Taro
A masculine Japanese given name derived from a word meaning "eldest son".
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the first name Taro. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Taro today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Taro births was 1997 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Taro. 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
320
~ 1 in 1,071,107 Americans
Peak year
1997
13 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,144
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Taro: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Taro from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 87 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Taro 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 Taro during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Taros live
Origin
Meaning and history of Taro
The name Taro originated from Japan and has been in use since ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese word "taro," which refers to a type of edible root vegetable that was commonly cultivated in the region. The name itself can be written using different kanji characters, with one variation meaning "thick root" and another meaning "great son."
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Taro can be found in the Kojiki, an ancient Japanese chronicle dating back to the early 8th century. In this text, Taro is depicted as a legendary figure who played a significant role in the mythological origins of Japan.
Throughout Japanese history, the name Taro has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the most famous was Taro Katsura (1848-1913), a prominent Japanese statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1901 to 1908. He played a crucial role in modernizing Japan's political and economic systems during the Meiji era.
Another notable figure with the name Taro was Taro Okamoto (1911-1996), a renowned Japanese artist and sculptor. He is particularly famous for his abstract sculptures and his involvement in the avant-garde art movement in Japan during the 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Taro Yashima (1908-1994) was a celebrated author and illustrator of children's books. Born in Japan, he later immigrated to the United States and became known for his beautifully illustrated works that celebrated Japanese culture and traditions.
The name Taro has also been associated with the world of sports. Taro Daniel (born 1993) is a professional tennis player from Japan who has competed in various Grand Slam tournaments and achieved notable rankings on the ATP Tour.
Lastly, Taro Aso (born 1940) is a prominent Japanese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. He has also held several other important positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance, and is known for his conservative political views.
People
Taro + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Taro 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
Taro: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Taro?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 320 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Taro 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 1,071,107 US residents.
Is Taro a common name?
We classify Taro as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 368 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Taro most popular?
The single biggest year for Taro was 1997, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Taro is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Taro a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Taro 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.