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

Kumai, 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 Kumai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kumai in America

Kumai is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kumai surname appeared 117 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 Kumai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kumai 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 Kumai

The surname KUMAI originates from Japan, with roots dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Old Japanese word "kumagai," which means "eternal" or "everlasting." This name was initially concentrated in the regions of Honshu and Kyushu, where it was adopted by several noble families during the Heian period (794-1185).

One of the earliest known references to the KUMAI name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early 9th-century historical text that chronicles the lives of Japanese emperors and nobility. The text mentions a prominent samurai warrior named Kumai no Takahiro, who served under the Imperial Court during the reign of Emperor Kammu (737-806).

In the 12th century, the KUMAI name appeared in the Heike Monogatari, a famous Japanese epic that recounts the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of the Imperial Court. The text mentions a skilled archer named Kumai no Yoshitsuna, who fought bravely in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in 1184.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the KUMAI family established a prominent presence in the city of Kamakura, which served as the seat of the Shogunate. One notable figure from this era was Kumai no Masatsugu (1170-1252), a renowned Buddhist monk and calligrapher who studied under the famous Zen master Dogen.

As the centuries passed, the KUMAI name spread throughout Japan, and several notable individuals emerged. In the 16th century, Kumai Kotora (1537-1594) was a skilled swordsmith who crafted blades for many samurai warriors during the Sengoku period.

Another prominent figure was Kumai Tokinosuke (1699-1771), a influential merchant and financier who played a crucial role in the economic development of Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the Tokugawa shogunate.

In more recent times, Kumai Kiyoshi (1878-1949) was a renowned painter and printmaker who helped popularize the Japanese woodblock printing technique known as ukiyo-e during the Meiji and Taisho periods.

Throughout its long history, the KUMAI name has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as "Kumagai," "Kumae," and "Kumae-no-sho." These variations reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of Japan's regions, as well as the evolution of the Japanese writing system over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kumai

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

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

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

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