Fun Facts About the Name Kenjiro
- 37 babies named Kenjiro: U.S. records list 37 babies given the name Kenjiro from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kenjiro Mean?
Kenjiro is a Japanese masculine given name written with kanji. In a common spelling, 健次郎, the first element is ken, from 健, "healthy, strong," followed by 次 (ji, "next, second") and 郎 (rō, "son, young man"). Read together, 次郎 (Jirō) means "second son," and it also stands on its own as a Japanese male name.
The opening element changes with the kanji a family selects, and the sense changes with it: 賢次郎 uses 賢 ("wise, intelligent"), 憲次郎 uses 憲 ("constitution, law"), and 謙次郎 uses 謙 ("modest"). Because the name is written rather than translated, its meaning depends on the spelling chosen; "healthy second son" is the sense of the 健次郎 form. The literal idea of a "second son" is a naming convention rather than a description of the bearer, and it is not always meant literally today.
Kenjiro Name History & Origins
Kenjiro is a native Japanese given name rather than a borrowing from another language. It is formed from a chosen first element plus the two-character ending 次郎 (Jirō). That ending belongs to a traditional set of male names marking birth order: 太郎 (Tarō), 次郎 (Jirō), 三郎 (Saburō), and 四郎 (Shirō). Such ordinal names appear in medieval Japanese records and remained in use into the modern period, by which time they were often given without strict reference to a child's position among siblings. The 郎 element itself is an old and widespread component of Japanese male names.
Names built on the kanji 健 (ken, "healthy, strong") and 賢 (ken, "wise") are common in modern Japan, as in Kenji, Kenichi, and Kentarō; Kenjiro is one of that group, with the -jirō ending in place of -tarō or a single-element form. In Japanese it is written 健次郎 and read Kenjirō, with a long final ō; English typically drops the macron and writes Kenjiro.
How Popular is the Name Kenjiro?
Kenjiro has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2010. Its best rank was #8,924 in 1991.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,013 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #13,240 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #13,160 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #10,253 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #13,540 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #9,631 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #8,924 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kenjiro Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Kenjiro's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kenjiro's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.