2000
#11,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,413
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Kaneshiro
A Japanese surname meaning "gold castle," referring to a fortified residence or stronghold of a powerful family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,521 Americans carry the last name Kaneshiro. That puts it at #13,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,960 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kaneshiro 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
2.5K
1 in 135,960
Census rank
#13,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,198 bearers of the surname Kaneshiro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaneshiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.9%) and White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kaneshiro
The surname Kaneshiro is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan. The name likely emerged during the Edo period, which spanned from 1603 to 1868.
Kaneshiro is believed to be derived from the combination of two Japanese words: "kane," meaning metal or money, and "shiro," which translates to castle or fortress. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived or worked in a castle or fortified area related to metalworking or the handling of currency.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Kaneshiro surname can be found in the historical records of the Ryukyu Kingdom, an independent monarchy that ruled over the Okinawa Islands during the 15th to 19th centuries. These records mention a prominent Kaneshiro family that held influential positions within the kingdom's administration.
In the late 19th century, a notable figure bearing the Kaneshiro name was Kaneshiro Noboru (1858-1919), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in Okinawa. He established the first girls' school in the region and played a pivotal role in promoting gender equality in education.
Another historical figure with this surname was Kaneshiro Kenji (1890-1975), a renowned Okinawan poet and author. His works, written in both Japanese and the Okinawan language, explored themes of identity, tradition, and the unique cultural heritage of the Okinawa Islands.
During the early 20th century, Kaneshiro Takeyuki (1903-1968) gained recognition as a skilled sculptor and woodcarver from Okinawa. His intricate carvings, often depicting traditional Okinawan motifs and scenes, are now highly regarded as important examples of the region's artistic heritage.
In more recent times, the Kaneshiro surname has been carried by notable individuals like Kaneshiro Takeshi (born 1973), a Japanese actor and singer who has appeared in numerous popular films and television series, both in Japan and internationally.
While the Kaneshiro surname originated in Okinawa, it has since spread to other parts of Japan and beyond, as individuals with this name have migrated and established families in various regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kaneshiro
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaneshiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.9%) and White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kaneshiro 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 Kaneshiro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.4% · 1,724
- Two or more races12.9% · 284
- White4.4% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 88
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kaneshiro
Kaneshiro 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
#12,732
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,424
+11 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 853 places
2020
#13,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,198
-226 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 557 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,879 | 2,413 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,732 | 2,424 | 0.82 | +11 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 853 places |
| 2020 | #13,289 | 2,198 | 0.74 | -226 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 557 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 Kaneshiro 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 | #12,732 | #13,289 | -4.4% |
| Count | 2,424 | 2,198 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.74 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kaneshiro bearers went from 2,424 to 2,198 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 557 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,732 to #13,289.
FAQ
Kaneshiro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kaneshiro?
Name Census estimates that about 2,521 living Americans carry the surname Kaneshiro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,960 residents.
How common is Kaneshiro?
Kaneshiro ranks #13,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,198 people with the surname Kaneshiro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,521), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kaneshiro.
Has Kaneshiro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kaneshiro went from 2,424 recorded bearers to 2,198. That is a decrease of 226 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,732 to #13,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Kaneshiro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kaneshiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.9%) and White (4.4%). 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 Kaneshiro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (1,724 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kaneshiro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.4%), Two or More Races (12.9%), White (4.4%). 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 Kaneshiro (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 Kaneshiro mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "gold castle," referring to a fortified residence or stronghold of a powerful family. 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 Kaneshiro (0.74 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 share the surname Kaneshiro?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.