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Tsutomu
How to Pronounce Tsutomu
Pronounced tsoo-TOH-moo /tsuˈtoʊ.muː/Medium
Meaning: Tsutomu is a Japanese masculine name meaning 'diligence', 'to labour' or 'to strive', built on characters expressing effort and industriousness. It is a classic virtue name honouring hard work.Medium
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
Tsutomu is a Japanese masculine name meaning 'diligence', 'labour' or 'to strive'. In American records its span is concentrated in the early twentieth century, marking the Issei and Nisei Japanese-American families of that period.
Its narrow window, ending in the late 1930s, reflects the pre-war Japanese-American cohort whose community was disrupted by wartime internment in the 1940s. Tsutomu was never numerous in the United States, appearing at a few dozen boys a year at most, and it remains chiefly a heritage name.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Tsutomu Yamaguchi (1916-2010)Japanese engineer officially recognized as a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Tsutomu mean?
Tsutomu is a Japanese boys' name meaning 'diligence', 'labour' or 'to strive'.
How do you pronounce Tsutomu?
It's said tsoo-TOH-moo /tsuˈtoʊ.muː/ - three syllables, stress in the middle.
Is Tsutomu a boy or girl name?
Tsutomu is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Tsutomu?
Tsutomu has always been rare in the United States, a Japanese heritage name from the pre-war Japanese-American community.