NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Hiro

Favored or prosperous, a masculine Japanese given name.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Hiro is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hiro popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 14 births.

This profile covers 94 England and Wales registrations across 17 recorded years from 2007 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 21% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 93 living people in the UK are called Hiro. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Hiro ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 14 boys were registered as Hiro.
  • About 93 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hiro as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

2019

14 births

Estimated living

93

2026

Meaning

What does Hiro mean?

The name Hiro originated from the Japanese language and culture. It is a masculine name that dates back to ancient times in Japan. The name Hiro is derived from the Japanese word "hiroshi," which means "generous" or "tolerant." It is also sometimes associated with the word "hiromu," meaning "to spread" or "to prosper."

In Japanese history, the name Hiro has been recorded in various ancient texts and chronicles. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Kojiki, a collection of Japanese myths and legends dating back to the 8th century AD. The Kojiki mentions a character named Hirokasu, which is a variant of the name Hiro.

Throughout Japanese history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Hiro. One of the most famous was Hiro Onoda, a Japanese imperial army officer who famously refused to surrender after World War II ended in 1945. Onoda remained a fugitive in the Philippines until 1974, unaware that the war had ended nearly 30 years earlier. He was born in 1922 and died in 2014.

Another significant figure with the name Hiro was Hiro Aragaki, a Japanese novelist and poet who lived from 1939 to 1999. Aragaki was known for his innovative literary works that explored themes of identity and cultural dislocation in post-war Japan.

In the world of sports, Hiro Matsuda was a renowned Japanese sumo wrestler who competed in the early 20th century. He was born in 1883 and achieved the prestigious rank of ozeki, one of the highest levels in sumo wrestling.

Hiro Mashima is a contemporary Japanese manga artist and writer, best known for creating the popular series "Fairy Tail." He was born in 1977 and continues to be an influential figure in the world of manga and anime.

Lastly, Hiro Hamada is a fictional character from the Disney animated film "Big Hero 6," which was released in 2014. Although not a real person, Hiro Hamada has become a beloved character in popular culture, representing themes of innovation, resilience, and the power of friendship.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Hiro over time

The chart below shows babies named Hiro registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2007 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Hiro, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Hiro
0471114200720152024

Decades

Hiro by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hiro was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3811 25 5
2010s #3399 56 9
2000s #3619 13 3

Related

Names similar to Hiro

FAQ

Hiro: questions and answers

How popular is the name Hiro in the UK right now?

In 2024, Hiro was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Hiro most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 14 babies registered as Hiro in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Hiro?

Favored or prosperous, a masculine Japanese given name.

How many people are called Hiro in the UK?

A total of 94 babies have been registered as Hiro across the 17 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.