Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1921

Yoshiko

Meaning good, excellent child Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists

Borrowed from Japanese 美子, 芳子 (よしこ, Yoshiko, literally “good, excellent child”).

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Yoshiko
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1921
85 babies
All-time total
1,331
#6,181 all-time among girls
First recorded
1906
in Social Security records

Yoshiko popularity over time

1,331 babies have been named Yoshiko since 1906, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1921Girls

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 Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s 19 2 – #1,723
1910s 344 34 +1711% #857
1920s 624 62 +81% #796
1930s 160 16 -74% #1,346
1940s 27 3 -83% #2,944
1950s – – – –
1960s 6 1 – #7,469
1970s 49 5 +717% #6,357
1980s 57 6 +16% #6,028
1990s 38 4 -33% #5,947
2000s 7 1 -82% #15,437
2010s – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – –

The story of Yoshiko

Yoshiko 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 1906, 1,331 American babies have been named Yoshiko. Its peak came in 1921, when 85 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 Yoshiko stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Yoshiko?

The median living Yoshiko is about 49 years old; half are between 39 and 86. An estimated 200 people named Yoshiko are alive in the United States today.

median 49 020406080100

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

Yoshiko year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 – –
2024 – –
2023 – –
2022 – –
2021 – –
2020 – –
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 7 #15,437
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 9 #9,238
1985 12 #6,028
1980 5 #12,146
1975 8 #7,166
1970 8 #6,357
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 5 #5,233
1940 5 #5,019
1935 16 #2,093
1930 33 #1,346
1925 63 #943
1920 82 #806
1915 39 #1,093
1910 10 #1,632
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Yoshiko

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

  1. 1 Yoshiko Kawashima Yoshiko Kawashima Qing dynasty royal and Japanese spy (1907–1948) Contemporary
  2. 2 Yoshiko Yamaguchi Yoshiko Yamaguchi Japanese singer, actress, and politician (1920–2014) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Yoshiko?

The median living Yoshiko is about 49 years old. Half of all living Yoshikos are between 39 and 86 years old.

How many people named Yoshiko are alive today?

An estimated 200 people named Yoshiko are alive in the United States, based on 1,331 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Yoshiko mean?

Borrowed from Japanese 美子, 芳子 (よしこ, Yoshiko, literally “good, excellent child”).

How popular is the name Yoshiko in 2025?

Yoshiko 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 Yoshiko?

1,331 babies have been named Yoshiko in the United States since 1906, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Yoshiko most popular?

Yoshiko peaked in 1921, when 85 newborns received the name.

Is Yoshiko a boy or girl name?

Yoshiko is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Yoshiko rising or falling?

Yoshiko has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Yoshiko?

Well-known people named Yoshiko include Yoshiko Kawashima (military personnel), Yoshiko Yamaguchi (actor).

Names like Yoshiko

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

Compare Yoshiko with similar names → More names starting with Y →