2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Horimoto
A locational surname indicating someone from or born in a rural base or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Horimoto. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Horimoto surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Horimoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Horimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and White (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Horimoto
The surname Horimoto has its origins in Japan, with its earliest records dating back to the 8th century CE. It is derived from the Japanese words "hori" which means "moat" or "ditch," and "moto" which translates to "origin" or "source." This suggests that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals who lived near or originated from an area with prominent moats or ditches.
One of the earliest mentions of the Horimoto name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century. This historical record contains references to several individuals with the Horimoto surname, indicating that the name was already established during the Nara period (710-794 CE).
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), there are records of a prominent samurai named Horimoto Takanao, who served under the Hojo clan. He was known for his bravery and military prowess, and his exploits were documented in various war chronicles of the time.
During the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), a renowned Zen Buddhist monk named Horimoto Zenshi gained fame for his teachings and contributions to the development of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. He was widely respected for his wisdom and spiritual guidance.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), a notable figure with the Horimoto surname was Horimoto Masayoshi, a skilled calligrapher and painter who was patronized by the Tokugawa shogunate. His works were highly praised and are still celebrated in Japanese art circles.
Another influential individual was Horimoto Kyosuke, a 19th-century scholar and educator who played a crucial role in promoting Western studies and modernizing Japan's education system during the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912).
Throughout its history, the Horimoto surname has been associated with various professions, including samurai warriors, Buddhist monks, artists, scholars, and educators. While its origins may have been humble, the name has gained recognition and respect over the centuries, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who have carried it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Horimoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Horimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and White (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Horimoto bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Horimoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.3% · 90
- Two or more races10.4% · 12
- White7.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Horimoto
Horimoto appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+10 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 698 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 698 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,608 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Horimoto surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #143,149 | #145,757 | -1.8% |
| Count | 116 | 115 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Horimoto bearers went from 116 to 115 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #145,757.
FAQ
Horimoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Horimoto?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Horimoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Horimoto?
Horimoto ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Horimoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Horimoto.
Has Horimoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Horimoto went from 116 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Horimoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Horimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and White (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Horimoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Horimoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.3%), Two or More Races (10.4%), White (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Horimoto (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Horimoto mean?
A locational surname indicating someone from or born in a rural base or village. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Horimoto (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Horimoto?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Horimoto, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.