Boy · #7,638 in 2026

Satoru

Satoru is a Japanese verb meaning "to know" or "understand". It is a common masculine Japanese given name. Satoru is the root of the Zen Buddhist word Satori .

Current Rank
#7,638
Peak Rank
#1,815 (1917)
Total Babies
235
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1914
First Year
1993
Last Year
1917
Peak Year
#1815
Peak Rank
235
Total Count
22
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Satoru

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

Satoru is a Japanese verb meaning "to know" or "understand". It is a common masculine Japanese given name. Satoru is the root of the Zen Buddhist word Satori .

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

The Story of Satoru

Satoru first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1914, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 17 Satorus were born — ranking #1,815 that year. As of 2026, Satoru ranks #7,638 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 235 Satorus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
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IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
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RI
CA
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NE
MO
KY
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MD
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Top 10
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No data

Notable people named Satoru

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

  • Satoru Abe (1926–2025), American painter and sculptor
  • Satoru Akahori ( あかほり さとる ; born 1965) , Japanese scriptwriter, novelist and manga author
  • Satoru Asako ( 浅子 覚 ; born 1971) Japanese professional wrestler
  • Satoru Higashi ( 東 悟 ; born 1963) , Japanese boxer
  • Satoru Ienishi ( 家西 悟 ; born 1960) , Japanese politician
  • Satoru Inoue ( 井上 悟 ; born 1971) , Japanese sprinter
  • Satoru Iwata ( 岩田 聡 ; 1959-2015) , fourth president and CEO of Nintendo
  • Satoru Kawahara ( 河原 智 ) , Japanese table tennis player

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

Names that sound like Satoru

Phonetically similar names — useful when Satoru 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 Satoru

What does the name Satoru mean?
Satoru is a Japanese verb meaning "to know" or "understand". It is a common masculine Japanese given name. Satoru is the root of the Zen Buddhist word Satori .
How popular is Satoru in 2026?
In 2026, Satoru ranks #7,638 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Satoru most popular?
Satoru reached its peak popularity in 1917, ranking #1,815 that year with 17 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Satoru most popular?
Satoru has historically been most popular in Hawaii, California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Satoru.
Is Satoru a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Satoru is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Satoru?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Satoru include Cora, Mabel, Laurier. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Satoru

Satoru is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 235 births in the dataset. Satoru's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #1,815. Use the chart and map above to compare Satoru'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.