Susumu
A Japanese masculine given name literally meaning "to advance" or "to make progress".
Name Census estimates that about 23 living Americans carry the first name Susumu. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Susumu today is around 92 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Susumu births was 1919 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Susumu. 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 Susumu is about 92 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Susumus were born before 1944.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Susumu. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
23
~ 1 in 14,902,363 Americans
Peak year
1919
27 babies that year
Average age
92
years old
1943 SSA rank
#3,203
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Susumu: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Susumu 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 201 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
Susumu 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 Susumu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Susumus live
Origin
Meaning and history of Susumu
The given name Susumu has its origins in Japan, where it has been in use since ancient times. It derives from the Japanese words "susumu" meaning "to advance" or "to progress", and "su" meaning "lead" or "excel". The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would grow up to lead accomplished lives and make progress in their endeavors.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Susumu can be found in the Kojiki, an ancient chronicle of Japan's mythology and early history, dating back to the 8th century AD. The text mentions a figure named Susumu no Mikoto, who was revered as a deity associated with the wind.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Susumu. One such figure was Susumu Tonami (1596-1673), a prominent samurai and military strategist during the Edo period. He served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate and played a crucial role in suppressing various uprisings and rebellions.
In the realm of literature, Susumu Nakanishi (1896-1986) was a celebrated poet and essayist who helped shape modern Japanese literature. His works often explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.
During the 20th century, the name Susumu gained recognition in the field of science and technology. Susumu Tachi (1928-2012) was a pioneering computer scientist and robotics engineer who made significant contributions to virtual reality and human-computer interaction.
Another notable figure was Susumu Ohno (1928-2010), a renowned Japanese-American geneticist who proposed the revolutionary theory of gene duplication, which helped explain the evolution of complex organisms and the emergence of new biological functions.
While the name Susumu has a rich historical significance in Japan, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among individuals of Japanese descent or those with an appreciation for Japanese culture and tradition.
People
Susumu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Susumu 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
Susumu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Susumu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 23 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Susumu 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 14,902,363 US residents.
Is Susumu a common name?
We classify Susumu as "Very Rare". It ranks above 42.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 351 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Susumu most popular?
The single biggest year for Susumu was 1919, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Susumu is about 92 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Susumu a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Susumu 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.