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

Iijima, 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 Iijima surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iijima in America

Iijima is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iijima surname appeared 178 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 Iijima.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iijima 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 Iijima

The surname Iijima is of Japanese origin, derived from the place name of Iijima, a town located in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan. This place name is believed to have originated from the Japanese words "ii" meaning good and "jima" meaning island or land, suggesting that the area was considered a desirable or fertile region.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Iijima can be traced back to the late 16th century, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history. Records from this era indicate that the name was prevalent among samurai families and landowners in the Nagano region.

One of the earliest notable figures with the Iijima surname was Iijima Nobuyuki, a samurai who served under the powerful Takeda clan during the late 16th century. He was known for his bravery and military prowess, participating in several battles during the Sengoku period of civil wars.

In the 17th century, during the Edo period, the Iijima family gained prominence as skilled artisans and craftsmen. Iijima Kiyoharu, a renowned woodcarver and sculptor, was born in 1624 and is credited with creating intricate Buddhist sculptures that adorned many temples throughout Japan.

The 19th century saw the rise of Iijima Isao, a prominent scholar and educator who was instrumental in the modernization of Japan's education system during the Meiji Era. Born in 1852, Iijima played a pivotal role in establishing the country's first modern teacher training institutions and advocating for the importance of universal education.

Another notable figure with the Iijima surname was Iijima Yutaka, a influential politician and diplomat who lived from 1907 to 1987. He served as the Japanese ambassador to several countries, including the United States, and was actively involved in diplomatic efforts during and after World War II.

More recently, Iijima Sumio, born in 1935, gained recognition as a pioneering materials scientist. His research on carbon nanotubes and their applications in nanotechnology earned him numerous awards and accolades, including the prestigious Kyoto Prize in 2007.

Throughout its history, the surname Iijima has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, ranging from military leaders and artisans to scholars, politicians, and scientists, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and contributions of those bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iijima

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

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

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

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