Tomoko
Tomoko is a common, traditional female Japanese given name. Like many Japanese names, Tomoko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:友子 - "friendly child" 知子 - "knowing child" 智子 - "wise child" 朋子 - "friendly child"
- Japanese
Meaning & Origin of Tomoko
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Tomoko is a common, traditional female Japanese given name. Like many Japanese names, Tomoko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:友子 - "friendly child" 知子 - "knowing child" 智子 - "wise child" 朋子 - "friendly child"
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Japanese
The Story of Tomoko
The earliest SSA record of Tomoko as a baby girl name dates back to 1923, when 5 babies received it. 1982 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Tomoko — #6,370 in the national rankings. About 40% of every Tomoko on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Tomoko last appeared in the published SSA data in 1991, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 128 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Tomoko
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Tomoko Abe ( 阿部 知子 ; born 1948) , Japanese politician
- Tomoko Akane ( 赤根 智子 ) , Japanese judge
- Tomoko Akiya ( 秋谷 智子 ; born 1976) , Japanese voice actress
- Tomoko Fukumi ( 福見 友子 ; born 1985) , Japanese judoka
- Tomoko Fuse ( 布施 知子 ; born 1951) , Japanese origami writer
- Tomoko Hagiwara ( 萩原 智子 ; born 1980) , Japanese swimmer
- Tomoko Honda ( 本田 朋子 ; born 1983) , Japanese announcer
- Tomoko Hoshino ( 星野 知子 ; born 1957) , Japanese actress and essayist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Tomoko
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tomoko 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 Tomoko
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About the name Tomoko
Tomoko is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1923 and has accumulated 128 births in the dataset. Tomoko's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #6,370. Use the chart and map above to compare Tomoko's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1982 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.