This Father Named His Son Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze

Jamesey Bolivar Maribojo, 29, is a single parent from Davao. He is a property consultant at a large real estate developer, and a huge fan of Naruto: Shippuden, one of the longest-running manga and anime series, with exactly 500 episodes that spanned a decade from 2007 to 2017. 

When his first child was born in June 2020, Maribojo decided to name him Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze after the series’ most powerful characters: Naruto Uzumaki and his father Minato Namikaze. 

“Noong una, walang naniniwala na full name talaga niya iyon kasi tinatawag ko siyang Naruto. Maraming nagtatanong kung totoo,” Maribojo tells Esquire Philippines. 

The Real Naruto

Photo by Pierrot.

(“At first, nobody believed that was his full name because I kept calling him Naruto. Many were asking me if it was his real name.”)

But it was not just out of his obsession with the anime series that motivated him to name his son after the protagonist. 

Jamesey and His Son Naruto

Photo by Jamesey Maribojo.

“Mahilig ako manood ng anime, mula noon hanggang ngayon. Kung alam niyo ang Naruto: Shippuden, ang kuwento niya ay wala siyang pamilya na kinalakihan. Bilang single parent, 24/7 akong nag-aalaga sa anak ko. Bago kami naghiwalay ng nanay niya, nagpasya kami na ipangalan siya kay Naruto,” Maribojo says.

(“Up to now, I’m an avid fan of the anime ever since the beginning. If you know Naruto: Shippuden, its story revolves around a boy who grew up with no family. As a single parent, I look after my son 24/7. But before his mother and I separated, we agreed to name him Naruto.”)

“Pero ako di ako nakontento sa ‘Naruto’ lang. Isinama ko rin ang apelyido ng nanay ni Naruto na si Kushina Uzumaki at apelyido ng tatay niya na si Minato Namikaze. Ang naging name ng anak ko, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze P. Maribojo.”

Birth Certificate of Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze P. Maribojo

Photo by Jamesey Maribojo.

(“But I was not contented with just naming him ‘Naruto.’ I included the surname of his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, and the surname of his father, Minato Namikaze. My son ended up with the name Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze P. Maribojo.”)

But what was his family’s reaction to the bizarre name?

“Ayaw. Nagalit. Mahihirapan daw magsulat ng pangalan niya at mabu-bully daw. Pero wala silang nagawa.”

(“They didn’t like it. They got angry. They said he will have difficulty writing his name and will be bullied. But they couldn’t do anything.”)

So what will Maribojo name his next child if ever one follows Naruto?

“Siguro Sasuke Uchiha.” (Probably Sasuke Uchiha.).

Sasuke Uchiha is a descendant from a very powerful ninja clan and is one of the show's most formidable characters alongside Naruto. 

All photos are published with permission from Jamesey Maribojo.