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

Iwai, 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 Iwai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iwai in America

Iwai is the 52267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iwai surname appeared 397 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 Iwai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iwai 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 Iwai

The surname IWAI is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the late 11th century. Originally, it was a locational name associated with the Iwa region of present-day Aichi Prefecture, located in central Japan. The name is derived from the Japanese words "iwa," meaning "rock" or "cliff," and the suffix "-i," denoting a place or location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the IWAI surname can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), during which time it appeared in various historical documents and records. It is believed that the name gained prominence as the Iwa region became a notable center for pottery and ceramic production, with many families involved in this craft adopting the IWAI surname.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the IWAI name was documented in several local records, including land ownership registers and tax records. This suggests that the IWAI family had established a significant presence in the Iwa region and surrounding areas.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the IWAI surname was Iwai Mokusai (1542-1615), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher. Mokusai was highly regarded for his contributions to the development of the Japanese calligraphic style known as "Bokuseki."

Another historical figure of note is Iwai Yoshinori (1663-1743), a Samurai warrior and administrator who served under the Tokugawa Shogunate. Yoshinori played a crucial role in the governance of several domains and is remembered for his leadership and administrative skills.

In the late 19th century, Iwai Kumesaburo (1857-1917) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's education in Japan. He founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for girls and women during a time when such efforts were not widely supported.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), the IWAI surname also gained recognition through the work of Iwai Katsumi (1870-1942), a pioneering geologist and seismologist. Katsumi made significant contributions to the understanding of earthquake phenomena and played a vital role in establishing Japan's seismic monitoring systems.

Throughout the centuries, the IWAI surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Japan, with many individuals bearing this name making notable contributions to various fields, including art, literature, academia, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iwai

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

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

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

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