2000
#103,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Ishiguro
A Japanese surname derived from the words "ishi" (stone) and "kuro" (hut or storehouse).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 201 Americans carry the last name Ishiguro. That puts it at #108,023 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,705,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ishiguro 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
201
1 in 1,705,245
Census rank
#108,023
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
175
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 175 bearers of the surname Ishiguro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 108023rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ishiguro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ishiguro
The surname ISHIGURO originates from Japan, with roots that can be traced back to the 8th century during the Nara period. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "ishi" meaning stone, and "guro" meaning hut or dwelling, suggesting a connection to those who may have lived in stone structures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the ISHIGURO name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early imperial chronicle from the 8th century, where it was referenced in relation to a local clan in the Kansai region. The name was also documented in various feudal lords' records and family registries from the 11th century onwards.
In the 14th century, during the Muromachi period, there are records of an ISHIGURO family owning a significant amount of land in the Iga Province, now part of modern-day Mie Prefecture. This family was involved in the production of salt, which was a highly valued commodity at the time.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the ISHIGURO name gained prominence with the rise of a samurai family in the service of the Tokugawa Shogunate. One notable figure from this era was ISHIGURO Masataka (1610-1675), a skilled swordsman and military strategist who played a crucial role in the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637-1638.
Another historically significant individual bearing the ISHIGURO name was ISHIGURO Hiroyoshi (1828-1889), a prominent scholar and educator who contributed to the modernization of Japan's education system during the Meiji Restoration period. He was instrumental in establishing several prestigious schools, including the prestigious Keio Gijuku University.
In more recent times, the ISHIGURO name gained international recognition through the works of Kazuo ISHIGURO (born 1954), the renowned British novelist of Japanese descent. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017 for his novels of great emotional force, which uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.
Other notable individuals with the ISHIGURO surname include ISHIGURO Naoki (1918-2006), a pioneering Japanese architect known for his modernist designs, and ISHIGURO Yasuhiro (born 1962), a highly acclaimed Japanese video game developer and director.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ishiguro
Among Census respondents with the surname Ishiguro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ishiguro 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 Ishiguro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.9% · 159
- Two or more races7.4% · 13
- White1.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ishiguro
Ishiguro 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
#106,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
+8 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 2,390 places
2020
#108,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 175
+7 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 1,927 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #103,706 | 160 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #106,096 | 168 | 0.06 | +8 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 2,390 places |
| 2020 | #108,023 | 175 | 0.06 | +7 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 1,927 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 Ishiguro 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 | #106,096 | #108,023 | -1.8% |
| Count | 168 | 175 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ishiguro bearers went from 168 to 175 (+4.2% change). The surname moved down 1,927 positions in the national ranking, going from #106,096 to #108,023.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ishiguro
FAQ
Ishiguro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ishiguro?
Name Census estimates that about 201 living Americans carry the surname Ishiguro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,705,245 residents.
How common is Ishiguro?
Ishiguro ranks #108,023 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 175 people with the surname Ishiguro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (201), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Ishiguro.
Has Ishiguro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ishiguro went from 168 recorded bearers to 175. That is an increase of 7 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #106,096 to #108,023.
What does the Census say about the background of Ishiguro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ishiguro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.4%) and White (1.7%). 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 Ishiguro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (159 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ishiguro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.9%), Two or More Races (7.4%), White (1.7%). 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 Ishiguro (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 Ishiguro mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the words "ishi" (stone) and "kuro" (hut or storehouse). 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 Ishiguro (0.06 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 have the surname Ishiguro?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.