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Matsuko

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How to Pronounce Matsuko

Pronounced maht-SOO-koh /mɑːtˈsuːkoʊ/Low

Meaning: Matsuko is a traditional Japanese girl's name, most often read as 'pine child,' from matsu, 'pine tree,' and the classic feminine suffix ko, 'child.' The exact sense depends on the written characters a family chose, but the pine reading is the usual one.Low

In 30 seconds: Matsuko is a Japanese girl's name read as 'pine child,' from matsu ('pine') plus ko ('child'). Rare and early, it peaked around 1916 (said maht-SOO-koh).

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Origin LowJapanese

MeaningMatsuko is a traditional Japanese girl's name, most often read as 'pine child,' from matsu, 'pine tree,' and the classic feminine suffix ko, 'child.' The exact sense depends on the written characters a family chose, but the pine reading is the usual one.

U.S. rank (1927)#3209 ↗ Rising

1927 U.S. births10 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1916

Total births (all-time)≈ 111

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

Matsuko is a classic Japanese girl's name combining matsu, 'pine,' with the traditional feminine suffix ko, 'child,' for a reading of 'pine child.' The pine is an emblem of steadfastness and longevity in Japanese culture, and ko names were the standard style for girls for much of the twentieth century.

In American records Matsuko is rare and very early, peaking around 1916 with only about twenty girls a year among Japanese immigrant families. A girl named Matsuko then belonged to an early-twentieth-century generation, and the ko style has since grown less common even in Japan.

Did you know? In Japan the pine tree is a symbol of endurance and long life, giving 'pine child' names like Matsuko a quietly auspicious, evergreen meaning.

Overall data confidence 45%

References - Matsuko — Japanese 'pine child'; matsu + ko; reading character-dependent

Variations

MatsuyoMatsueMatsu

Nicknames

MatsuKo

Famous Bearers

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If you like Matsuko…

Kimiko— a like -ko Japanese girl's name

Sadako— a comparable traditional -ko name

Haruko— a similar nature-plus-ko name

Yoshiko— a fellow classic -ko name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Matsuko mean?

It is a Japanese girl's name traditionally read 'pine child,' from matsu, 'pine,' plus ko, 'child.'

How do you pronounce Matsuko?

It is said maht-SOO-koh /mɑːtˈsuːkoʊ/, three syllables with the stress in the middle.

Is Matsuko a boy or girl name?

Matsuko is used here as a girl's name.

How popular is Matsuko?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its early peak in the nineteen-tens.