Given name & surname · also Latin
Kato
“a man of good judgment”·“the second born of twins”
Kato is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a man of good judgment” and “the second born of twins”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a man of good judgment” and “the second born of twins”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Latin and African naming traditions.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kato through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 860
- 860 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 57 babies
- 2025
- 49
- #2,664 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +11%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 49 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,664 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 11.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 638 as a first name in 2020; 4,515 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kato’s family of names
Kato has a related form in Kaito. Kato has a related form in Kaeto. Kato has a related form in Kayto.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kato
- Kato KaelinAmerican television personality, film actorborn 1959
- Kato OttioPapua New Guinean rugby league footballer1994–2018
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Kato, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kazi
“a hardworking man”
79% boys · 21% girls
Kanelo
“enough”
>99% boys
Cairo
“from the city in Egypt” · “one who is victorious; from the capital of Egypt”
95% boys · 5% girls
Nalo
“a lovable daughter” · “one who is lovable”
>99% boys
Kairo
“from the city of Cairo”
97% boys · 3% girls
Azi
“one who is youthful”
>99% boys
Kenyi
“a son born after daughters”
>99% boys
Kimathi
“a determined provider”
>99% boys