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

Kobata, 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 Kobata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kobata in America

Kobata is the 78567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kobata surname appeared 243 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 Kobata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kobata 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 Kobata

The surname KOBATA is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the feudal era of the 15th to 18th centuries. It is believed to have originated in the Kanto region of eastern Japan, particularly in the area around present-day Tokyo.

One of the earliest documented uses of the name KOBATA can be found in the Shinano Kokugun Shiryo, a collection of historical records from the Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture). In these records, dating back to the early 17th century, the name appears as a reference to a minor samurai family or a branch of a larger clan.

The etymology of KOBATA is somewhat uncertain, but it is generally accepted that it derives from a combination of two Japanese words: "ko," meaning small or little, and "bata," which could refer to either a field or a marshland. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with a family or clan that resided near a small field or wetland area.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), several notable individuals bore the KOBATA surname. One such figure was Kobata Shunyo (1639-1695), a renowned painter and calligrapher who was recognized for his contributions to the Rinpa school of Japanese art. Another was Kobata Masanori (1763-1824), a scholar and poet who served as a retainer to the Tokugawa Shogunate.

During the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the KOBATA name gained further prominence. Kobata Atsushi (1855-1913) was a prominent journalist and social critic who advocated for political reform and constitutional government in Japan. His contemporary, Kobata Kazue (1873-1957), was a pioneering educator and one of the first Japanese women to receive a doctoral degree.

In the 20th century, several notable figures with the KOBATA surname emerged across various fields. Kobata Kenji (1923-2002) was a celebrated novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of identity, alienation, and the human condition. Kobata Masako (1916-2008) was a groundbreaking scientist who made significant contributions to the field of biochemistry, particularly in the study of enzymes and protein structure.

While the surname KOBATA is relatively uncommon outside of Japan, it has been carried by several individuals of note throughout history, spanning the realms of art, literature, education, and science. Its origins can be traced back to the feudal era, and it continues to hold significance as a part of Japan's rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kobata

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

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

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

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