2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kamimoto
A locational surname derived from a place name containing "kami" meaning upper or divine and "moto" meaning origin or source.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Kamimoto. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamimoto 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Kamimoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamimoto
The surname KAMIMOTO originated in Japan. It first appeared in the historical records during the Kamakura period, which lasted from 1185 to 1333. The name is derived from the Japanese words "kami" meaning "upper" or "above," and "moto" meaning "source" or "origin." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near the headwaters of a river or in an area at a higher elevation.
One of the earliest known references to the KAMIMOTO name can be found in a collection of medieval Japanese tales called the "Konjaku Monogatarishū," which was compiled in the late Heian period (794-1185). This work mentions a person named KAMIMOTO who was a samurai warrior.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named KAMIMOTO Nobuyuki (1524-1586) was a skilled military strategist and tactician who served under the legendary warlord Oda Nobunaga. He played a crucial role in several battles during the Sengoku period, also known as the Warring States period in Japan.
Another notable individual with the KAMIMOTO surname was KAMIMOTO Masahiro (1686-1745), a renowned painter and calligrapher who lived during the Edo period. His works were highly regarded for their delicate brushwork and attention to detail, and he was commissioned by several prominent feudal lords and wealthy merchants.
In the early 20th century, KAMIMOTO Kikuko (1905-1986) was a pioneering female architect who broke barriers in a male-dominated profession. She was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Tokyo's architecture program and went on to design several notable buildings, including the former Tokyo Kaikan in Hibiya Park.
Another notable figure was KAMIMOTO Masayuki (1924-2004), a respected politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in the Japanese Diet. He was known for his advocacy of environmental issues and played a key role in drafting legislation to protect Japan's natural resources.
While the KAMIMOTO surname is primarily associated with Japan, it is possible that the name may have spread to other parts of the world through immigration or cultural exchange. However, the historical records and references mentioned here primarily focus on the name's origins and significance within Japanese culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamimoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamimoto 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 Kamimoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.8% · 77
- White13.1% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4
- Two or more races4.0% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamimoto
Kamimoto appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-5 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.8%) | Up 39 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 Kamimoto 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 | #156,044 | #156,005 | 0.0% |
| Count | 104 | 99 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamimoto bearers went from 104 to 99 (-4.8% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,005.
FAQ
Kamimoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamimoto?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Kamimoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Kamimoto?
Kamimoto ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Kamimoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kamimoto.
Has Kamimoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamimoto went from 104 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamimoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.8%. The next largest groups are White (13.1%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kamimoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamimoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.8%), White (13.1%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Kamimoto (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 Kamimoto mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing "kami" meaning upper or divine and "moto" meaning origin or source. 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 Kamimoto (0.03 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 have the last name Kamimoto?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Kamimoto, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.