Yasuke
Yasuke Origin and Meaning
Yasuke was the first African samurai in Japan, who served as a retainer under Oda Nobunaga. He arrived in Japan in 1579 with Portuguese Jesuits and Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Nobunaga took a special interest in Yasuke, who joined his force.
There are several theories about the origin of Yasuke's name that vary based on his proposed nationalities. One theory suggests that Yasuke was a member of the Yao people of Mozambique and that his name was created by combining Yao with the common Japanese suffix -suke. Another theory claims that Yasuke was Ethiopian and that his original name was the Amharic Yisake or the Portuguese Isaque — a variation of Isaac.
The name Yasuke debuted on the charts in 2021 when it was given to eight baby boys. This is likely due to the 2021 animated Netflix series Yasuke, which stars Lakeith Stanfield as the titular samurai.