2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kuboyama
A Japanese surname derived from "kubo" meaning "hut" and "yama" meaning "mountain".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Kuboyama. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kuboyama 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Kuboyama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuboyama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.4%) and White (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuboyama
The surname KUBOYAMA is of Japanese origin, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the late 16th century during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The name is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "kubo," meaning "hut" or "small house," and "yama," meaning "mountain," suggesting a possible connection to a specific geographical location or landscape feature.
One of the earliest references to the KUBOYAMA name can be found in historical records from the Satsuma Domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) during the late 16th century. These records document the existence of a samurai family bearing the KUBOYAMA surname, who served under the Shimazu clan, a powerful feudal clan in the region.
In the early 17th century, during the Edo period, the KUBOYAMA name appears in records related to the Hosokawa clan, another prominent feudal clan based in the Kumamoto Domain (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture). It is likely that members of the KUBOYAMA family held positions within the Hosokawa clan's administration or military ranks.
One notable figure in Japanese history who bore the KUBOYAMA surname was Kuboyama Masanao (1593-1670), a skilled swordsman and martial artist who served as a retainer to the Hosokawa clan. Kuboyama Masanao is credited with developing and refining the Hosokawa-ryu style of swordsmanship, which became influential in the region.
Another prominent individual with the KUBOYAMA name was Kuboyama Ichiro (1832-1891), a samurai from the Satsuma Domain who later became a politician and statesman during the Meiji Restoration. Kuboyama Ichiro played a significant role in the modernization efforts of the newly formed Meiji government and served in various administrative positions.
In the late 19th century, the KUBOYAMA surname can be found in records related to the development of the Japanese silk industry. Kuboyama Kiyoshi (1858-1923), a businessman from Kyoto, established one of the first modern silk-reeling factories in Japan, contributing to the country's economic growth during the Meiji period.
While the KUBOYAMA name is not as widely known as some other Japanese surnames, it has a rich history deeply intertwined with the samurai culture, regional power dynamics, and economic developments of Japan over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuboyama
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuboyama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.4%) and White (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuboyama 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 Kuboyama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.8% · 95
- Two or more races13.4% · 16
- White4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuboyama
Kuboyama 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,391 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,560 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,391 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,560 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 Kuboyama 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 | #139,228 | #142,788 | -2.6% |
| Count | 120 | 119 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuboyama bearers went from 120 to 119 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,560 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,788.
FAQ
Kuboyama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuboyama?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Kuboyama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Kuboyama?
Kuboyama ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 119 people with the surname Kuboyama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kuboyama.
Has Kuboyama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuboyama went from 120 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuboyama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuboyama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.4%) and White (4.2%). 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 Kuboyama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuboyama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.8%), Two or More Races (13.4%), White (4.2%). 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 Kuboyama (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 Kuboyama mean?
A Japanese surname derived from "kubo" meaning "hut" and "yama" meaning "mountain". 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 Kuboyama (0.04 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 common is the surname Kuboyama?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Kuboyama on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.