Saburo
A masculine Japanese name meaning "third son".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Saburo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Saburo today is around 97 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saburo births was 1925 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Saburo. 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 Saburo is about 97 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Saburos were born before 1939.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Saburo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1925
28 babies that year
Average age
97
years old
1937 SSA rank
#3,929
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Saburo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Saburo from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 173 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
Saburo 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 Saburo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Saburos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Saburo
The name Saburo has its origins in Japanese culture and language. It is a masculine given name that dates back several centuries. The name is composed of two kanji characters, "sa" meaning "help" or "assist", and "buro" meaning "son" or "boy".
Historically, the name Saburo was often given to third-born sons in Japanese families. It conveyed the idea that the third son would assist and support his older brothers as they grew and took on responsibilities. The name carried a sense of duty and loyalty within the family structure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saburo can be found in the Heian period (794-1185 AD) in Japan. During this time, the name appears in various literary works and historical records, particularly among the aristocratic and samurai classes.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Saburo Miura was a skilled archer and warrior who served under the renowned samurai Yoshitsune Minamoto. Saburo Miura's exploits were documented in the epic tale "The Tale of the Heike", which recounts the struggles between the Minamoto and Taira clans.
Another historical figure with the name Saburo was Saburo Hasegawa (1640-1710), a renowned Japanese painter and calligrapher during the Edo period. His works, known for their bold and expressive brushstrokes, are highly regarded in the traditional Japanese art world.
In the 19th century, Saburo Kusaka (1838-1912) was a prominent educator and philosopher who advocated for modernizing Japan's education system. He played a pivotal role in introducing Western academic disciplines and teaching methods to Japanese universities.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Saburo Aoyama (1878-1963) was a renowned architect who helped shape the architectural landscape of modern Japan. His designs combined traditional Japanese elements with Western architectural styles, contributing to the development of a unique Japanese architectural identity.
These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who bore the name Saburo. Throughout the centuries, the name has maintained its connection to Japanese culture and tradition, while also being carried by individuals who made significant contributions to various fields.
People
Saburo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Saburo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Saburo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Saburo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saburo 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 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Saburo a common name?
We classify Saburo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 253 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Saburo most popular?
The single biggest year for Saburo was 1925, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saburo is about 97 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Saburo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Saburo 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.