2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kunimoto
A Japanese surname potentially derived from "kuni" (country) and "moto" (source), suggesting origins or roots.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 170 Americans carry the last name Kunimoto. That puts it at #122,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,016,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kunimoto 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
170
1 in 2,016,202
Census rank
#122,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
148
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 148 bearers of the surname Kunimoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 122574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.8%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kunimoto
The surname Kunimoto originated in Japan, with historical records dating back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "kuni" meaning country or province, and "moto" meaning origin or source. This suggests the name likely referred to someone's place of origin within a particular region or district.
During the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the Kunimoto family held significant influence and status as landed nobles and samurai warriors in the eastern provinces of Japan. Several references to the Kunimoto clan can be found in historical texts and genealogical records from this era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kunimoto name appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century. It mentions a Kunimoto no Hiromaro, who served as a provincial governor during the reign of Emperor Kammu.
In the 12th century, a Kunimoto no Masatsune was a renowned samurai who fought alongside Minamoto no Yoritomo during the Genpei War. His exploits are documented in the Heike Monogatari, a famous epic chronicle of the war.
During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (1185-1600), the Kunimoto family continued to hold influential roles as daimyo (feudal lords) and military commanders in various regions of central and eastern Japan.
One notable figure was Kunimoto Nobutoki (1513-1575), a skilled archer and loyal retainer of the powerful Hojo clan. He played a crucial role in the defense of Odawara Castle during the siege by Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces in 1590.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kunimoto family served as hatamoto (direct vassals of the Tokugawa shogunate) and held several domains in the Kanto region.
Another prominent individual was Kunimoto Shigeharu (1647-1703), a Confucian scholar and advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate on matters of education and governance.
While the surname Kunimoto is not as widespread as some other Japanese family names, it has a long and distinguished history dating back over a millennium, with many notable individuals who contributed to the political, military, and cultural landscape of Japan throughout its feudal era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kunimoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.8%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kunimoto 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 Kunimoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.1% · 117
- Two or more races10.8% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 8
- White4.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kunimoto
Kunimoto 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
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+16 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,681 places
2020
#122,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+2 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 3,721 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 3,681 places |
| 2020 | #122,574 | 148 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 3,721 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 Kunimoto 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 | #118,853 | #122,574 | -3.1% |
| Count | 146 | 148 | 1.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kunimoto bearers went from 146 to 148 (+1.4% change). The surname moved down 3,721 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #122,574.
FAQ
Kunimoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kunimoto?
Name Census estimates that about 170 living Americans carry the surname Kunimoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,016,202 residents.
How common is Kunimoto?
Kunimoto ranks #122,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 148 people with the surname Kunimoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (170), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Kunimoto.
Has Kunimoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kunimoto went from 146 recorded bearers to 148. That is an increase of 2 (+1.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #118,853 to #122,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Kunimoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.8%) and Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Kunimoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kunimoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.1%), Two or More Races (10.8%), Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Kunimoto (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 Kunimoto mean?
A Japanese surname potentially derived from "kuni" (country) and "moto" (source), suggesting origins or roots. 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 Kunimoto (0.05 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 many Americans have the surname Kunimoto?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.