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

Honjo, 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 Honjo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Honjo in America

Honjo is the 140157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Honjo surname appeared 119 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Honjo.

The history of the last name Honjo

The surname HONJO is of Japanese origin and dates back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Honjo district of Tokyo, which was once a separate village. The name itself is composed of two kanji characters: "hon," meaning "main" or "principal," and "jo," meaning "castle" or "fortification."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the HONJO surname can be found in the genealogical records of the Honjo clan, a prominent samurai family that served the Tokugawa shogunate during the Edo period (1603-1867). The clan's ancestral roots can be traced back to the late 16th century when they were granted land and a residence in the Honjo district.

In the late 17th century, a notable figure named HONJO Shigenaga (1630-1696) was appointed as the lord of Kasama Domain in present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. He played a significant role in the development of the region and is remembered for his contributions to infrastructure and education.

Another historical figure bearing the HONJO surname was HONJO Masamitsu (1804-1868), a samurai who fought in the Boshin War, which marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was known for his loyalty and bravery on the battlefield.

In the 20th century, HONJO Shigeru (1876-1945) was a prominent Japanese military officer who served as the Minister of War during World War II. He was instrumental in the development of Japan's military strategy and played a key role in the country's involvement in the war.

More recently, HONJO Tasuku (1935-2018) was a renowned Japanese scientist who made significant contributions to the field of immunology. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2018 for his groundbreaking work on cancer therapy.

Throughout history, the HONJO surname has been associated with various places and regions in Japan, including the Honjo district of Tokyo, Kasama City in Ibaraki Prefecture, and other areas where members of the Honjo clan or individuals bearing the name have resided or held prominent positions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Honjo

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

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 Honjo 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.

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 Honjo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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