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

Iwamoto, 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 Iwamoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iwamoto in America

Iwamoto is the 25102nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iwamoto surname appeared 989 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 Iwamoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iwamoto 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 Iwamoto

The surname Iwamoto is of Japanese origin, originating from the island of Honshu, Japan's largest and most populous island. The name is believed to have emerged sometime during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) when many Japanese surnames were established.

The name Iwamoto is derived from the Japanese words "iwa" meaning "rock" and "moto" meaning "base" or "origin". This suggests that the surname may have been initially used to identify individuals residing near or originating from a rocky or mountainous area.

While no specific historical records or manuscripts mention the Iwamoto surname directly, several early examples of the name can be found in various regional records and family registries from the 16th century onward.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Iwamoto surname was Iwamoto Masanari (1539-1619), a samurai warrior and retainer of the powerful Oda clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). Another notable figure was Iwamoto Kazunari (1612-1688), a Buddhist monk and scholar who contributed significantly to the development of Zen Buddhism in Japan.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Iwamoto surname was associated with several prominent families, including the Iwamoto clan of Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture) and the Iwamoto clan of Ise Province (present-day Mie Prefecture). These clans were known for their expertise in agriculture, trade, and local administration.

In the 19th century, Iwamoto Yoshiharu (1863-1942) was a pioneering educator who founded one of Japan's first modern schools for girls, the Tokyo Women's Normal School (now Ochanomizu University). Another notable figure was Iwamoto Kentaro (1836-1912), a politician and diplomat who served as the Japanese ambassador to several countries, including the United States and Russia.

As Japan entered the modern era, the Iwamoto surname continued to be associated with various fields, including business, arts, and academia. For example, Iwamoto Hiroshi (1905-1986) was a renowned sculptor and ceramist known for his innovative works combining traditional Japanese and modern Western influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iwamoto

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

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

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

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