'Shion' was a fan-created term used to refer to him during the 2007-2009 period. KAITO is often mistakenly called 'Kaito Shion' or 'Shion Kaito', particularly by overseas fans. KAITO's codename was 'TARO' it likely came from 'Yamada Tarō (山田太郎)', a placeholder name for male characters and the Japanese equivalent to 'John Smith'. One of the reasons why his name 'KAITO' was selected was because it would be easy for non-Japanese speakers to pronounce, and it looked fitting with the name 'MEIKO' when they were put next to one another. The product's name was invited to be chosen by the public, and 'KAITO' was selected from among the applicants, which was Shu-tP's offered idea.
