Sato
A common Japanese surname, most often written with characters meaning “village” and “wisteria,” though its exact kanji can vary.
The #4,956 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 43,516 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sato is a Japanese surname, and its meaning depends on the kanji used to write it. A very common form is 佐藤, usually explained as combining a character read as sa with 藤, meaning “wisteria”; in surname tradition, -to/-do often points to the Fujiwara lineage name. Other spellings can use different characters and senses, so the surname is not tied to just one literal meaning in every family line.
History
Sato is one of the most common surnames in Japan and is widely associated with the long-standing Fujiwara-name tradition. As Japanese surnames became fixed and inherited, many separate families adopted the same reading with different written forms. The name is also found widely in the Japanese diaspora, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because 佐藤 is so common, Sato is often cited as the most widespread surname in Japan or among the very most common, depending on how counts are made.
From the historical record
“bert, William de Fossato, Xor- niandy, llUS piPiS) ; Picliard d<2 Fo-sato of England, 1199 (PCPj. rossey. John de Fosseio of Normandy 1108 (3IPSj; Pichard Fo.5sey of England, c. i27l' (PII;.”
— The Norman People and their existing descendants in the British dominions and the United States