Masao is a popular Japanese given name, primarily used for males. Derived from the kanji characters 正 (masu) meaning 'correct' or 'right', and 夫 (o) meaning 'husband' or 'man', Masao translates to 'good man'. It was particularly common during the mid-20th century in Japan, but its usage has since declined.
The name Masao experienced significant popularity between 1912 and 1922, with a peak of 81 births in 1918. However, it declined sharply afterwards, reaching as low as 5 births per year by the late 1930s and early 1940s. There was a brief resurgence in the late 20th century, with 7 and 8 births recorded in 1982 and 2011 respectively, followed by another dip to 5 births per year in recent years (2013 and 2019).