Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2022

Kato

Meaning Kato is both a given name and a surname Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,664 Trend → Stable

Kato is both a given name and a surname.

Rank 2025
#2,664
among boys · ↑150 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
49
named Kato · +7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 34,859
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2022
57 babies
All-time total
860
#5,651 all-time among boys
First recorded
1914
in Social Security records

Kato popularity over time

860 babies have been named Kato since 1914, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.030.0418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2022Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 10 1 – #3,514
1920s 18 2 +80% #3,655
1930s – – – –
1940s 6 1 – #3,517
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s 11 1 – #4,809
1980s 21 2 +91% #3,993
1990s 64 6 +205% #4,288
2000s 105 11 +64% #5,193
2010s 337 34 +221% #2,566
2020s (to 2025) 288 48 +42% #2,455

Where Kato is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 49 0.03 outside top 500
2027 50 0.03 outside top 500
2028 50 0.03 outside top 500
2029 50 0.03 outside top 500
2030 50 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Kato

Kato is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,664 in 2025 with 49 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1914, 860 American babies have been named Kato. Its peak came in 2022, when 57 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kato stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kato?

The median living Kato is about 8 years old; half are between 4 and 15. An estimated 800 people named Kato are alive in the United States today.

median 8 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kato year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 49 #2,664
2024 46 #2,814
2023 50 #2,635
2022 57 #2,455
2021 34 #3,392
2020 52 #2,487
2019 51 #2,566
2018 48 #2,626
2017 31 #3,550
2016 30 #3,646
2015 47 #2,626
2014 34 #3,271
2013 36 #3,096
2012 27 #3,841
2011 20 #4,751
2010 13 #6,546
2009 13 #6,636
2008 15 #5,930
2007 14 #6,101
2006 17 #5,193
2005 9 #8,000
2004 9 #7,881
2003 10 #6,996
2002 – –
2001 13 #5,527
2000 5 #11,313
1995 13 #4,660
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 10 #3,993
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 7 #3,655
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Kato

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kato Svanidze Kato Svanidze First wife of Joseph Stalin (1885–1907) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kato, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kato?

The median living Kato is about 8 years old. Half of all living Katos are between 4 and 15 years old.

How many people named Kato are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Kato are alive in the United States, based on 860 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kato mean?

Kato is both a given name and a surname.

How popular is the name Kato in 2025?

Kato ranked #2,664 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 49 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kato?

860 babies have been named Kato in the United States since 1914, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kato most popular?

Kato peaked in 2022, when 57 newborns received the name.

Is Kato a boy or girl name?

Kato is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kato rising or falling?

Kato is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kato become more popular?

Kato looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 boys named Kato in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kato?

Well-known people named Kato include Kato Svanidze (politician).

Names like Kato

Names that sound and feel close to Kato: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kato with similar names → More names starting with K →