Fun Facts About the Name Koji
- 645 babies named Koji: U.S. records list 645 babies given the name Koji from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Koji Mean?
Koji is a Japanese masculine given name. Japanese names are written in kanji, and the characters are chosen by the family, so Koji has no single fixed meaning apart from the kanji a particular person's name uses.
The reading divides into kō plus ji. The first element is often 康 (health, peace), 浩 (vast, abundant), 光 (light), 幸 (happiness, good fortune), or 耕 (to cultivate). The second is often 司 (to administer, to preside over), 治 (to govern, to heal, to calm), 二 (two), or 次 (next). Written 浩司 it would read literally as something like "vast administrator"; written 幸治, something like "fortunate governance." Those are translations of the parts, not a dictionary meaning of the name.
In Hepburn romanization the long vowel is marked with a macron: Kōji. Without macrons it is usually spelled Koji, and also appears as Kouji or Kohji.
Koji Name History & Origins
Koji has the shape of a modern Japanese male given name: two kanji with a set reading, ending in a character drawn from a small pool - 司 or 治 (-ji), 助 (-suke), 郎 (-rō), 太 (-ta). Related male names ending in the same -ji include Kenji (健司), Yūji (裕司), and Shūji (修司).
The written form of Japanese names was standardized through government registration. A national family register, the koseki, was created in 1872, and a law of 1875 required commoners to adopt surnames. After that, a person's given name was recorded in one fixed written form, which is why Koji is normally a specific set of kanji rather than a name that changed with age or circumstance. Older Japanese naming practice allowed a childhood name (yōmyō), an adult name, and a posthumous name for the same person.
Koji is not related to the homophone kōji (麹), the mold used in brewing sake and making miso and soy sauce, nor to kōji (工事), "construction." Those are separate words that happen to share the reading.
Modern bearers include the composer Koji Kondo, the actor Koji Yakusho, and the singer Koji Tamaki.
How Popular is the Name Koji?
Koji 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 2025. Its best rank was #2,656 in 1984.
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 | #3,412 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2024 | #4,256 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #3,511 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #4,144 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #5,032 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #6,846 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2019 | #5,978 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #6,189 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #6,518 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #3,843 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #5,416 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #5,883 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #5,083 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #6,181 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #6,118 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #4,613 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #5,968 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #4,638 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #5,331 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #7,218 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #4,743 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #6,000 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #5,426 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #5,582 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #6,736 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #5,200 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #8,347 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #6,602 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #7,598 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #4,673 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #9,627 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #4,233 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #6,256 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #5,211 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #7,481 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #6,884 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #5,684 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #6,195 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #2,656 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1983 | #3,537 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1982 | #6,912 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #6,801 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,149 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #4,416 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #5,511 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #3,494 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #3,978 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #4,593 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #4,662 | 5 | 0.0005% |
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 Koji 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 are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Koji's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Koji's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.