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Masako

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Masako

Pronounced mah-SAH-koh /mɑˈsɑː.koʊ/Medium

Meaning: Masako is a traditional Japanese girls' name formed from 'masa' — which, depending on the characters used, can mean 'elegant', 'true', or 'correct' — plus the classic feminine suffix 'ko', 'child'. It thus reads as 'elegant child' or 'true child'. It is one of the -ko names that were standard for Japanese girls across the twentieth century.Medium

In 30 seconds: Masako is a Japanese name meaning roughly 'elegant child', from 'masa' plus 'ko', 'child' (said 'mah-SAH-koh'). In the U.S. it belonged mainly to early Japanese-American families.

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Origin HighJapanese

MeaningMasako is a traditional Japanese girls' name formed from 'masa' — which, depending on the characters used, can mean 'elegant', 'true', or 'correct' — plus the classic feminine suffix 'ko', 'child'. It thus reads as 'elegant child' or 'true child'. It is one of the -ko names that were standard for Japanese girls across the twentieth century.

U.S. rank (1993)#14914 ↘ Falling

1993 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 821

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Masako is a classic Japanese girls' name built from 'masa', 'elegant' or 'true', and 'ko', 'child'. In the United States it appears from the early nineteen-hundreds, carried by first- and second-generation Japanese-American families, and it belongs to the same -ko tradition as Toshiko, Yoshiko and Akiko.

Its American use crested near sixty girls a year around 1921 within those communities and continued at a modest level for decades. A woman given it at its early peak would belong to an older Japanese-American generation, and the name remains a genuine heritage choice rather than a passing trend.

Did you know? Masako is the name of the current Empress of Japan, Masako Owada — a Harvard- and Oxford-educated former diplomat — which keeps this classic -ko name quietly in the public eye.

Overall data confidence 78%

References — Masako — Japanese masa 'elegant/true' + ko 'child'; bearer Empress Masako

Variations

Masae

Nicknames

MasaMako

Famous Bearers

★Masako Owada (1963–present)
Empress of Japan and a former career diplomat, married to Emperor Naruhito.

If you like Masako…

Akiko— a like classic Japanese -ko girls' name

Yoshiko— shares the -ko 'child' ending and era of use

Michiko— a same-tradition Japanese name of similar rhythm

Mariko— echoes that soft -ko sound

Miyoko— another classic pick

Explore names like Masako

By themeheritage classic japanese

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Masako mean?

Masako is a Japanese name meaning roughly 'elegant child', from 'masa', 'elegant' or 'true', plus 'ko', 'child'.

How do you pronounce Masako?

It's said mah-SAH-koh /mɑˈsɑː.koʊ/ — three syllables, with even weight and a light stress on the second.

Is Masako a boy or girl name?

Masako is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Masako?

Masako is an uncommon name in the U.S., borne chiefly by Japanese-American families through the twentieth century.