Jiraiya

Meaning & origin

Jiraiya, first recorded in U.S. births in 2007, is a name lifted from Japanese folklore and popular culture. It appeared on the charts in the late 2000s and rose quickly, peaking at rank 988 in 2023 before starting a slow decline; since 2022 the trajectory has been falling. The name is given to roughly 1 in every 7,394 boys in the U.S. as of 2025, and it sees strongest use in New Mexico, Nevada, and Missouri. Jiraiya's identity remains tethered to the legendary ninja character, and its modern adoption mirrors the spread of anime fandom among American parents. The name shows no signs of a revival in the 2020s, but its persistent rank suggests a steady niche for families drawn to Japanese storytelling.

Jiraiya is a name drawn from Japanese folklore, first appearing in the 19th-century serialized story 'Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari'. The character is a heroic ninja who controls toads, and the name is sometimes parsed as 児雷也 (ji 'young' + rai 'thunder' + ya 'valley'), though this is a later kanji assignment. The tale was adapted into a popular 20th-century manga and anime, propelling the name into modern use, particularly after 2007 when it first appeared in U.S. birth records.