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Teruo
How to Pronounce Teruo
Pronounced teh-ROO-oh /tΙΛru.oΚ/Medium
Meaning: Teruo is a Japanese masculine name, commonly read as 'teru' ('to shine') plus 'o' ('man, male') β 'shining man' or 'hero'. It belonged to the pre-war Japanese American (Issei and Nisei) generation.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Teruo is a Japanese masculine name usually read as teru, 'to shine' or 'bright', with o, 'man' β 'shining man' or 'hero'. In the U.S. it was borne by the Issei and Nisei, the first Japanese immigrants and their American-born children.
Its very narrow American span, from 1913 to about 1935, reflects that specific immigrant cohort; recorded American use of the name effectively stopped after this period, as wartime upheaval and the incarceration of Japanese Americans reshaped the community. A man named Teruo from this era would today be of a great-grandparent generation, and the name remains in use in Japan.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Teruo mean?
Teruo is a Japanese name meaning 'shining man' or 'hero'.
How do you pronounce Teruo?
It's said teh-ROO-oh /tΙΛru.oΚ/ β three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Teruo a boy or girl name?
Teruo is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Teruo?
Teruo has always been rare in the U.S., a Japanese name of the pre-war immigrant generation.