Kato
Boy name · #2648 in 2025 · Uniqueness 76/100
In 2025, 49 baby boys were named Kato, placing it at #2648 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2600, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 36,735 boys born in 2025 was named Kato.
The 111-year story
Kato first appears in the Social Security records in 1914, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 57 babies and a rank of #2438. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kato per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kato against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kato in class?
Kato scores 76 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Kato will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kato is most common
State-level data for Kato is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Kato
Statistically, parents drawn to Kato tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Cato, Kaito, Miko, Zeno, and Kamilo.
CatoKaitoMikoZenoKamiloKaydeEchoHero
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kato | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 49 | #2641 |
| 2024 | 46 | #2789 |
| 2023 | 50 | #2614 |
| 2022 | 57 | #2438 |
| 2021 | 34 | #3362 |
| 2020 | 52 | #2467 |
| 2019 | 51 | #2556 |
| 2018 | 48 | #2617 |
| 2017 | 31 | #3518 |
| 2016 | 30 | #3596 |
| 2015 | 47 | #2600 |
| 2014 | 34 | #3234 |
| 2013 | 36 | #3060 |
| 2012 | 27 | #3807 |
| 2011 | 20 | #4659 |
| 2010 | 13 | #6359 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6436 |
| 2008 | 15 | #5767 |
| 2007 | 14 | #5901 |
| 2006 | 17 | #5072 |
| 2005 | 9 | #7640 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7536 |
| 2003 | 10 | #6715 |
| 2001 | 13 | #5390 |
| 2000 | 5 | #10349 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kato a popular boy name?
Kato ranked #2648 among boys in 2025 with 49 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2600.
When was the name Kato most popular?
Kato peaked in 2022, when 57 American boys received the name (ranked #2438 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Kato?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 36,735 newborn American boys was named Kato. It scores 76/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.