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

Kobe, 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 Kobe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kobe in America

Kobe is the 29019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kobe surname appeared 818 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 Kobe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kobe 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 Kobe

The surname KOBE originated in Japan and is derived from the Japanese word "kobe," which means "small trading port." It is believed to have originated in the 16th century, during the Edo period, when the city of Kobe was established as a major trading hub for the country.

The name KOBE was likely first used to refer to individuals who lived or worked in the port city of Kobe. Over time, it became a family name passed down from generation to generation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KOBE can be found in the "Kobe City Records" from the late 16th century, which documented the names of merchants and traders who operated in the port city.

In the 18th century, a notable figure named Kobe Yoshizaki (1718-1792) was a successful merchant and philanthropist who helped establish several schools and hospitals in the Kobe region.

During the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, a prominent politician and diplomat named Kobe Toshimichi (1830-1914) played a key role in modernizing Japan and establishing diplomatic relations with Western nations.

In the early 20th century, Kobe Sumitomo (1892-1975) was a renowned artist and sculptor who helped popularize the Japanese art style known as "Nihonga" both domestically and internationally.

Another notable individual with the surname KOBE was Kobe Masao (1916-1993), who was a celebrated author and poet known for his works that explored themes of nature and the human condition.

While the surname KOBE is not as common outside of Japan, it has gained international recognition due to the city of Kobe's reputation as a major international port and the birthplace of the legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant, who was named after the city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kobe

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

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

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

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