Koto as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Koto

What is the meaning of the name Koto ?

The baby name Koto is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced {'simple': 'KOH-toh', 'ipa': '/koto/'}.

Koto is Japanese in Origin.

Koto is a Japanese given name, typically feminine but sometimes unisex, written most commonly as 琴 (“koto,” the 13‑string zither), evoking music, grace, and artistry. Alternative kanji impart different nuances, such as 古都 (“ancient capital,” an allusion to Kyoto), 言 (“word/speech”), or compounds like 小都 (“small city”); it may also be written in hiragana or katakana (こと/コト). The name is pronounced KO-to.

Personal use is documented since the late 19th–20th centuries, paralleling the popularity of 琴‑based names in the Meiji and Taishō eras and recurring in modern Japan, sometimes chosen by families with musical ties. Outside Japan it appears within the diaspora and among admirers of Japanese culture as a concise, nature-and-arts flavored choice. Related variants and elaborations include Kotone/琴音 (“sound of the koto”), Kotoko/琴子, Kotoha/琴葉, Kotoe/琴江, and Kotomi/琴美; diminutive or nickname use of Koto for these longer forms is common. Romanized variant spellings are generally standardized as Koto.