Hiroshi
Masculine
A large class of Japanese men's names is a single character with a long reading. Hiroshi, Takashi, Satoshi, Kiyoshi, Osamu and Makoto are each one kanji, and they work quite differently from the two-element names that surround them.
How old is the name Hiroshi?
Hiroshi first appears in US birth records in 1912 — 113 years ago. The typical Hiroshi alive today was born around 1927, making them about 98 years old. About 500 people named Hiroshi are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Hiroshi most popular?
Hiroshi peaked in 1924, reaching #737 nationally. Today it ranks #9714, 8,977 places below that high. See the whole 1924 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Hiroshi
Japanese men's names divide roughly into three types. Compound names built from two or more characters, like Kenta and Haruto. Names ending in -ro or -o, historically the largest group. And single-character names with a long native reading, where one kanji is read as two or three syllables: Hiroshi, broad; Takashi, high or noble; Satoshi, wise; Kiyoshi, pure; Osamu, to govern; Makoto, truth; Susumu, to advance; Mamoru, to protect. These are usually adjectives or verbs rather than nouns, which makes them a distinct grammatical class, and they were very common in the first half of the twentieth century. Because the reading is native Japanese rather than borrowed Chinese, the same character can also be read quite differently in other names, which is one of the reasons Japanese personal names are hard even for Japanese readers.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Hiroshi is a Japanese name usually written with a single character, most often the one meaning broad, wide or spacious, though several other characters give the same reading with meanings including prosperous and abundant. American records do not preserve the character, so the meaning is indeterminate. The peak is 1924.
Pronouncing Hiroshi
hee-ROH-shee
Three syllables. Japanese uses pitch rather than stress, so English speakers add an emphasis the original does not have. Every vowel is short and clear.
Nicknames for Hiroshi
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1912
- Most boys named
- 192481 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #737reached in 1924
- Change vs 2023
- −56.3%7 in 2025, from 16
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Hiroshi in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Hiroshi in Japanese — same name
- Hiroshi in English — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California.
Hiroshis among us
people named Hiroshi are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 244,011 born in 2025 was named Hiroshi
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Leamon test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Hiroshi's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Leamon climbed just as high around 1907, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Leamon's path sketches the road Hiroshi is walking now.
Hiroshi sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Hiroshi beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Hiroshi in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Hiro works as a short form and is a name in its own right.
- Three open syllables, easy for English speakers.
- The sounds are all straightforward.
- The meaning depends on a character the record does not preserve.
- It is close to the place name Hiroshima in American ears.
- The 1924 peak places it in an early immigrant generation.
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Hiroshi
Masculine · #9714 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Hiroshis are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Hiroshi are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Hiroshi in 2025?
- Hiroshi ranks #9714 among US boy names in 2025, with 7 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Hiroshi?
- About 1 in every 244,011 US boys born in 2025 was named Hiroshi — 7 in all.
- Will my child share the name Hiroshi with classmates?
- Hiroshi will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Hiroshi
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Vern#9714 · Abrahm#9714 · Sid#9714 · Hartwell#9714 · Kwan#9714 · Adrean#9714 · Chancey#9714 · Bob#9714
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Hiroshi? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Hiroshi and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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