Save Type Surname (from nickname) Usage Japanese Scripts 佐藤(Japanese Kanji) さとう(Japanese Hiragana) Pronounced Pron. SA-TO [key·IPA] Meaning & History From Japanese 佐 (sa) meaning "help, aid" and 藤 (tō) meaning "wisteria". The final character might indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan. This is the most common surname in Japan. Related NamesDetails VariantsSato, SatouSame SpellingSato Categories Chocolatier characters, Doctor Who companions, Virtua Tennis opponent characters