Satō

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Satō
PronunciationJapanese: [saꜜtoː]
English: /ˈsɑːt/ SAH-toh
Language(s)Japanese
Origin
MeaningLiterally "aide or assistant () of the wisteria ()". Short for Fujiwara (藤原) of Saemon-no-jō (左衛門尉),[1] Fujiwara of Sano (佐野), Fujiwara from Sado (佐渡), etc.
Region of originJapan

Satō (Japanese: 佐藤, pronounced [saꜜtoː], English: /ˈsɑːt/ SAH-toh) is the most common Japanese surname,[2] often romanized as Sato, Satou or Satoh. A less common variant for a pen name is 佐島.

Hiroshi Yoshida, a professor at Tohoku University, suggested in 2024 that if current trends continue all people in Japan will have the surname Sato by 2531, as married couples are expected to use the same surname.[3]

Notable people with the surname Satō

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Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ Saemon-no-jō (左衛門尉) was () (inspector [third highest of the four administrative ranks of the Ritsuryō period]) in Saemon-fu (左衛門府), and the corresponding court rank was Sixth Rank.
  2. ^ "明治安田生命 全国同姓調査 [Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company - National same family name investigation]" (PDF) (Press release). Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company. 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  3. ^ McCurry, Juston (2 April 2024). "Everyone in Japan will be called Sato by 2531 unless marriage law changed, says professor". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2024.