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

Kamei, 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 Kamei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kamei in America

Kamei is the 58481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kamei surname appeared 347 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 Kamei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kamei 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 Kamei

The surname KAMEI originated in Japan, with its roots tracing back to the 8th century CE. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "kamui," which means "divine being" or "god" in the Ainu language spoken by the indigenous people of northern Japan.

The name was initially associated with the Kamei clan, a prominent samurai family that hailed from the Aomori Prefecture in the northern region of Honshu Island. The clan's ancestral roots can be traced back to the Kameyama district, where the name is thought to have originated from a place name referring to a divine mountain or sacred peak.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the KAMEI surname can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century CE. This historical text references a notable figure named Kamei no Masahira, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 CE).

Throughout the medieval era, the KAMEI name appeared in various regional records and genealogical documents, reflecting the clan's influential status and their involvement in military affairs and local governance.

Notable individuals with the KAMEI surname include:

1. Kamei Rokuro (1856-1920), a prominent educator and reformer who played a pivotal role in modernizing Japan's educational system during the Meiji period.
2. Kamei Shoichi (1892-1966), a celebrated Japanese painter and printmaker known for his vivid portrayals of natural scenery and traditional Japanese life.
3. Kamei Fumio (1919-1988), a renowned author and storyteller who revived interest in the folktales and oral traditions of northern Japan, particularly those of the Ainu people.
4. Kamei Toshio (1928-2007), a influential architect and urban planner responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban landscapes in Tokyo and other major Japanese cities.
5. Kamei Yoshitsugu (1939-2021), a renowned martial artist and grandmaster of Shorinji Kempo, a Japanese martial art that emphasizes spiritual development and self-discipline.

The KAMEI surname has also been associated with various place names across Japan, such as Kamei-cho (a district in Tokyo), Kamei-mura (a village in Aomori Prefecture), and Kamei-yama (a mountain in Yamagata Prefecture), further reinforcing its deep-rooted connections to the country's geography and cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kamei

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

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

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

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