Ryoko first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Ryoko has been for the last 37 years (from 1981 to 2017) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Ryoko

Child born of a noble soul (translates to "child of the spiritual one").

Popularity of Ryoko by gender

Based on the last 37 years of data, Ryoko is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2017, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Ryoko.

Year Male Count Female Count
2017 0 5
1999 0 5
1984 0 5
1981 0 5

The history of the first name Ryoko

The given name Ryoko has its origins in the Japanese language. It is a feminine name that can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in Japanese history.

Ryoko is derived from the Japanese characters 涼 (ryo) meaning "cool" or "refreshing" and 子 (ko) which is a common suffix meaning "child." Together, the name can be interpreted as "refreshing child" or "cool child."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ryoko can be found in the classical Japanese text "The Tale of Genji," written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. In this literary work, Ryoko is mentioned as the name of a minor character.

Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ryoko. One such person was Ryoko Hirosue (born in 1980), a famous Japanese actress and model who has appeared in numerous films and television series.

Another noteworthy Ryoko was Ryoko Tani (1976-2017), a Japanese judoka who won multiple Olympic medals in judo, including a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In the realm of literature, Ryoko Yamagishi (1924-2022) was a celebrated Japanese novelist and poet. Her works often explored themes of identity, memory, and the human experience.

Ryoko Aoki (1976-present) is a contemporary Japanese artist known for her intricate paper-cut artworks, which have been exhibited internationally.

Ryoko Nakano (1972-present) is a Japanese voice actress who has lent her voice to numerous anime characters, including popular roles in series like "Naruto" and "Bleach."

These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Ryoko throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence in Japanese culture and society.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ryoko was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ryoko, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ryoko first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ryoko-meaning-and-history/.

"Ryoko first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ryoko-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 3 June, 2025

Ryoko first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/ryoko-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.