Kotaro
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- koh-TAH-roh
- Origin
- Japanese
Kotaro is a boys' name of Japanese origin. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Kotaro mean?
Japanese: Japanese given name, written with various kanji
Japanese name ending in taro, a traditional element meaning eldest or first son; the first part varies with the kanji used.
Is Kotaro a girl's or a boy's name?
Kotaro is a boys' name.
How popular is Kotaro in the US?
No boys in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2010, with 15 boys. It first appears in the records in 1919.
Half of all the boys named Kotaro in the US since 1880 were born between 2002 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
Kotaro in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | #9,757 |
| 2022 | 5 | #12,322 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 6 | #10,599 |
| 2019 | 5 | #12,138 |
| 2018 | 8 | #8,813 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 8 | #8,811 |
| 2015 | 10 | #7,486 |
| 2014 | 0 | – |
| 2013 | 10 | #7,532 |
| 2012 | 7 | #9,703 |
| 2011 | 8 | #8,760 |
| 2010 | 15 | #5,737 |
| 2009 | 7 | #9,859 |
| 2008 | 9 | #8,319 |
| 2007 | 7 | #9,782 |
| 2006 | 13 | #6,090 |
| 2005 | 6 | #10,144 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 9 | #7,238 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,515 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9,236 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 10 | #5,834 |
| 1997 | 7 | #7,275 |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 5 | #8,861 |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 5 | #8,108 |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 5 | #4,167 |
Names like Kotaro
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Kairo, Mikko, Hiro, Tru, Kenzo, Akio, Zuko, Ryu, Dakota, Yug, Ryo, Kato
More Japanese names
Kobe, Kaizen, Raiden, Ren, Akari, Ronin, Kyomi, Akira, Yuna, Emi, Kiyomi, Kairi, Miya, Kenji, Reo, Jiraiya
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kotaro: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kotaro, updated 20 October 2026.