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

Kotani, 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 Kotani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kotani in America

Kotani is the 92358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kotani surname appeared 199 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 Kotani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kotani 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 Kotani

The surname Kotani has its origins in Japan, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 8th century AD. The name is derived from the Japanese words "ko" meaning "child" and "tani" meaning "valley," suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have lived in a valley or resided in a region known for its valleys.

During the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the Kotani family is mentioned in several historical records and manuscripts, particularly in the region of present-day Kyoto. One notable example is the mention of a Kotani samurai warrior who fought bravely in the Genpei War (1180-1185 AD), a conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans for control of the Imperial court.

In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the Kotani name is associated with several influential figures, including Kotani Masayuki (1243-1301), a prominent Buddhist monk and scholar who studied under the renowned Zen master Dōgen Zenji. Masayuki is credited with establishing the Daitoku-ji temple complex in Kyoto, which remains an important center of Zen Buddhism to this day.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Kotani name gained prominence in the Kaga domain (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture). Notable figures from this era include Kotani Gengo (1648-1710), a skilled mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of the Japanese calendar system.

In more recent history, the Kotani surname has been carried by several notable individuals, such as Kotani Sumiko (1903-1963), a pioneering feminist and journalist who advocated for women's rights and gender equality in Japan. Another notable figure is Kotani Tsuguharu (1905-1995), a renowned artist and printmaker whose woodblock prints captured the beauty of traditional Japanese landscapes and cultural motifs.

Throughout its long history, the surname Kotani has been associated with various regions in Japan, including Kyoto, Ishikawa, and other areas. The name has also been recorded with slight variations in spelling, such as Kodani or Kodanī, reflecting regional dialects and pronunciation differences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kotani

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

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

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

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