An opinion has it that there was a young master of a large merchant house of a rice wholesaler or fish wholesaler in Asakusa, Edo named Sukeroku OWAKE or Sukeroku TOZAWA and he might have been the model for Sukeroku; another opinion has it that a street knight in Kyoto and Osaka who was renowned for his chivalrous spirit might have been the model for Sukeroku; and another opinion has it that a rice broker in Kuramae, Edo who was renowned as a chic, stylish, generous man of culture named Gyouu OGUCHIYA might have been the model for Sukeroku.
江戸浅草の米問屋あるいは魚問屋の大店に大捌助六（おおわけすけろく）あるいは戸澤助六（とざわすけろく）という若旦那がいたという説、京都・大坂でその男気をもって名を馳せた助六という侠客だとする説、そして江戸・蔵前の札差で、粋で気前のいい文化人として知られた大口屋暁雨（おおぐちやぎょうう）だとする説である。