Girl · #3,954 in 2026

Nobuko

Nobuko is a feminine Japanese given name. Although the name is always romanized the same way, the kanji characters can be different.

Current Rank
#3,954
Peak Rank
#1,440 (1924)
Total Babies
371
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1915
First Year
1941
Last Year
1924
Peak Year
#1440
Peak Rank
371
Total Count
25
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Nobuko

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

Nobuko is a feminine Japanese given name. Although the name is always romanized the same way, the kanji characters can be different.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Nobuko

Nobuko first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1915, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 33 Nobukos were born — ranking #1,440 that year. As of 2026, Nobuko ranks #3,954 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 371 Nobukos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Top 10
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No data

Notable people named Nobuko

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Nobuko Albery , a Japanese author, theatrical producer and the widow of English theatrical impresario , Sir Donald Albery
  • Princess Nobuko ( Japanese romanization : Fumi-no-miya Nobuko Naishinnō , 富美宮允子内親王), the 8th daughter of Emperor Meiji
  • Nobuko Asō (麻生信子), later Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (寛仁親王妃信子)
  • Nobuko Fujimura ( 藤村 信子 ; born 1965) , Japanese female former long-distance runner
  • Nobuko Fukuda ( 福田 修子 ; born 1980) , Japanese cross-country skier
  • Nobuko Fushimi ( 伏見 信子 ; born 1915) , Japanese actress and singer
  • Nobuko Imai ( 今井 信子 ; born 1943) , Japanese classical violist and chamber musician
  • Nobuko Iwaki ( (井脇 ノブ子 ; born 1946) , Japanese politician

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Nobuko

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

  • Nabucco
  • Nabisco
  • Nobu
  • Nobo
  • Nubuck
  • Noco
  • Nipsco
  • Napco
  • Mobic
  • Gnocchi
  • Naboo
  • Nabokov

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nobuko

What does the name Nobuko mean?
Nobuko is a feminine Japanese given name. Although the name is always romanized the same way, the kanji characters can be different.
How popular is Nobuko in 2026?
In 2026, Nobuko ranks #3,954 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Nobuko most popular?
Nobuko reached its peak popularity in 1924, ranking #1,440 that year with 33 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Nobuko most popular?
Nobuko has historically been most popular in Hawaii, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Nobuko.
Is Nobuko a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Nobuko is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Nobuko?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Nobuko include Nicey, Ozelma, Pheobie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Nobuko

Nobuko is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 371 births in the dataset. Nobuko's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #1,440. Use the chart and map above to compare Nobuko'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.