Kaoru
Kaoru is a Japanese given name for males and females.
Meaning & Origin of Kaoru
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kaoru is a Japanese given name for males and females.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kaoru
As a girl name
Kaoru first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 13 Kaorus were born — ranking #2,633 that year. As of 2026, Kaoru ranks #11,778 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 83 Kaorus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kaoru first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 17 Kaorus were born — ranking #1,980 that year. As of 2026, Kaoru ranks #8,702 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 168 Kaorus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Kaoru
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Kaoru 薫 (m) (one of the guitarists of Dir En Grey )
- Kaoru Abe 阿部薫 (m) (free Jazz saxophonist)
- Kaoru Adachi ( 安達 かおる ; born 1956) , Japanese film director, producer and editor
- Kaoru Fujino (かほる), voice actor
- Kaoru Fukuda ( 福田 薫 ; born 1955) , Japanese speed skater
- Kaoru Hasuike 薫 (m) (academic, writer, translator, and Japanese national once abducted by North Korea)
- Kaoru Hatoyama (1888 – 1982), Japanese educator
- Kaoru Ide , Japanese architect
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Kaoru
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kaoru is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kaoru
What does the name Kaoru mean?
How popular is Kaoru in 2026?
When was Kaoru most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kaoru most popular?
Is Kaoru a unisex name?
What names go well with Kaoru?
About the name Kaoru
Kaoru is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 168 births in the dataset. Kaoru's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #1,980. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaoru's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.