Tamotsu
A Japanese masculine name meaning "wealth and virtue" or "protector."
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Tamotsu. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tamotsu today is around 93 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tamotsu births was 1923 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tamotsu. 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 Tamotsu is about 93 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Tamotsus were born before 1943.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tamotsu. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1923
26 babies that year
Average age
93
years old
1932 SSA rank
#3,735
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Tamotsu: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tamotsu 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 143 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
Tamotsu 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 Tamotsu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tamotsus live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tamotsu
The name Tamotsu has its origins in Japan and is derived from a combination of the Japanese words "tamo" meaning "protector" and "tsu" meaning "with". It is a masculine given name that has been in use since ancient times.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Tamotsu date back to the Heian period in Japan, which lasted from 794 to 1185 AD. During this time, the name appeared in historical records and literature, although its precise meanings and associations are not entirely clear.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Tamotsu was a samurai warrior who lived during the Kamakura period, which spanned from 1185 to 1333 AD. This samurai, whose full name was Tamotsu Fujiwara, was known for his bravery and skill in battle.
In the 16th century, a Buddhist monk named Tamotsu Ishikawa gained prominence for his teachings and writings on Zen Buddhism. He was born in 1515 and passed away in 1592, leaving behind a legacy of philosophical and religious works.
During the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868, a playwright named Tamotsu Kaneko rose to fame for his contributions to the development of Kabuki theater. He was born in 1665 and died in 1736, leaving behind a collection of plays that are still performed today.
In more recent history, a Japanese politician named Tamotsu Murayama served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1994 to 1996. He was born in 1924 and played a significant role in shaping Japan's post-war political landscape.
Another notable individual with the name Tamotsu was Tamotsu Yato, a Japanese artist and calligrapher who lived from 1868 to 1942. His works are widely celebrated for their unique blend of traditional and modern styles, and many of his pieces are displayed in museums around the world.
People
Tamotsu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tamotsu as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tamotsu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tamotsu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tamotsu 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Tamotsu a common name?
We classify Tamotsu as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 199 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tamotsu most popular?
The single biggest year for Tamotsu was 1923, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tamotsu is about 93 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 Tamotsu in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tamotsu a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tamotsu 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 Tamotsu still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tamotsu 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 Tamotsu 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 Tamotsu?
Find out how many people have the name Tamotsu on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.