaping Japan's transition into the modern era.
People
Nobuyoshi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nobuyoshi 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
Nobuyoshi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nobuyoshi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nobuyoshi 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Nobuyoshi a common name?
We classify Nobuyoshi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nobuyoshi most popular?
The single biggest year for Nobuyoshi was 1932, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nobuyoshi is about 83 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 Nobuyoshi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nobuyoshi a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nobuyoshi 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 Nobuyoshi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nobuyoshi 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 Nobuyoshi 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 are called Nobuyoshi?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.