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

Iwamasa, 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 Iwamasa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iwamasa in America

Iwamasa is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iwamasa surname appeared 112 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 Iwamasa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iwamasa 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 Iwamasa

The surname Iwamasa is of Japanese origin, with its roots tracing back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. The name is believed to have originated in the Kyushu region, particularly in the areas surrounding the city of Kumamoto.

The name Iwamasa is a combination of the Japanese words "iwa," meaning "rock" or "stone," and "masa," which is an archaic word referring to a person or individual. Together, the name Iwamasa can be interpreted as "rock person" or "stone person," potentially referring to someone who lived near or worked with stone or rock formations.

In historical records, the earliest known mention of the name Iwamasa dates back to the late 17th century, when a samurai warrior named Iwamasa Nobuyuki (1655-1722) served under the Hosokawa clan, a prominent feudal family in the Kumamoto region. Nobuyuki's descendants continued to carry the Iwamasa name throughout the Edo and Meiji periods.

Another notable figure with the Iwamasa surname was Iwamasa Michiharu (1780-1856), a scholar and poet who lived during the late Edo period. Michiharu's works focused on classical Japanese literature and poetry, and he was known for his contributions to the study of the Man'yōshū, one of the oldest existing collections of Japanese poetry.

In the early 20th century, Iwamasa Masaaki (1892-1968) gained recognition as a pioneering architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the development of modern urban planning concepts in Japan and played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Iwamasa family also had a presence in the world of finance and banking. Iwamasa Shoichi (1835-1905) was a prominent businessman and banker who founded the Iwamasa Bank, one of the earliest modern banking institutions in Japan.

Another notable figure was Iwamasa Toshiko (1915-1987), a renowned author and feminist activist. Her literary works often explored themes of gender equality and women's rights, and she was a vocal advocate for social and political reforms in Japan during the post-World War II era.

While the Iwamasa surname is not among the most common in Japan today, it has a rich history dating back to the Edo period and has been associated with various influential figures across different fields, including warfare, literature, architecture, finance, and social activism.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iwamasa

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

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

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

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