Eitarō (also romanized as Eitaro, Eitarou, or Eitaroh; written in kanji as 英太郎, 栄太郎, 榮太郎, or 鋭太郎) is a masculine Japanese given name. The name is composed of two elements: the prefix "Ei-" (英, meaning "excellent" or "heroic"; or 栄/榮, meaning "prosperity" or "glory"; or 鋭, meaning "sharp" or "keen") and the suffix "-tarō" (太郎), a traditional element in Japanese male names that originally denoted the eldest son. The suffix "tarō" itself derives from Middle Chinese elements meaning "great" (太) and "boy" (郎) and has been used in male given names since at least the early 900s.
Notable individuals
Several notable figures bear the name Eitarō:
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Eitarō Shindō (進藤 英太郎, 1899–1977) — Japanese film actor who appeared in more than 300 films between 1936 and 1975. He is closely associated with the work of director Kenji Mizoguchi, with whom he made twelve films, including The Life of Oharu (1952), Sansho the Bailiff (1954), and Street of Shame (1956). He also appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Drunken Angel (1948).
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Hitachiiwa Eitarō (常陸岩 英太郎, 1900–1957) — Japanese professional sumo wrestler who reached the rank of ōzeki. He won one top-division championship (yūshō) in January 1928.
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Eitaro Itoyama (糸山 英太郎, born 1942) — Japanese businessman, politician, and former member of the Diet. He was ranked among the world's wealthiest individuals by Forbes in 1989 and became the largest single shareholder in Japan Airlines in 1998.
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Eitaro Noro (野呂 榮太郎, 1900–1934) — Japanese Marxist economic historian and a key figure in the Kōza school of Japanese Marxist thought. He died in police custody after being arrested for his involvement with the Japanese Communist Party.
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Eitaro Ozawa (小沢 栄太郎, 1909–1988) — Japanese actor.
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Eitaro Ishigaki (石垣 栄太郎, 1893–1958) — Japanese-born American artist.
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Eitaro Uchiyama (内山 英太郎, 1887–1973) — Japanese Imperial Army general.
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Eitaro Mabuchi (馬淵 鋭太郎, 1867–1943) — Japanese politician.
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Eitaro Okano (岡野 栄太郎, born 1930) — Japanese Olympic sprinter.
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Eitaro Deguchi (出口 栄太郎, born 1948) — Japanese professional golfer.
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Eitaro Matsuda (松田 詠太郎, born 2001) — Japanese footballer.
Other uses
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Eitaro Sohonpo (榮太樓總本鋪) — a Japanese confectionery company founded in 1818 in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, known for traditional wagashi (Japanese sweets) such as umeboshi-ame (pickled plum candy) and amanattō.
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Eitaro Sushi — a sushi restaurant in Ueno, Tokyo.
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EITARO — a Japanese women's fashion brand established in 2025 by designer Eitarou Kamimura.
