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

Kumamoto, 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 Kumamoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kumamoto in America

Kumamoto is the 103655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kumamoto surname appeared 173 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 Kumamoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto

The surname Kumamoto originated in Japan. It is believed to have first emerged in the late 15th century, deriving from the name of the city of Kumamoto, located on the island of Kyushu. The city's name is thought to be derived from the Japanese words "kuma" meaning "bear" and "moto" meaning "origin" or "source", suggesting a potential connection to the region's wildlife or geography.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kumamoto surname can be found in the historical records of the Hosokawa clan, a prominent feudal family that ruled over parts of Kyushu during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). The Hosokawa clan had strong ties to the Kumamoto region, and it is likely that some of their vassals or retainers adopted the name Kumamoto as a reflection of their allegiance or connection to the area.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kumamoto surname gained further recognition as the city of Kumamoto developed into a significant castle town under the rule of the Hosokawa daimyo (feudal lords). Records from this era show several notable individuals bearing the Kumamoto name, including Kumamoto Masataka (1651-1724), a prominent scholar and poet, and Kumamoto Kiyonobu (1688-1757), a skilled painter and calligrapher.

In the late 19th century, following the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of modern Japan, the Kumamoto surname became more widely dispersed throughout the country. One prominent figure from this era was Kumamoto Masahiro (1858-1933), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education who founded several schools in the Kumamoto region.

Another individual of historical significance was Kumamoto Naozaburo (1885-1964), a renowned physicist and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of Japan's early radio and telecommunications technologies.

More recently, the Kumamoto name has been associated with Kumamoto Natsuki (1939-2021), a celebrated writer and author of numerous novels and short stories, many of which explored themes of Japanese culture and identity.

Throughout its history, the Kumamoto surname has maintained a strong connection to the city and region from which it originated, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of place names in Japanese family nomenclature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kumamoto

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

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

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

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