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

Imoto, 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 Imoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Imoto in America

Imoto is the 84748th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Imoto surname appeared 221 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 Imoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Imoto 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 Imoto

The surname Imoto is of Japanese origin, originating in the late 16th century or early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "imoto," which means "younger sister." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who was the younger sister in a family or clan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Imoto surname can be found in the Buke Shohatto, a legal code established by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1615. This document outlines the proper conduct and regulations for samurai families, indicating that the Imoto name was likely associated with a samurai lineage during that time period.

In the late 17th century, the Imoto clan is mentioned in several historical records related to the Satsuma Domain, a prominent feudal domain located in what is now Kagoshima Prefecture. It is believed that a branch of the Imoto family served as retainers or vassals to the Shimazu clan, the powerful feudal lords who ruled over the Satsuma Domain.

One notable figure with the Imoto surname was Imoto Nobutaka, a samurai and military strategist who lived in the late 16th century. Nobutaka was a skilled tactician and played a crucial role in several battles during the Sengoku period, the era of warring states in Japan.

Another historical figure was Imoto Masahiro, a scholar and poet who lived during the Edo period (1603-1868). Masahiro was renowned for his contributions to the development of the haiku poetic form and was a member of various literary circles in Edo (present-day Tokyo).

In the 19th century, the Imoto name appears in records related to the Meiji Restoration, the pivotal event that marked the transition from the Tokugawa shogunate to the modern imperial state of Japan. Imoto Nobuyoshi, a samurai and government official, played a role in the political and social reforms of the early Meiji era.

Throughout the centuries, the Imoto surname has been linked to various regions and place names across Japan, such as Imoto-jima (an island in Kagoshima Prefecture), Imoto-mura (a village in Shizuoka Prefecture), and Imoto-yama (a mountain in Hyogo Prefecture). These place names may have derived from the Imoto surname or vice versa, reflecting the historical presence of the Imoto clan in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Imoto

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

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

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

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