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

Kemokai, 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 Kemokai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kemokai in America

Kemokai is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kemokai surname appeared 137 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 Kemokai.

The history of the last name Kemokai

The surname KEMOKAI has its origins in the Ainu language of the indigenous people of northern Japan and eastern Russia. It is believed to have derived from the Ainu words "kem" meaning "shore" and "okai" meaning "river," suggesting the name may have originally referred to people who lived near the confluence of a river and the sea.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KEMOKAI name can be found in the "Jinruigaku Shiryo" (Anthropological Materials), a collection of historical records and documents compiled by Japanese scholars in the late 19th century. In this work, a family with the surname KEMOKAI is mentioned as residing in the village of Nibutani on the island of Hokkaido in the early 1800s.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the KEMOKAI name appears in several local census records and tax registers from the Kushiro region of Hokkaido, indicating a small but established community of people bearing this surname.

While the KEMOKAI name is relatively uncommon outside of Japan, a few notable individuals have carried this surname throughout history. One example is Takushin KEMOKAI (1822-1891), a prominent Ainu leader and activist who advocated for the rights and preservation of Ainu culture during the latter half of the 19th century.

Another figure of historical significance is Katsuyo KEMOKAI (1865-1942), a renowned Ainu linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study and documentation of the Ainu language and folklore. Her work helped preserve invaluable aspects of Ainu culture for future generations.

In more recent times, Yukio KEMOKAI (1927-2003) was a respected Ainu woodcarver and artist, known for his intricate and traditional carvings depicting Ainu mythology and way of life.

Additionally, Kiyoshi KEMOKAI (1948-2012) was a celebrated Ainu musician and performer, who helped revive and popularize traditional Ainu music and dance through his performances and recordings.

While records from the Edo period and earlier provide glimpses into the history of the KEMOKAI surname, it is likely that its origins date back even further, possibly to the ancient Ainu settlements along the coasts and rivers of northern Japan and the Kuril Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kemokai

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

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 Kemokai 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.

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

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

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