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

Ishimoto, 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 Ishimoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ishimoto in America

Ishimoto is the 66931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ishimoto surname appeared 295 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 Ishimoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ishimoto 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 Ishimoto

The surname ISHIMOTO is of Japanese origin and dates back to the early 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the Kyushu region of Japan, specifically in the area around the city of Nagasaki. The name is derived from the Japanese words "ishi" meaning "stone" and "moto" meaning "base" or "origin."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ISHIMOTO name appears in a 1492 census record from the village of Hirado, located on the island of Hirado in Nagasaki Prefecture. In this record, a family with the surname ISHIMOTO is listed as residing in the village.

The ISHIMOTO name can also be found in several historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, including records of trade and commerce between Japanese merchants and European traders who visited the port cities of Nagasaki and Hirado.

A notable figure in Japanese history with the ISHIMOTO surname was Ishimoto Masatsugu (1568-1638), a samurai warrior and retainer of the powerful Nabeshima clan. He played a significant role in the defense of Nagasaki during the Siege of Nagasaki in 1615.

Another prominent individual with the ISHIMOTO name was Ishimoto Chikugo (1738-1801), a renowned scholar and poet who lived during the Edo period. He was known for his contributions to Japanese literature and his expertise in classical Chinese texts.

In the late 19th century, an ISHIMOTO family from Nagasaki Prefecture was among the first Japanese immigrants to settle in the Hawaiian Islands, where they worked on sugar plantations. This family's descendants continue to carry the ISHIMOTO name in Hawaii today.

Other notable individuals with the ISHIMOTO surname include Ishimoto Yoshio (1887-1972), a Japanese painter and printmaker who was part of the Mingei movement, and Ishimoto Yasuhiro (1921-2012), a Japanese-American photographer and architect best known for his photographs of post-war Japan.

While the ISHIMOTO name has its roots in the Kyushu region of Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the country and across the globe, carried by those who have emigrated from Japan over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ishimoto

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

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

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

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