Masao: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

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	10	1	–	#1,474
1910s	400	40	+3900%	#705
1920s	453	45	+13%	#825
1930s	114	11	-75%	#1,519
1940s	11	1	-90%	#3,375
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	5	1	–	#4,404
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	7	1	–	#5,398
1990s	–	–	–	–
2000s	–	–	–	–
2010s	18	2	–	#9,320
2020s (to 2025)	–	–	–	–

Decade

Boys

Per year

Change

Best rank

1880s

–

1890s

–

1900s

–

#1,474

1910s

400

+3900%

#705

1920s

453

+13%

#825

1930s

114

-75%

#1,519

1940s

-90%

#3,375

1950s

–

1960s

–

#4,404

1970s

–

1980s

–

#5,398

1990s

–

2000s

–

2010s

–

#9,320

2020s (to 2025)

–

The story of Masao

Masao is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1907, 1,018 American babies have been named Masao. Its peak came in 1918, when 81 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

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 Masao stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Masao year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	–	–
2024	–	–
2023	–	–
2022	–	–
2021	–	–
2020	–	–
2019	5	#13,429
2018	–	–
2017	–	–
2016	–	–
2015	–	–
2014	–	–
2013	5	#13,366
2012	–	–
2011	8	#9,320
2010	–	–
2009	–	–
2008	–	–
2007	–	–
2006	–	–
2005	–	–
2004	–	–
2003	–	–
2002	–	–
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	5	#4,404
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	5	#3,774
1935	12	#2,203
1930	24	#1,519
1925	36	#1,196
1920	51	#969
1915	42	#975
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Masao

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

Masao Kiba Japanese footballer b. 1974 · Contemporary

2 Masao Uchino Japanese footballer and manager 1934–2013 · Contemporary

3 Masao Ono Japanese footballer 1923–2001 · Contemporary

4 Masao Tsuji Japanese footballer (born 1987) Contemporary

5 Masao Sugimoto Japanese footballer b. 1967 · Contemporary

6 Masao Nozawa Japanese footballer

7 Masao Takada Japanese footballer

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

What does the name Masao mean?

Borrowed from Japanese まさお (Masao).

How popular is the name Masao in 2025?

Masao did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Masao?

1,018 babies have been named Masao in the United States since 1907, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Masao most popular?

Masao peaked in 1918, when 81 newborns received the name.

Is Masao a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Masao rising or falling?

Masao is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Masao?

Well-known people named Masao include Masao Kiba (soccer player), Masao Uchino (soccer player), Masao Ono (soccer player).

Masao

Masao popularity over time

The story of Masao

Masao year by year

Famous people named Masao

Frequently asked questions

Names like Masao