Kotaro, Kōtarō or Koutarou (written: 耕太郎, 孝太郎, 康太郎, 光太郎, 功太郎, 浩太朗, 浩太郎, 幸太郎, 晃太郎, 興太郎, 洸太郎 or コータロー in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:

• Kotaro Azuse (東瀬 耕太郎, born 1967), Japanese baseball player
• Kotaro Honda (本多 光太郎, 1870–1954), Japanese scientist and inventor
• Kōtarō Iizawa (飯沢 耕太郎, born 1954), Japanese photography critic and writer
• Kotaro Ikeda (池田 幸太郎, 1895–1976), Japanese painter
• Kōtarō Isaka (伊坂 幸太郎, born 1971), Japanese writer
• Kotaro Koizumi (小泉 孝太郎, born 1978), Japanese actor
• Kotaro Nagasaki (長崎 幸太郎, born 1968), Japanese politician
• Kōtarō Nakagawa (中川 幸太郎, born 1969), Japanese composer and music arranger
• Kōtarō Nakamura (中村 孝太郎, 1881–1947), Japanese general
• Kotaro Nakao (中尾 幸太郎, born 1969), Japanese footballer and manager
• Kotaro Omori (大森 晃太郎, born 1992), Japanese footballer
• Kotaro Oshio (押尾 コータロー, born 1968), Japanese guitarist
• Kotaro Otake (大竹 耕太郎, born 1995), Japanese baseball player
• Kotaro Sakurai (桜井 孝太郎, born 1994), Japanese racing driver
• Kōtarō Satomi (里見 浩太朗, born 1936), Japanese actor
• Kotaro Shimizu (清水 孝太郎, born 1911), Japanese hurdler
• Kotaro Shimomura (下村 孝太郎, 1861–1937), Japanese chemical engineer
• Kotaro Suzumura (鈴村 興太郎, 1944–2020), Japanese economist and academic
• Kōtarō Takamura (高村 光太郎, 1883–1956), Japanese poet and sculptor
• Kotaro Tamura (田村 耕太郎, born 1963), Japanese politician
• Kōtarō Tanaka (judge) (田中 耕太郎, 1890–1974), Japanese jurist and politician
• Kōtarō Tanaka (photographer) (田中 幸太郎, 1901–1995), Japanese photographer
• Kotaro Uchikoshi (打越 鋼太郎, born 1973), Japanese video game director and scenario writer
• Kotaro Umeji, Japanese graphic designer
• Kotaro Yamazaki (山崎 光太郎, born 1978), Japanese footballer
• Kotaro Yanagi (柳 浩太郎, born 1985), Japanese actor
• Kotaro Yatabe (谷田部 洸太郎, born 1986), Japanese rugby union player
• Kōtarō Yoshida (吉田 幸太郎, 1883–1966), Japanese jujutsuka

Fictional characters:

• Kōtarō Bokuto (木兎 光太郎), a character in the manga series Haikyu!!
• Kotaro Tatsumi (巽 幸太郎), a character in the anime series Zombie Land Saga
• Kotaro (仔太郎), a character in the 2007 anime samurai film Sword of the Stranger
• Kotaro Minami (南 光太郎), the protagonist of the tokusatsu series Kamen Rider Black
• Satо̄ Kotarо̄ (さとう コタロー), the titular character of the manga and anime series Kotaro Lives Alone

Kotarō or Kotarou (written: 小太郎 or 鼓太郎) is a separate given name, though it may be romanized the same way. Notable people with the name include:

• Fūma Kotarō (風魔 小太郎, died 1603), Japanese ninja
• Kotaro Suzuki (鈴木 鼓太郎, born 1978), Japanese professional wrestler
• Kotaro Tachikawa (立川 小太郎, born 1997), Japanese footballer

Fictional characters:

• Kotarou Higuchi (樋口 湖太郎), protagonist of the manga series Pita-Ten
• Kotarou Kashima (鹿島 虎太郎), a character from the manga and anime School Babysitters, younger brother of Ryuichi Kashima

See also

• Kōtarō Makaritōru!, a Japanese manga series