The Sato surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,095 people carried this name — #4,956 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 41,500 people counted. That is up 3% from 6,864 in 2000.

See Sato on the map Look up another surname

Share

Where the name comes from

The origin of the Sato surname

Borrowed from Japanese 佐藤 (Satō).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Sato» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 309 people named Sato live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 138
Misiones 59
City of Buenos Aires 35
Salta 21
Jujuy 19
Entre Ríos 13
Santa Fe 13
Santiago del Estero 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

80 people named Sato live in Switzerland.

They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 37
Geneva 11
Vaud 10
Aargau 6
Lucerne 6
Uri 4
Thurgau 3
Zug 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 34 people named Sato.

Most of them — 30 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 3 départements, most often Nord.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 30
Nord 2
Savoie 1
Paris 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 24 people named Sato live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Antwerp 10
Brussels-Capital 9
Flemish Brabant 5

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

85 people named Sato are counted in Sweden and Finland.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 47
Finland (2026) 38

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Sato in American newspapers,
1905.

Newspaper page from Fergus County Argus carrying the name Sato
Fergus County Argus 1905-07-28
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Sato
Daily Kennebec Journal 1905-07-26
Newspaper page from The Lexington Advertiser carrying the name Sato
The Lexington Advertiser 1905-08-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,484 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Sato in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

3,092 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sato. The most, 1,038, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 740
Queensland 673
ACT (Canberra) 570
Victoria 425
Western Australia 257
South Australia 211
Tasmania 149
Northern Territory 3

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sato.

In the public record

People named Sato,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States818 records

818 records of the Sato name in the United States
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 557
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 167
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 71
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 14
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 6
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Juvencio A. Sato

    Born 1908 in Philippine Islands. Enlisted 1944; driver from Hawaii. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Shoji Sato

    Born 1932; from Ewa, Hawaii. U.S. Marine Corps; killed in action 1952 in Korea. Buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Giuseppa Sato

    Arrived at New York in 1899 aboard the Aller from Genoa, aged 15; gardener. From Trabia, Palermo, Italy; bound for Ohio.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 818 records for Sato in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada15 records

15 records of the Sato name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 14
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Sato

    Died 1989; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Tokuji Sato

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Shizui Sato

    Died 1930; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 15 records for Sato in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France8 records

8 records of the Sato name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Masako Sato

    Born 1951 in Japan; died 1997 in Zuydcoote (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Henri Sato

    Born 1939 in Japan; died 1992 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Hideko Sato

    Born 1918 in Japan; died 2001 in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Sato in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Sato name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Sari Sato

    Died 1853 in Den Helder, aged 25.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Erasmus Sato

    Buried in 1746 in Esch.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Take Sato

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1896 in Tokyo.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Sato in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia3 records

3 records of the Sato name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 2
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Shotaro Sato

    Arrived in Victoria in 1918 aboard the Aki Maru, aged 32.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Sato

    Of St Kilda, Victoria; died 1969.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Sato in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Norway2 records

2 records of the Sato name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Shoshiro Sato

    Census of 1910: Wesselsgate, Kristiania; shop assistant, born 1887 in Shiroishi.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Ole Sato

    Census of 1910: Nupgaard, Aal; born 1854 in Aal.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Finland2 records

2 records of the Sato name in Finland
  • Finland's war dead, 1914–1922 1
  • Finland's war dead, 1939–1945 1
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Vilho Kasperi Sato

    Born 1897; labourer. Died in 1918, one of the dead of Finland's wars of 1914–1922.

    Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Sulo A. Sato

    Born 1922. Died in 1951 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Huittinen.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via Sotasurmasampo (CC BY 4.0) · Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sato.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sato is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Sato volume
Scroll to Top