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Home › Baby Names Directory › Mamoru

Mamoru

♂ Boy

Pronounced mah-MOH-roo /mɑˈmoʊruː/Low

Meaning: Mamoru is a Japanese given name from the verb mamoru, 'to protect' or 'to defend.' Its precise sense depends on the kanji chosen to write it, but the protective meaning is the core. It is rendered here in plain romaji without Japanese characters.Medium

In 30 seconds: Mamoru is a Japanese name meaning 'to protect' or 'defend.' It reached early U.S. records with Japanese immigrants and peaked in the nineteen-twenties (said mah-MOH-roo).
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Origin MediumJapanese
MeaningMamoru is a Japanese given name from the verb mamoru, 'to protect' or 'to defend.' Its precise sense depends on the kanji chosen to write it, but the protective meaning is the core. It is rendered here in plain romaji without Japanese characters.
U.S. rank (1937)#3843 ↗ Rising
1937 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1924
Total births (all-time)≈ 182

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192619151937

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Mamoru is a Japanese given name from the verb mamoru, 'to protect' or 'defend,' its exact shade set by the kanji used to write it. It appears in early American records tied to Japanese immigration, its meaning carried straight from the verb.

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties, in the first-generation immigrant era. A boy named Mamoru then would be of a great-grandfather's generation today.

Did you know? The meaning of Mamoru, 'to protect,' also names a modern pop-culture hero, Mamoru Chiba, the guardian Tuxedo Mask of the Sailor Moon stories, fitting a name built on protection.
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Mamoru — Japanese name 'to protect, defend' (verb mamoru); romaji rendering

Variations

MamoriMamoroMoru

Nicknames

MamoMoru

Famous Bearers

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If you like Mamoru…

Hiroshi— a like Japanese boy's name
Kenji— a similar Japanese given name
Satoru— a like -oru ending Japanese name
Isamu— a similar traditional Japanese name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Mamoru mean?

In Japanese it means 'to protect' or 'to defend,' from the verb mamoru; the exact sense depends on the kanji.

How do you pronounce Mamoru?

It is said mah-MOH-roo /mɑˈmoʊruː/, three syllables with the stress in the middle.

Is Mamoru a boy or girl name?

Mamoru is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Mamoru?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.

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