2000
#65,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 283
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Kanemoto
A Japanese surname meaning "source of prosperity" or "prosperous origin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 312 Americans carry the last name Kanemoto. That puts it at #76,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,098,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kanemoto 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
312
1 in 1,098,572
Census rank
#76,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
272
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 272 bearers of the surname Kanemoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanemoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and White (8.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanemoto
The surname Kanemoto is of Japanese origin, deriving from the Edo period which spanned the years 1603 to 1868. Kanemoto likely originated in the Kanto region of central Honshu, Japan's largest and most populous island. The name is composed of two elements - 'kane' meaning 'money' or 'wealth', and 'moto' meaning 'origin' or 'foundation'. Together, the name can be interpreted as 'origin of wealth'.
Historically, the Kanemoto surname first appeared in genealogical records from the late 17th century in the area around modern-day Tokyo. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Kanemoto Hisanori, a wealthy merchant born in 1654 in the city of Edo (now Tokyo). His family's prosperous trading business dealing in silk and other fine goods likely led to the adoption of the auspicious name Kanemoto.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in village records from rural areas of Saitama and Gunma prefectures north of Tokyo. For example, tax documents from 1723 list a Kanemoto Kichizaemon, a prosperous farmer from Kumagaya in Saitama. Another early bearer was Kanemoto Genroku (1717-1790), a Confucian scholar and poet from Maebashi in Gunma.
During the Meiji era of the late 19th century, the name spread across Japan as rural populations became more mobile. Notable Kanemotos from this period include Kanemoto Hisakichi (1832-1912), an educator who founded one of the first modern schools for the blind in Kyoto, and Kanemoto Masao (1871-1933), a politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives.
Into the 20th century, Kanemoto remained a relatively uncommon surname concentrated in central and eastern Japan. One prominent bearer was Kanemoto Goh (1902-1963), a businessman and philanthropist who helped rebuild post-war Tokyo through construction projects and charitable works. Another was the artist Kanemoto Sumiko (1923-1963), celebrated for her woodblock prints depicting traditional Japanese scenes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanemoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanemoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and White (8.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanemoto 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 Kanemoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.9% · 190
- Two or more races13.2% · 36
- White8.8% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanemoto
Kanemoto appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#67,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 293
+10 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,826 places
2020
#76,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 272
-21 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 8,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #65,492 | 283 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #67,318 | 293 | 0.10 | +10 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 1,826 places |
| 2020 | #76,236 | 272 | 0.09 | -21 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 8,918 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 Kanemoto 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 | #67,318 | #76,236 | -13.2% |
| Count | 293 | 272 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.09 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanemoto bearers went from 293 to 272 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 8,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,318 to #76,236.
FAQ
Kanemoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanemoto?
Name Census estimates that about 312 living Americans carry the surname Kanemoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,098,572 residents.
How common is Kanemoto?
Kanemoto ranks #76,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 272 people with the surname Kanemoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (312), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Kanemoto.
Has Kanemoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanemoto went from 293 recorded bearers to 272. That is a decrease of 21 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #67,318 to #76,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanemoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanemoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.2%) and White (8.8%). 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 Kanemoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.9% (190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanemoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.9%), Two or More Races (13.2%), White (8.8%). 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 Kanemoto (2000, 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 Kanemoto mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "source of prosperity" or "prosperous origin". 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 Kanemoto (0.09 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 Americans have the surname Kanemoto?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.