Fun Facts About the Name Natsu
- 47 babies named Natsu: U.S. records list 47 babies given the name Natsu from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Natsu Mean?
Natsu is a Japanese given name. Written with the kanji 夏, it means "summer," from the native Japanese word natsu for that season. Japanese names are usually written in kanji, and a single pronunciation can be spelled with different characters, so the meaning of Natsu depends on the characters a family chooses. 奈津 uses 奈 mainly for its sound and 津, which means "harbor" or "ford"; 菜津 combines 菜 ("greens, vegetables") with the same 津; 夏 gives "summer." There is therefore no single etymology of the kind a name like John has, because the meaning comes from the chosen characters rather than from descent from one ancestral word.
Natsu Name History & Origins
The word natsu is the old Japanese word for summer, and the character 夏 was borrowed from Chinese, where it also denotes the season and earlier served as the name of the ancient Xia dynasty. In Japanese poetry 夏 works as a seasonal word, which keeps the word in continuous literary use.
As a personal name, Natsu is used both on its own and as the opening element of longer women's names such as Natsumi, Natsuko, and Natsue, where the same 夏 supplies the summer sense. The single-character name 夏 is the most transparent spelling, since the character's meaning is the name's meaning; spellings built on 奈 and 菜 are chosen for sound or for the meanings of their second character, so bearers of the name do not all share one origin.
Natsu appears in modern Japanese popular fiction, for example as the name of the character Natsu Dragneel in the manga and anime Fairy Tail. That is a recent literary use, separate from the earlier history of the word and of the name.
How Popular is the Name Natsu?
Natsu 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 2023. Its best rank was #8,711 in 2023.
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 | #13,316 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,711 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #9,578 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #13,477 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #13,465 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #9,398 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #10,404 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Natsu Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Natsu's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Natsu's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.