Find out how popular the last name Honda is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Honda.

Honda, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Honda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Honda in America

Honda is the 13911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Honda surname appeared 2,171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Honda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Honda to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Honda

The surname Honda is of Japanese origin, originating from the Kanto region of Japan in the 16th century. It is derived from the Japanese word "honden," which refers to the main hall or sanctuary of a Shinto shrine. The name was likely adopted by families who lived near or had connections to a particular shrine.

Honda first appeared in historical records during the Edo period (1603-1867), when family names became more commonly used in Japan. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Shogunate's official records from the late 17th century, documenting a Honda family residing in the town of Odawara, located in present-day Kanagawa Prefecture.

In the early 19th century, a prominent Honda family emerged in the village of Tenryū, in what is now Shizuoka Prefecture. This family was known for their expertise in metalworking and sword-making, a tradition that continued for several generations. Notably, Honda Toshiaki (1744-1821) was a renowned swordsmith from this lineage, whose works were highly prized by samurai and daimyo (feudal lords) of the time.

Another historically significant figure with the Honda surname was Honda Toshiaki (1744-1821), a renowned swordsmith from the village of Tenryū in Shizuoka Prefecture. His swords were highly prized by samurai and daimyo (feudal lords) of the time.

In the late 19th century, Honda Kinkichi (1851-1917) was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Shizuoka Prefecture. He founded the Honda Gofukuten, a successful textile company that exported silk and cotton products to Europe and North America.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Honda Naganari (1869-1944) was a respected scholar and educator who helped establish the modern Japanese education system. He served as the principal of the prestigious Peers' School in Tokyo, which educated the children of aristocratic families.

In more recent times, Honda Soichiro (1906-1991) was the founder of the multinational corporation Honda Motor Company, known for its innovative automobiles and motorcycles. Born in Shizuoka Prefecture, his entrepreneurial spirit and engineering prowess have made the Honda name internationally recognized and associated with quality and reliability.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Honda

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Honda.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Honda was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Honda has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Honda was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Honda, please contact us.

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