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

Kodama, 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 Kodama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kodama in America

Kodama is the 25889th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kodama surname appeared 950 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 Kodama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kodama 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 Kodama

The surname KODAMA has its origins in Japan, with records dating back to the 8th century. The name is derived from the Japanese words "ko" meaning "tree" and "dama" meaning "spirit" or "soul". It is believed that the surname was initially given to families who lived near sacred groves or forests inhabited by tree spirits.

During the Heian period (794-1185), the KODAMA name was associated with members of the samurai class and landowners in the Kansai region of Japan. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle compiled in the late 8th century, which mentions a samurai named KODAMA no Yoshitsugu.

In the 12th century, the KODAMA clan played a significant role in the Genpei War, a conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of Japan. The KODAMA family sided with the Minamoto clan and contributed warriors to the cause. One notable figure from this era was KODAMA no Masayuki (1157-1213), a skilled archer and military strategist.

The KODAMA name also appears in various historical documents and records from the Kamakura period (1185-1333), indicating the family's continued prominence. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the KODAMA clan were feudal lords and landowners in the Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture).

Notable individuals with the surname KODAMA include:

1. KODAMA Gentarō (1852-1906), a Japanese statesman and politician who served as the 7th Prime Minister of Japan from 1898 to 1900.
2. KODAMA Yoshio (1881-1938), a Japanese general who played a significant role in the Russo-Japanese War and served as the Governor-General of Taiwan from 1919 to 1924.
3. KODAMA Kiyohiko (1914-2001), a Japanese architect and designer known for his contributions to modern Japanese architecture.
4. KODAMA Kenji (1946-2003), a renowned Japanese chef and author of several cookbooks on traditional Japanese cuisine.
5. KODAMA Yuichi (born 1982), a professional baseball player who has played for the Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball.

The KODAMA surname has been associated with various place names in Japan, such as Kodama-chō (a district in Osaka) and Kodama-mura (a village in Saitama Prefecture), reflecting the family's historical presence and influence in different regions of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kodama

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

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

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

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