Satō

Satō
Family name
Meaning	Fujiwara (藤原) of Saemon-no-jō (左衛門尉),[1] Fujiwara of Sano (佐野), Fujiwara from Sado (佐渡), etc.
Region of origin	Japan
Language(s) of origin	Japanese
Clan affiliations	Fujiwara clan, etc.

Satō (佐藤) is the most common Japanese surname,^[2] it is often romanized as Sato, Satoh, Saato or Satou. It is pronounced as "satoː". Notable people with the surname include:

Historical

• Satō Sankichi (1857–1947), Japanese surgeon
• Satō Tetsutarō (1866–1942), Japanese admiral and military theorist
• Naotake Satō (1882–1971), Japanese diplomat and politician
• Kennosuke Sato (1891–1967), Japanese journalist
• Kōtoku Satō (1893–1959), commanded the 31st Division (Imperial Japanese Army) in Operation U-Go
• Tomiko Satō (1893–1994), common-law wife of the Chinese Communist scholar and poet Guo Moruo
• Nobusuke Kishi (1896–1987), born Nobusuke Sato, former Prime Minister of Japan
• Chiyako Sato (1897–1968), Japanese singer
• Eisaku Satō (1901–1975), Japanese prime minister
• Kōji Satō (photographer) (1911–1955)
• Tadashi Sato (1923–2005), American/Hawaiian artist
• Akira Satō (photographer) (1930–2002), Japanese photographer
• Jackie Sato (1957–1999), Japanese professional wrestler
• Yukiko Okada (1967–1986), born Kayo Sato, Japanese idol singer

Present

• Amahito Satō (born 1988), Japanese Shōgi player
• Amina Satō (born 1990), Japanese idol singer (AKB48), actress
• Chara (singer) (born 1968), born Miwa Sato
• Dick Togo (born 1973), professional wrestler who uses the ring name "Shigeki Sato"
• Dai Satō (born 1969), Japanese screenwriter and musician
• Dai Sato (born 1971), Japanese footballer
• Eric Sato (born 1966), American volleyball player
• Garret T. Sato, American actor
• G.G. Sato (born 1978), Japanese baseball player
• Gordon H. Sato (born 1927), American cell biologist and environmentalist
• Hikaru Sato (born 1980), Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist
• Hisato Satō (born 1982), Japanese soccer player
• Hisayoshi Sato (born 1987), Japanese swimmer
• Junichi Sato (born 1960), Japanese anime director
• Junya Satō (born 1932), Japanese film director
• Katsuaki Satō (born 1946), Japanese founder of Odo Satojuku karate
• Kayo Satoh (born 1988), Japanese model
• Kentaro Sato (born 1981), Japanese composer and conductor
• Kōichi Satō (born 1986), Japanese footballer
• Kōichi Satō (born 1960), Japanese actor
• Koji Sato (politician) (born 1959)
• Liane Sato (born 1964), American volleyball player
• Mamoru Sato (born 1937), American modernist sculptor
• Masaki Sato (born 1999), Japanese idol singer (Morning Musume)
• Megumi Sato (athlete) (born 1966), Japanese high jumper
• Michiro Sato (born 1967), avant-garde composer, singer, synthesizer player, and member of rock band Factor
• Mikio Sato (born 1928), mathematician, known for Sato-Tate conjecture
• Naoki Satō (born 1970), Japanese composer
• Natsuki Sato (born 1990), Japanese idol singer (AKB48), actress
• O. K. Sato (died 1921), juggler
• Romain Sato (born 1981), Central African basketball player
• Rina Satō (born 1981), Japanese voice actress
• Rumina Sato (born 1973), professional mixed martial artist
• Ryuzo Sato (born 1931), Japanese economist
• Sabrina Sato (born 1981), Brazilian model
• Satomi Satō (born 1986), Japanese voice actress
• Shigeki Sato (born 1959), politician
• Shōji Satō (born 1982), badminton athlete
• Shōri Satō (born 1996), member of the j-pop group Sexy Zone
• Sumire Satō (born 1993), Japanese idol singer (AKB48), actress
• Tadanobu Sato, actor, a.k.a. Tadanobu Asano
• Takeru Satoh (born 1989), actor
• Takuma Sato (born 1977), racing car driver
• Tenpei Sato, video game composer
• Yuki Sato, actor (born 1984), a.k.a. Tomohito Sato
• Toyohiko Satoh (born 1943), lutenist
• Yuka Sato (born 1973), Japanese Olympic figure skater
• Shinya Sato (born 1978), Japanese football player for Giravanz Kitakyushu
• Tomoaki Satoh (born 1978), Japanese professional baseball player
• Yoshiyuki Sato (born 1975), Japanese ski mountaineer

Fictional characters

• Ayano Sato, character from High School Girls
• Asami Sato, character from Avatar: The Legend of Korra
• Bruce Sato, from the toy franchise and cartoon M.A.S.K.
• Hoshi Sato, character from Star Trek: Enterprise
• Hiroshi Sato, character from Avatar: The Legend of Korra
• Inoue Sato, character from The Lost Symbol
• Katsumi Sato, minor character from YuYu Hakusho
• Kenta Satou, character from Kocchi Muite! Miiko
• Kouji Satou, minor character from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
• Lilly Satou, major character from Katawa Shoujo
• Mako Satou, character from Initial D
• Masao Sato (Max), character from Crayon Shin-chan
• Masashi Sato, character from To Heart
• Mina Sato, character from Doubt!!
• Miwako Sato, character from Case Closed
• Natsumi Sato, minor character from Jiraishin a.k.a. Ice Blade
• Shigeki Satō, character from Whistle!
• Sei Sato, character from Maria-sama ga Miteru
• Sato (Gundam character), character from Gundam SEED Destiny
• Tatsuhiro Satō, main character from Welcome to the N.H.K.
• Toru Sato (a.k.a. Bull), character in Need for Speed: Most Wanted
• Toshiko Sato, appeared the TV series Torchwood and Doctor Who
• Sato, Japanese Yakuza underworld character from the movie Black Rain
• Sato, Retired US Marine one of main protagonist character from Ajin: Demi Human
• Sebastian Sato, fashion designer from Hitman (2016 video game)

See also

• Sato, Kagoshima-mura, former town in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, now absorbed into the city of Satsumasendai-shi (薩摩川内市)
• Sato, Tibet

References

1. Saemon-no-jō (左衛門尉) was jō (尉) (inspector [third highest of the four administrative ranks of the Ritsuryō period]) in Saemon-fu (左衛門府), and the corresponding court rank was Sixth Rank.
2. "明治安田生命 全国同姓調査 [Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company - National same family name investigation]" (PDF) (Press release). Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company. 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2012-05-30.