Torao
A masculine Japanese given name meaning "tiger bird".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Torao. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Torao today is around 110 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Torao births was 1926 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Torao. 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 Torao is about 110 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Toraos were born before 1926.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Torao. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1926
27 babies that year
Average age
110
years old
1926 SSA rank
#1,430
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Torao: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Torao from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 36 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Torao 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 Torao during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Toraos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Torao
The name Torao has its origins in the Japanese language and culture. It is a combination of two Japanese words - "tora" meaning tiger, and "o" which is an honorific suffix used to show respect. The name is believed to have originated in the Heian period of Japan, which spanned from 794 to 1185 AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Torao can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical record of the Kamakura Shogunate in Japan. This work, compiled in the 14th century, mentions a samurai warrior named Torao Minamoto who fought in the Genpei War between the Minamoto and Taira clans.
Another notable figure with the name Torao was Torao Yamamoto, a Japanese painter and calligrapher who lived during the Edo period (1603-1868). He was renowned for his unique style of painting that combined traditional Japanese techniques with Western influences.
In the modern era, one of the most famous individuals with the name Torao was Torao Asō, a Japanese businessman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 2008 to 2009. Born in 1940, he hailed from a prominent political family and held various cabinet positions before becoming the Prime Minister.
Another noteworthy bearer of the name was Torao Tokuda, a Japanese film director and screenwriter who lived from 1934 to 2005. He is best known for his critically acclaimed films such as "Kame wa Bakuhatsu Suru" (The Turtles Explode) and "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" (It's Tough Being a Man).
Lastly, Torao Suzuki was a Japanese architect and urban planner who made significant contributions to the reconstruction and development of cities in Japan after World War II. He was born in 1900 and played a pivotal role in the rebuilding efforts of cities like Tokyo and Hiroshima.
People
Torao + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Torao 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
Torao: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Torao?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Torao 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Torao a common name?
We classify Torao as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Torao most popular?
The single biggest year for Torao was 1926, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Torao is about 110 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 Torao in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Torao a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Torao 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 Torao still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Torao 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 Torao 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 have Torao as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Torao on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.