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

Kashima, 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 Kashima surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kashima in America

Kashima is the 105079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kashima surname appeared 170 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 Kashima.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kashima 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 Kashima

The surname Kashima has its origins in Japan. The name can be traced back to the late 16th century in the Ibaraki Prefecture, located in the Kanto region of central Japan. Kashima is believed to have derived from the name of the city of Kashima, which was an important port city during the Edo period.

Kashima is thought to be a combination of two Japanese words: "ka" meaning marsh or swamp, and "shima" meaning island or land. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a marshy or swampy area of land, possibly an island or peninsula near the city of Kashima.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Kashima surname can be found in the "Shinano Kuni Fudoki," an ancient record of the Shinano Province dating back to the early 8th century. This text mentions the Kashima clan, a prominent family who resided in the Ibaraki region during that time.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Kashima Saburo played a significant role in the Genpei War, a conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan. Kashima Saburo was a skilled archer and warrior who fought alongside Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kashima clan continued to hold influence in the Ibaraki region. In the late 18th century, a renowned samurai named Kashima Genzaburo (1756-1828) was known for his expertise in the art of swordsmanship and his contributions to the development of various martial arts techniques.

Another notable individual with the Kashima surname was Kashima Shintaro (1847-1924), a prominent politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 20th century. He played a crucial role in shaping Japan's foreign policy during the Meiji era.

In the realm of literature, the author and poet Kashima Tamiko (1907-1993) gained recognition for her works that explored themes of love, nature, and the experiences of women in Japanese society. Her poetry collections, such as "Akai Tori" (The Red Bird), were widely acclaimed.

While the Kashima surname may have originated from a specific geographic location in Japan, it has since spread across the country and is now found in various regions, with families bearing this name contributing to various aspects of Japanese culture and society throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kashima

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

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

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

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