2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Iwabuchi
A Japanese locational surname derived from words meaning "rock" and "village".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Iwabuchi. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Iwabuchi 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Iwabuchi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Iwabuchi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (43.6%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Iwabuchi
The surname Iwabuchi originates from Japan, with records indicating its existence dating back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "iwa" meaning rock or cliff, and "buchi" meaning to strike or hit. Together, the name suggests a connection to a place where rocks were quarried or mined.
In ancient Japanese records, the name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, a chronicle of Japan compiled in the late 8th century. This text includes references to individuals with the Iwabuchi surname who held positions within the imperial court.
One of the earliest recorded Iwabuchis was Iwabuchi no Tsunemoto, a samurai warrior who lived in the late 12th century. He served under the famous shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo and played a role in the Genpei War, a conflict that established the Kamakura shogunate.
During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Iwabuchi clan was prominent in the Ise Province, now part of modern-day Mie Prefecture. They were vassals of the powerful Kitabatake family and contributed to the region's governance and military affairs.
In the 16th century, Iwabuchi Motoyasu was a renowned Buddhist monk and poet. He studied under the renowned Zen master Ikkyū Sōjun and his works were highly regarded in the world of Japanese literature.
The Iwabuchi name also has ties to the Edo period (1603-1868). Iwabuchi Toshitsugu was a skilled swordsmith who lived in the late 17th century. His creations were prized by samurai and daimyo lords for their exceptional craftsmanship.
In more recent history, Iwabuchi Masao (1912-1989) was a prominent Japanese architect renowned for his innovative designs. He was a key figure in the modernist movement and his works, such as the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, are considered architectural landmarks.
While the Iwabuchi surname has its roots in ancient Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Japanese cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iwabuchi
Among Census respondents with the surname Iwabuchi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (43.6%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Iwabuchi 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 Iwabuchi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino49.6% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander43.6% · 51
- White3.4% · 4
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Iwabuchi
Iwabuchi 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,096 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+9 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 1,096 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 7,262 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 Iwabuchi 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 | #151,532 | #144,270 | 4.8% |
| Count | 108 | 117 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Iwabuchi bearers went from 108 to 117 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 7,262 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #144,270.
FAQ
Iwabuchi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Iwabuchi?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Iwabuchi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Iwabuchi?
Iwabuchi ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Iwabuchi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Iwabuchi.
Has Iwabuchi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Iwabuchi went from 108 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 9 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Iwabuchi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Iwabuchi, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (43.6%) and White (3.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Iwabuchi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.6% (58 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Iwabuchi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (49.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (43.6%), White (3.4%). 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 Iwabuchi (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 Iwabuchi mean?
A Japanese locational surname derived from words meaning "rock" and "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 Iwabuchi (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 share the surname Iwabuchi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.