Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Shigeru

Meaning A male given name from Japanese Gender Boy Rank 2025 Below top lists

A male given name from Japanese.

Rank 2025
–
among boys
Babies in 2025
<5
named Shigeru
How common
–
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
42 babies
All-time total
591
#7,136 all-time among boys
First recorded
1910
in Social Security records

Shigeru popularity over time

591 babies have been named Shigeru since 1910, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1917Boys

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 190 19 – #1,090
1920s 317 32 +67% #1,100
1930s 84 8 -74% #1,881
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s – – – –
2010s – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – –

The story of Shigeru

Shigeru 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 1910, 591 American babies have been named Shigeru. Its peak came in 1921, when 42 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

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

Shigeru 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 7 #3,219
1930 17 #1,881
1925 25 #1,530
1920 40 #1,135
1915 21 #1,546
1910 6 #1,561
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Shigeru

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

  1. 1 Shigeru Miyamoto Shigeru Miyamoto Japanese video game designer (born 1952) Contemporary
  2. 2 Shigeru Yoshida Shigeru Yoshida Prime Minister of Japan (1946–1947; 1948–1954) 1878–1967 · 19th century
  3. 3 Shigeru Mizuki Shigeru Mizuki Japanese manga artist (1922–2015) Contemporary
  4. 4 Shigeru Ban Shigeru Ban Japanese architect, b. 1957 Contemporary
  5. 5 Shigeru Umebayashi Shigeru Umebayashi Japanese composer (born 1951) Contemporary
  6. 6 Shigeru Kayano Shigeru Kayano Ainu politician of Japan (1926–2006) Contemporary
  7. 7 Shigeru Kasamatsu Shigeru Kasamatsu Japanese artistic gymnast b. 1947 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Shigeru Morioka Japanese footballer b. 1973 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Shigeru Yokotani Japanese footballer b. 1987 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Shigeru Sakurai Japanese footballer b. 1979 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Shigeru Takahashi Japanese footballer

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

What does the name Shigeru mean?

A male given name from Japanese.

How popular is the name Shigeru in 2025?

Shigeru 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 Shigeru?

591 babies have been named Shigeru in the United States since 1910, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shigeru most popular?

Shigeru peaked in 1921, when 42 newborns received the name.

Is Shigeru a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Shigeru rising or falling?

Shigeru has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Shigeru?

Well-known people named Shigeru include Shigeru Miyamoto (game designer), Shigeru Yoshida (politician), Shigeru Mizuki (comic artist).

Names like Shigeru

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

Compare Shigeru with similar names → More names starting with S →