| Sources | Pronunciation guide |
(Main) gender: Male
Pronunciation: sah-to-shee [sá.tò̞.ɕì]
Etymology and/or ways to write:
This name usually stems from the classical adjective 聡し/敏し (satoshi) meaning “clever, smart; sharp, discerning,” however it’s also possible to connect Satoshi to the continuative form of the related verb 諭す (satosu) meaning “to admonish, persuade, warn.” Other kanji which expand on these are used, listing a few examples with meanings, 聖 meaning “sacred, holy,” 学 meaning “learning, study,” 達 meaning “reach, arrive, attain” and 暁 meaning “dawn, daybreak.” Some other kanji used are listed below:
| 智/知 | 哲 | 悟 | 賢 | 慧 | 理 | 訓 |
| 怜 | 啓 | 敬 | 利 | 覚 | 総 | 了 |
| 玲 | 惺 | 朝 | 憲 | 誠 | 巧 |
They, alongside 里 meaning “village” and 郷 meaning “country(side),” can also be combined with a shi kanji, like 史 meaning “history,” 志 meaning “will, aim, goal,” 司 meaning “office” or 士, referring, in this case, to a man or samurai. For the first element, a sa kanji, e.g. 佐 meaning “help,” can be combined with a to kanji, e.g. 斗, referring to the Chinese constellation known as the Dipper. Another uncommon way to write this name is to combine a sa kanji with one that can be read as toshi, e.g. 寿 meaning “congratulations; longevity.”
Popularity:
By the latter half of the Meiji period (1868-1912), Satoshi had already started being placed in the bottom quarter of the top 100, which would last throughout the early 20th century. By that time, percentage levels didn’t exceed 0.4%. Fast forward to the early 1950s and it was ranked within the top 50, being given to well over 0.5% of boys born in that time period.
After stagnating for a little while, it rose again in the late 1950s which culminated in its first appearance within the top 10 by the early 1960s. At that point, percentage levels would exceed 1%, peaking in the late 1970s and early 1980s with over 1.4% of boys born back then receiving this name. By the late 1980s, it was already starting to drop down in popularity, falling below the top 20 and below 1%. Based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-9 names research, average percentage levels today have fallen to 0.05% or below.
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Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi 