Saori
A feminine Japanese name meaning "small woven thing" or "little weaving".
Name Census estimates that about 714 living Americans carry the first name Saori. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Saori today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Saori births was 2022 (55 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Saori. 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.
People living today
714
~ 1 in 480,048 Americans
Peak year
2022
55 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,154
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Saori: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Saori from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 339 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Saori remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Saori 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 Saori during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Saoris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Saori, while New York, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 88 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Saori
The name Saori originated in Japan and is a feminine Japanese given name. It is derived from the Japanese word "sao," which means "bamboo leaf" or "leaf of a plant." The name can also be written using the kanji characters 沙織, which translate to "sand weaving."
Saori is a relatively modern name, and its widespread use can be traced back to the 20th century. However, the name's roots can be found in ancient Japanese literature and poetry, where the beauty and grace of bamboo leaves were often celebrated and used as metaphors for various virtues.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saori can be found in the classic Japanese novel "The Tale of Genji" written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. In the novel, a character named Saori is mentioned, although it is unclear whether this was a given name or a reference to something else.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Saori. One of the most famous was Saori Yuki (1901-1994), a Japanese actress who rose to prominence during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. She is remembered for her roles in various Samurai films and is considered a pioneer of Japanese cinema.
Another notable Saori was Saori Kawano (1929-2008), a Japanese dancer and choreographer who helped popularize modern dance in Japan. She founded the Kawano Dance Company and was awarded the prestigious Order of Culture by the Japanese government in 1998.
In the world of sports, Saori Yoshida (born 1982) is a renowned Japanese wrestler who has won three Olympic gold medals and is considered one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time. She has also won numerous world championships and is a highly respected figure in the sport.
Saori Ariyoshi (born 1957) is a Japanese writer and novelist who has garnered critical acclaim for her works exploring themes of identity, culture, and social issues. Her novel "The McDonald's Masao" was a bestseller and brought her international recognition.
Lastly, Saori Kido (born 1988) is a Japanese voice actress who has lent her voice to numerous popular anime series, including "Naruto Shippuden," "Fairy Tail," and "Gintama." She is highly regarded in the anime industry and has a dedicated fan following.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Saori throughout history, showcasing the name's enduring presence and significance in Japanese culture.
People
Saori + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Saori 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
Saori: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Saori?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 714 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Saori 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 480,048 US residents.
Is Saori a common name?
We classify Saori as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 722 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Saori most popular?
The single biggest year for Saori was 2022, when 55 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Saori is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Saori a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Saori 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.