Shizuko

Shizuko (しずこ, シズコ, 静子) is a feminine Japanese given name. Its primary meaning comes from the kanji 静 (shizu) meaning "quiet" or "calm" combined with 子 (ko) meaning "child". Thus the name can be interpreted as "quiet child." However various kanji combinations are possible, such as 志津子 (志 meaning "purpose," 津 meaning "port"), allowing for diverse written forms.

Possible Spells

Shizuko can be written in hiragana, katakana, kanji, or with a mix of kana and kanji. Common spellings in addition to 静子 include しず子 (hiragana with kanji) and シズ子 (katakana with kanji).

Notable Bearers

Several notable figures bear the name Shizuko. Shizuko Gō (郷 静子) was a Japanese novelist. Shizuko Kasagi (シヅ子, 静子) was a renowned Japanese jazz singer and actress. Shizuko Hoshi (シズコ) is a Japanese American actress and theatre director, and the widow of actor Makoto "Mako" Iwamatsu. Susana Shizuko Higuchi Miyagawa (シズコ), a Japanese Peruvian politician, engineer, and ex-wife of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori. Shizuko Minase (静子), the daughter of Viscount Tadasuki Minase, married into the Japanese imperial family.

Cultural Notes

The suffix -ko (子) has been common in Japanese female names for centuries, though its usage has declined in recent decades. Shizuko exemplifies a classic, traditional feminine name.

• Meaning: "quiet child," from shizu (quiet/calm) and ko (child)
• Origin: Japanese
• Type: feminine given name
• Usage regions: Japan