Shigenobu

Shigenobu is a masculine Japanese personal name that can function as a given name and, less commonly, as a surname. The meaning of Shigenobu depends on the kanji characters used to write it; because kanji readings are variable, there is no single universal meaning attached to the name. In Japanese naming practice, Shigenobu is primarily encountered as a given name for men, and it has been used across different eras.

In historical records, it is associated with several figures from the Meiji and Taisho periods, among them Okuma Shigenobu (1838–1922), a prominent statesman who served as Prime Minister of Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and who founded Waseda University. His name helped popularize the given-name form Shigenobu in modern Japan, though it remains relatively uncommon today.

As a surname, Shigenobu is considerably rarer in Japanese usage. When used as a surname, it would typically be written with kanji that convey different semantic elements, and its pronunciation remains Shigenobu.

See also: Okuma Shigenobu, for a major historical figure bearing this given name.