Jomei
A Japanese given name meaning "admiring brightness" or "becoming light".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Jomei. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jomei today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jomei births was 2007 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jomei. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Jomei with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jomei. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2007
5 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,081
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Jomei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jomei from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jomei by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jomei during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jomei
The name Jomei has its origins in Japan, dating back to the Nara period (710-794 CE). It is derived from the Japanese words "jo" meaning "constant" or "unchanging," and "mei" meaning "bright" or "shining." Together, the name Jomei can be interpreted as "constant brightness" or "unwavering light."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jomei was for Emperor Jomei, the 35th emperor of Japan, who reigned from 629 to 641 CE. His birth name was Naka no Ōe, but he took the reign name Jomei upon ascending to the throne. During his reign, he promoted Buddhism in Japan and oversaw the construction of several significant Buddhist temples.
In the 12th century, Jomei was the name of a prominent Buddhist monk and scholar. Jomei Shōnin (1151-1225) was a revered figure in the Tendai Buddhist tradition and authored several influential texts on Buddhist teachings and practices.
Another noteworthy figure with the name Jomei was Jomei Omezu (1608-1670), a renowned Japanese swordsmith and blacksmith during the early Edo period. His swords and other metalwork were highly prized for their exceptional quality and craftsmanship.
In more recent history, Jomei Torō (1870-1953) was a Japanese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Japan from 1924 to 1927. He played a significant role in shaping Japan's foreign policy during the turbulent interwar period.
Jomei Yamahata (1888-1957) was a Japanese military officer and politician who served as the Governor-General of Korea during the late stages of Japanese colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1944 to 1945.
While the name Jomei has its roots in ancient Japan, it has been used throughout history by individuals from various backgrounds, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and significance of this name.
People
Jomei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jomei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jomei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jomei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jomei going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Jomei a common name?
We classify Jomei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jomei most popular?
The single biggest year for Jomei was 2007, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jomei is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jomei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jomei a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jomei in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jomei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jomei in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jomei can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Jomei?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.