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Shigeko

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Shigeko

Pronounced shee-GEH-koh /ʃiˈɡɛko/Medium

Meaning: Shigeko is a Japanese girl's name written in romaji here, combining a shige element that can mean 'luxuriant', 'flourishing' or 'abundant' with ko, the classic feminine ending meaning 'child'. As with most Japanese names the exact sense depended on the characters a family chose, but 'flourishing child' is the common reading.Low

In 30 seconds: Shigeko is a Japanese name, commonly 'flourishing child', with the classic -ko ending. It appears among Japanese-American girls of the early 1900s (said shee-GEH-koh).

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Origin MediumJapanese

MeaningShigeko is a Japanese girl's name written in romaji here, combining a shige element that can mean 'luxuriant', 'flourishing' or 'abundant' with ko, the classic feminine ending meaning 'child'. As with most Japanese names the exact sense depended on the characters a family chose, but 'flourishing child' is the common reading.

U.S. rank (1936)#4111 ↘ Falling

1936 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1926

Total births (all-time)≈ 325

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

Shigeko is a traditional Japanese feminine name, joining a shige element, often 'luxuriant' or 'flourishing', to the familiar ko, 'child'. In American records it belongs to the pre-war Japanese immigrant, or Issei and Nisei, community; the specific meaning always depended on the written characters a family selected.

It appears in United States data only briefly and thinly in the early twentieth century, borne by a small handful of Japanese-American girls before the name faded from the records. It reads as an authentic heritage name of that generation.

Did you know? The -ko ending of Shigeko means 'child' and closes a great many traditional Japanese girls' names, from Yukiko to Hideko.

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Shigeko — Japanese shige 'flourishing' + ko 'child'; romaji

Variations

ShigeyoShigemi

Nicknames

ShigeKeko

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shigeko…

Shizuko— a like traditional -ko Japanese name

Yukiko— another classic Japanese girl's name

Hideko— a similar -ko name of the same cohort

Setsuko— another vintage pick

Sachiko— shares the -ko ending

Explore names like Shigeko

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shigeko mean?

It's a Japanese name usually read as 'luxuriant' or 'flourishing' plus ko, 'child', though the exact sense depends on the characters.

How do you pronounce Shigeko?

It's said shee-GEH-koh /ʃiˈɡɛko/, three syllables.

Is Shigeko a boy or girl name?

Shigeko is used as a girl's name.

Is Shigeko a popular name?

No, it has always been rare in America, a Japanese heritage name borne by a small early-twentieth-century community.