Fun Facts About the Name Shohei
- 74 babies named Shohei: U.S. records list 74 babies given the name Shohei from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Shohei Mean?
Shohei is a Japanese masculine given name written with kanji, so its meaning depends on the characters chosen for it. The spelling 翔平 combines 翔 (shō), "to soar, to glide," with 平 (hei), "level, flat, calm, peaceful" - a pairing usually understood as "soaring and peaceful." Other common spellings change the first character: 将平 uses 将, "commander, leader"; 昌平 uses 昌, "prosperous, flourishing"; 祥平 uses 祥, "auspicious"; and 正平 uses 正, "correct, upright." The second element is 平 in all of these.
Both elements are Sino-Japanese, read with the Chinese-derived on-yomi rather than native Japanese readings. 平, read hei or byō inside compounds and taira standing alone, recurs in Japanese male names with the sense of levelness, calm, or peace. Because the first character is a matter of parental choice, Shohei has no single fixed etymology: the meaning belongs to the particular spelling rather than to the sound of the name.
Shohei Name History & Origins
Two-character Sino-Japanese given names such as Shohei became standard for Japanese men only in the modern period. Before the late nineteenth century, naming followed class and occupation: samurai carried formal and informal names along with hereditary titles, monks took religious names, and many commoners used names that could change over a lifetime or had no surname at all. The Meiji government's registration measures of the 1870s, which required every household to record a surname, helped fix the now familiar pattern of a family name followed by a two-kanji given name.
The characters used in Shohei also appear elsewhere in Japanese naming. 承平 (Jōhei) was an era name in the 930s, and 正平 (Shōhei) was the era name of the Southern Court from 1346 to 1370. 昌平 appears in Shōheizaka, the Edo place name that gave the Tokugawa shogunate's Confucian academy, the Shōheizaka Gakumonjo, its name. These uses are distinct from the personal name, though they draw on the same Sino-Japanese vocabulary.
Well-known bearers show the range of spellings: the film director Shohei Imamura wrote his name 昌平, the wrestler Giant Baba, born Shohei Baba, used 正平, and the baseball player Shohei Ohtani uses 翔平.
How Popular is the Name Shohei?
Shohei 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 #5,869 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 | #8,813 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #8,838 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #6,834 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #10,165 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,024 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #9,946 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #7,285 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #5,869 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #6,136 | 8 | 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 Shohei Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
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.
✦ Shohei's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Shohei's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.