ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1907

First Year

2019

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#700

Peak Rank

1K

Total Count

37

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Masao

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Masao is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:Masao Abe , Japanese philosopher and writer Masao Adachi , Japanese screenwriter and film director Masao Akamatsu , Japanese politician Masao Akashi , Japanese musical arranger Amatsukaze Masao , Japanese sumo wrestler Masao Arai , Japanese sport wrestler Masao Azuma , Japanese motorcycle racer Baba Masao , Japanese…

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masao) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masao)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Japanese

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## The Story of Masao

The earliest SSA record of Masao as a baby boy name dates back to 1907, when 5 babies received it. 1918 was its biggest year on record, with 81 newborns named Masao — #700 in the national rankings. About 44% of every Masao on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Masao last appeared in the published SSA data in 2019, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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## Names that sound like Masao

Phonetically similar names — useful when Masao is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Masai](/masai)
* [Misao](/misao)
* Moscow
* Maslow
* Moskow
* [Maceo](/maceo)
* Maslo
* Masak
* [Masan](/masan)
* [Masal](/masal)
* Mosto
* Massage

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Masao

What does the name Masao mean?

Masao is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:Masao Abe , Japanese philosopher and writer Masao Adachi , Japanese screenwriter and film director Masao Akamatsu , Japanese politician Masao Akashi , Japanese musical arranger Amatsukaze Masao , Japanese sumo wrestler Masao Arai , Japanese sport wrestler Masao Azuma , Japanese motorcycle racer Baba Masao , Japanese…

What is the origin of the name Masao?

Masao has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Japanese.

How popular is Masao in 2026?

In 2026, Masao ranks #12,142 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Masao most popular?

Masao reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #700 that year with 81 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Masao most popular?

Masao has historically been most popular in Hawaii, California, Washington. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Masao.

Is Masao a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Masao is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Masao?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Masao include Cato, Campbell, Fielding. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦CatoPeak #700](/cato)[👦CampbellPeak #700](/campbell)[👦FieldingPeak #700](/fielding)[👦SigurdPeak #700](/sigurd)[👦EloyPeak #700](/eloy)[👦IsaiPeak #700](/isai)[👦ArlingtonPeak #701](/arlington)[👦HillardPeak #699](/hillard)

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## About the name Masao 

Masao is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1907 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Masao's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #700\. Use the chart and map above to compare Masao's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1918 → ](/year/1918)
* [ Names of the 1910s → ](/decade/1910s)
* [ Names starting with "M" → ](/letter/m)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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. 

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