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

Kunimoto, 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 Kunimoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kunimoto in America

Kunimoto is the 118853rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kunimoto surname appeared 146 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 Kunimoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kunimoto 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 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kunimoto

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

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

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

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