Boy · #12,142 in 2026

Masao

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…

Current Rank
#12,142
Peak Rank
#700 (1918)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1907
First Year
2019
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#700
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
37
Years Active

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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Masao

Masao first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1907, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 81 Masaos were born — ranking #700 that year. As of 2026, Masao ranks #12,142 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Masaos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through 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

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.

Source: Datamuse . 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…
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

👦
Cato
Peak #700
👦
Campbell
Peak #700
👦
Fielding
Peak #700
👦
Sigurd
Peak #700
👦
Eloy
Peak #700
👦
Isai
Peak #700
👦
Arlington
Peak #701
👦
Hillard
Peak #699

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

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.