kazuto

Kazuto is a masculine given name of Japanese origin. It is typically pronounced ka-zu-to and is written with various kanji combinations, so its meaning can vary. In addition to kanji, it can be rendered in hiragana as かずと or in katakana as カズト, making it accessible across contexts.

One of the best-known bearers of the name in popular culture is Kazuto Kirigaya, the protagonist of the Sword Art Online light novel series by Reki Kawahara. In the series, he is often referred to as Kirito, his in-world handle. The character has been adapted into multiple anime, light novels, and video games, contributing to the name's recognition outside Japan.

Usage of Kazuto is most common in Japan, where it belongs to a class of two-syllable masculine names that can pair with a wide range of kanji. Like many such names, its popularity has varied over time and by region, and outside Japan it is most frequently encountered in fiction and media. It shares the common "Kazu" prefix found in many other Japanese given names such as Kazuki and Kazuhiro.