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Satō

Surname list

Satō (Japanese: さとう; 佐藤, pronounced [saꜜtoː], English: /ˈsɑːt/ SAH-toh) is the most common Japanese surname with 2 million people having the surname, representing about 1.5% of Japan's population in March 2023. It is often romanized as Sato, Satou or Satoh.

A 2024 study by Hiroshi Yoshida at Tohoku University estimated that if a law requiring spouses to have the same surname is not repealed and the Japanese people do not go extinct due to population decline, then every person in Japan will have the surname Satō by c.2531, legalizing separate surnames for married couples would delay this to c.3310.

01Origin

The origin of the name Satō dates back to Fujiwara clan. It is believed that the surname originated in Sano, Tochigi where Fujiwara no Hidesato (藤原秀郷), a military commander from the Heian period, and was the governor of Sano Province, whose descendants combined the kanji character for "Sa" () from Sano (佐野) and the "tō" () from Fujiwara (藤原), which means "Fujiwara of Sano".

02Satō Day

Satō Day (佐藤の日, Satō no Hi) is an annual event held in Sano, Tochigi, every March 10. Where the city offers discounts and calls itself the "Holy land of Satō". The city also created the Satō Association (佐藤の会). And in 2025, in partnership with Kainan, Wakayama, the birthplace of the name Suzuki (the second most common surname in Japan), a baseball match was held between people with the surname Suzuki and Satō in Ajec Sano Baseball Stadium.

03Notable people

04Fictional characters

  • Ayano Sato (佐藤 綾乃), a character in the manga series High School Girls
  • Asami Sato, a character in the television series The Legend of Korra
  • Bruce Sato, from the toy franchise and cartoon M.A.S.K.
  • Gloria Sato, a character in the animated television series Big City Greens
  • Hana Satō (佐藤 花), a character in the manga series Castle Town Dandelion
  • Hiroshi Sato, a character from The Legend of Korra
  • Hoshi Sato, a character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise
  • Ichirō Satō (佐藤 一郎), protagonist of the light novel Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War
  • Inoue Sato, a character in the novel The Lost Symbol
  • Ishi Sato, a character from the video game Bulletstorm
  • Jun Satō (佐藤 潤), a character in the manga series Working!!
  • Jun Sato, a character in the television series Star Wars Rebels
  • Kazuma Sato (佐藤 和真), protagonist of the light novel series KonoSuba
  • Keisaku Satou (佐藤 啓作), a character in the light novel series Shakugan no Shana
  • Kouji Satou (佐藤 先生), a character in the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
  • Lilly Satou (砂藤 リリー), a character in the visual novel Katawa Shoujo
  • Mafuyu Satō (佐藤 真冬), a character in the manga series Given
  • Masao Sato (Max) (佐藤 マサオ), a character in the manga series Crayon Shin-chan
  • Masashi Sato (佐藤 雅史), a character in the visual novel To Heart
  • Mina Sato (佐藤 美菜), a character in the manga series Doubt!!
  • Miwako Sato (佐藤 美和子), a character in the manga series Case Closed
  • Natsumi Sato, a character in the manga series Jiraishin a.k.a. Ice Blade
  • Rikidō Satō (砂藤 力道), a character in the manga series My Hero Academia
  • Ryōko Satō (佐藤 一郎), a character in the light novel Aura: Koga Maryuin's Last War
  • Ryōta Satō (佐藤 リョータ), protagonist of the manga series Kyō no Go no Ni
  • Sakie Satō (佐藤 早紀絵), a character in the manga series Interviews with Monster Girls
  • Sebastian Sato, a character in the video game Hitman
  • Sei Sato (佐藤 聖), a character in the manga series Maria-sama ga Miteru
  • Shigeki Satō (佐藤 成樹), a character in the manga series Whistle!
  • Shin Sato (佐藤 心), a character in the video game series The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls
  • Shōji Satō (佐藤 昭二), a character in the manga series Shokugeki no Soma
  • Takaya Satō (佐藤 隆哉), a character in the light novel series Golden Time
  • Tatsuhiro Satō (佐藤 達広), a character in the manga series Welcome to the N.H.K.
  • Toru Sato (a.k.a. Bull), a character in the video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted
  • Toshiko Sato, a character in the television series Torchwood and Doctor Who
  • Toshiya Sato, a character in the manga series Major
  • Yō Satō (佐藤 洋), protagonist of the light novel series Ben-To
  • Sato, a character in the manga series Ajin: Demi-Human
  • Sato, a character in the film Black Rain
  • Satō, a character in the anime series Genji Tsūshin Agedama
  • Sato, a character in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny
Watch videos about SatōExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Satō, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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