Tsuneo
A masculine Japanese name composed of the kanji meaning "harbor" and "protector/male".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Tsuneo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tsuneo today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tsuneo births was 1921 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tsuneo. 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 Tsuneo is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Tsuneos were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tsuneo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1921
15 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1930 SSA rank
#4,503
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Tsuneo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tsuneo 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 82 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
Tsuneo 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 Tsuneo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tsuneos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Tsuneo
The name Tsuneo originates from Japan and is a masculine given name. It is comprised of two Japanese kanji characters: "tsune" meaning "constant" or "recurring," and "o" meaning "man" or "masculine." Together, the name Tsuneo can be interpreted to mean "constant man" or "recurring masculine quality."
The earliest recorded use of the name Tsuneo dates back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in Japan. During this era, the name was primarily used by members of the samurai class and aristocracy. It was thought to convey a sense of steadfastness, reliability, and traditional masculine virtues.
In Japanese history, one of the earliest notable individuals named Tsuneo was Tsuneo Narahara, a renowned sculptor and Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE). His intricate wooden sculptures adorned many temples and shrines throughout Japan, showcasing his exceptional artistic talent.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Tsuneo was Tsuneo Katagiri (1877-1944), a Japanese military officer and general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He played a significant role in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and later served as the Governor-General of Taiwan from 1936 to 1940.
In the realm of literature, Tsuneo Tomita (1917-2002) was a celebrated Japanese novelist and poet. His works, such as "Rokumeikan" and "Shinsho-Taisho," explored themes of modern Japanese identity and the clash between traditional and contemporary values.
Moving into the 20th century, Tsuneo Sanda (1936-2022) was a renowned Japanese entrepreneur and business leader. He founded the major Japanese electronics company, Victor Company of Japan, now known as JVC Kenwood Corporation, and played a pivotal role in the development of consumer electronics in Japan.
Tsuneo Watanabe (1923-2007) was a respected Japanese diplomat and politician. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1980 and played a crucial role in strengthening Japan's international relations and promoting global peace initiatives during the latter part of the Cold War era.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Tsuneo, each leaving their mark in various fields, from arts and literature to politics and business.
People
Tsuneo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tsuneo 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
Tsuneo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tsuneo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tsuneo 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Tsuneo a common name?
We classify Tsuneo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 113 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tsuneo most popular?
The single biggest year for Tsuneo was 1921, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tsuneo is about 90 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 Tsuneo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tsuneo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tsuneo 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 Tsuneo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tsuneo 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 Tsuneo 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 share the name Tsuneo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.