Jirou

Jirou is an alternate transcription of the Japanese masculine name Jirō, written in standard Romanization as "Jirō" and commonly anglicized as Jiro. The name originates from Japanese Kanji characters 二郎, where 二 (ji) means "two" and 郎 (rō) means "son". Historically, it was given to the second-born son in traditional Japanese naming conventions, often alongside the names Ichirō for the first son and Saburō for the third.

Cultural Context

Unlike patronymic naming traditions found in many other cultures, Japanese naming often reflects birth order. The use of -rō as a suffix links boys to their seniority in the family hierarchy. While still used today, middle names are not customary in Japan, with male names such as Jirou acting as primary given names.

Notable Bearers

One famous bearer is Jiro Ono (born 1925), a sushi chef restaurateur and subject of the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and Japanese Prime Minster Shigeru Yoshida's second son, but due to sparse recognized namesakes, the name remains distinct but not overwhelmingly universal.

Form

The name is a variant of Jiro or Jirō used in Romanized form without diacratio micro-alt coding; Jirou commonly that alternate when anglicizing longer web or historical texts that transcribe Hepburn style.

• Meaning: "Second son"
• Origin: Japaneses Kanji
• Classification: Mascul onomicmale
• Common regions: Japan; diaspora Korean/Chinese borrowing