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

Kobashi, 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 Kobashi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kobashi in America

Kobashi is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kobashi surname appeared 102 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 Kobashi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kobashi 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 Kobashi

The surname KOBASHI originated in Japan. The name is thought to have derived from the Japanese words "ko", meaning "small" or "little", and "bashi", meaning "bridge". It is likely that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a small bridge or worked as a bridge builder.

The earliest recorded instances of the KOBASHI surname date back to the late 16th century in the Kansai region of western Japan. Historical records show that a family with this name resided in the town of Nishinomiya, located in present-day Hyogo Prefecture.

In the 17th century, a notable figure named Kobashi Masanori (1619-1688) served as a samurai warrior under the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was known for his bravery and skill in battle, and his exploits were documented in several contemporary accounts.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the KOBASHI name appeared in various village registers and tax records throughout central and western Japan, indicating that the surname was well-established in these regions.

In the late 19th century, a man named Kobashi Ichiro (1873-1957) became a prominent educator and advocate for women's education. He founded several schools for girls in Tokyo and is remembered for his progressive views on gender equality.

Another notable figure was Kobashi Tomiko (1906-1992), a renowned Japanese novelist and playwright. Her works explored themes of family, tradition, and the changing role of women in modern Japanese society. She received numerous literary awards and honors during her lifetime.

In the field of sports, Kobashi Kenta (born 1971) is a former professional wrestler who gained international fame for his matches in the Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers in Japanese history and was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2016.

While these are just a few examples, the KOBASHI surname has a long and rich history in Japan, spanning several centuries and various walks of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kobashi

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!