Yoshon
A Japanese masculine name meaning "blessed" or "virtuous" son.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Yoshon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Yoshon today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yoshon births was 2022 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yoshon. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Yoshon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2022
6 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,277
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Yoshon: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Yoshon 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 Yoshon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Yoshon
The name Yoshon has its roots in the Japanese language and culture, originating in the Heian period (794-1185 CE). It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "yoshi" meaning "good" or "prosperous," and "on" meaning "sound" or "luck." Together, Yoshon can be interpreted as "good luck" or "auspicious sound."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yoshon can be found in the literary work "The Tale of Genji," written by the renowned Japanese author Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century. In this classic tale, Yoshon is mentioned as the name of a minor character, suggesting the name's usage during that era.
Throughout Japanese history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yoshon. One of the earliest was Yoshon Ogasawara (1511-1583), a prominent samurai and military strategist who served under the powerful Takeda clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). His strategic brilliance and valor in battle earned him a place in the annals of Japanese military history.
Another famous bearer of the name Yoshon was the scholar and philosopher Yoshon Kaibara (1630-1714), who made significant contributions to the field of Neo-Confucian studies in Japan. His most notable work, "Wazoku Dōjikun" (Precepts for the Nurture of Children), a treatise on child-rearing, became highly influential and was widely read across Japan.
In the realm of arts and culture, Yoshon Nanbu (1771-1845) was a renowned Japanese painter and calligrapher during the Edo period. His exquisite ink paintings and calligraphic works showcased his mastery of traditional Japanese art forms and continue to be celebrated by art enthusiasts to this day.
Moving into the modern era, Yoshon Nakamatsu (born 1928) is a Japanese inventor and self-proclaimed "Sir" who has filed over 3,300 patents, earning him a place in the Guinness World Records. His inventions span a wide range of fields, including electronics, optics, and even a unique type of pasta.
Yoshon Ishikawa (1905-1985) was a notable Japanese author and literary critic, best known for his influential work "The Development of Japanese Literature." His analyses and critiques of Japanese literature contributed significantly to the understanding and appreciation of the country's rich literary heritage.
While these are just a few examples, the name Yoshon has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout Japanese history, reflecting the cultural significance and auspicious connotations associated with this name.
People
Yoshon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yoshon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yoshon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yoshon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yoshon 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Yoshon a common name?
We classify Yoshon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yoshon most popular?
The single biggest year for Yoshon was 2022, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yoshon is about 4 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 Yoshon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Yoshon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Yoshon 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 Yoshon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Yoshon 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 Yoshon 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 common is the name Yoshon?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.