Masaru: 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	–	–	–	–
1910s	139	14	–	#1,232
1920s	245	25	+76%	#1,370
1930s	48	5	-80%	#2,419
1940s	10	1	-79%	#3,865
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	5	1	–	#9,336
2000s	–	–	–	–
2010s	–	–	–	–
2020s (to 2025)	–	–	–	–

Decade

Boys

Per year

Change

Best rank

1880s

–

1890s

–

1900s

–

1910s

139

–

#1,232

1920s

245

+76%

#1,370

1930s

-80%

#2,419

1940s

-79%

#3,865

1950s

–

1960s

–

1970s

–

1980s

–

1990s

–

#9,336

2000s

–

2010s

–

2020s (to 2025)

–

The story of Masaru

Masaru 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 1912, 447 American babies have been named Masaru. Its peak came in 1917, when 31 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 Masaru stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Masaru 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	–	–
2018	–	–
2017	–	–
2016	–	–
2015	–	–
2014	–	–
2013	–	–
2012	–	–
2011	–	–
2010	–	–
2009	–	–
2008	–	–
2007	–	–
2006	–	–
2005	–	–
2004	–	–
2003	–	–
2002	–	–
2001	–	–
2000	–	–
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	5	#3,981
1930	8	#3,189
1925	29	#1,383
1920	29	#1,371
1915	19	#1,642
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Masaru

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

Masaru Emoto Japanese pseudoscientist (1943–2014) Contemporary

Masaru Ibuka Japanese businessman (1908–1997) Contemporary

3 Masaru Kato Japanese footballer b. 1991 · Contemporary

4 Masaru Akiba Japanese footballer b. 1984 · Contemporary

5 Masaru Kurotsu Japanese footballer (born 1982) Contemporary

Masaru Matsuhashi Japanese footballer b. 1985 · Contemporary

7 Masaru Uchiyama Japanese footballer (born 1957) Contemporary

8 Masaru Hashiguchi Japanese footballer b. 1974 · Contemporary

9 Masaru Hirayama Soccer player, Japan b. 1972 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

What does the name Masaru mean?

From Japanese Masaru (Masaru), from まさる, from various (優/勝/将/將/賢/真申).

How popular is the name Masaru in 2025?

Masaru 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 Masaru?

447 babies have been named Masaru in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Masaru most popular?

Masaru peaked in 1917, when 31 newborns received the name.

Is Masaru a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Masaru rising or falling?

Masaru has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Masaru?

Well-known people named Masaru include Masaru Emoto (writer), Masaru Ibuka (engineer), Masaru Kato (soccer player).

Masaru

Masaru popularity over time

The story of Masaru

Masaru year by year

Famous people named Masaru

Frequently asked questions

Names like Masaru