2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kobashi
A Japanese surname potentially derived from small trees or an occupational name for a woodcutter or forester.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Kobashi. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kobashi 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Kobashi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobashi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (15.3%) and White (8.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kobashi
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobashi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (15.3%) and White (8.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kobashi 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 Kobashi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.4% · 68
- Two or more races15.3% · 15
- White8.2% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kobashi
Kobashi 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,104 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-4 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 9,104 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 2,163 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 Kobashi 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 | #158,432 | #156,269 | 1.4% |
| Count | 102 | 98 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kobashi bearers went from 102 to 98 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 2,163 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #156,269.
FAQ
Kobashi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kobashi?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Kobashi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Kobashi?
Kobashi ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Kobashi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kobashi.
Has Kobashi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kobashi went from 102 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Kobashi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobashi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (15.3%) and White (8.2%). 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 Kobashi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kobashi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.4%), Two or More Races (15.3%), White (8.2%). 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 Kobashi (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 Kobashi mean?
A Japanese surname potentially derived from small trees or an occupational name for a woodcutter or forester. 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 Kobashi (0.03 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 are called Kobashi?
If you just want to know how many people are called Kobashi, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.