Itou

Itou is a romanization variant of a common Japanese surname, usually written 伊藤 or 伊東 and read Itō in Japanese. The spelling Itou arises in some romanization systems, such as Nihon-shiki or Kunrei-shiki, where the long vowel is represented as ou rather than with a macron.

Two widely used kanji spellings are 伊藤 and 伊東. Both are pronounced Itō in standard Japanese, though they represent different family lineages and histories. Because 伊藤 and 伊東 are common surnames, there are many distinct families across Japan with no single shared origin beyond the name’s widespread usage.

In English-language contexts, Itō is often rendered as Ito, Itō, Itoh, Itoh, or Itou, depending on personal or institutional preferences. The variant Itou serves to preserve the long o sound for readers who do not use macrons. Outside Japan, bearers of the surname can be found in diaspora communities in North America, Europe, and elsewhere, where spellings may adapt to local conventions.

Overall, Itou denotes a transliteration of one of Japan’s most prevalent surnames, reflecting how Japanese names are represented across different writing systems. See also Ito, Itō, Itoh.