Minato

♂ Boy

Pronounced mee-NAH-toh /miˈnɑ.toʊ/Medium

Meaning: From the Japanese minato, 'a harbour; a port' — a place of safe haven and arrivalLow

In 30 seconds: A harbour; a port: Minato is Japanese. Crisp, classic, and warm (said 'mee-NAH-toh').

Origin LowJapanese

MeaningFrom the Japanese minato, 'a harbour; a port' — a place of safe haven and arrival

U.S. rank (2025)#7057 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births12 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2016

Total births (all-time)≈ 128

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Minato comes from the Japanese minato, 'a harbour; a port' — a place of safe haven and arrival. A crisp, classic name (said 'mee-NAH-toh').

In the U.S. it appears in Japanese families. Rare, a-harbour at the root, and classic.

Did you know? Minato means 'a harbour; a port' in Japanese — a place of safe haven and arrival — crisp and classic (said 'mee-NAH-toh').

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Minato — Japanese etymology

Minatoh

—

Sora— a companion Japanese boys' name

Ren— a kindred Japanese boys' name

Akito— a fellow Japanese choice

Kaito— lands in the same popularity range

Yuto— a similarly popular pick

What does the name Minato mean?

Minato is Japanese for 'a harbour; a port'.

How do you pronounce Minato?

It's said mee-NAH-toh /miˈnɑ.toʊ/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Minato a boy or girl name?

Minato is a boy's name.

How popular is Minato?

Minato is a very rare name in the U.S.