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

Kuroiwa, 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 Kuroiwa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kuroiwa in America

Kuroiwa is the 89069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kuroiwa surname appeared 208 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 Kuroiwa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kuroiwa 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 Kuroiwa

The surname KUROIWA is of Japanese origin, originating in the late 16th century. It is a combination of two Japanese words, "kuro" meaning black, and "iwa" meaning rock or boulder. The name likely referred to a person who lived near a distinct black rock formation or mountain.

KUROIWA is believed to have initially emerged in the Kansai region of Japan, particularly in the former provinces of Izumi, Kawachi, and Settsu. Historical records from the Edo period (1603-1868) mention samurai families bearing the KUROIWA name in these areas.

One of the earliest recorded references to the KUROIWA surname can be found in the Kojiruien, a Japanese dictionary of family names compiled in 1689. It lists the name as a variant of the more common surname Kuroi, derived from the same root word "kuro" meaning black.

In the 18th century, a samurai named KUROIWA Yoshitaka (1718-1801) served as a retainer to the Tokugawa shogunate. He was known for his expertise in military strategy and is mentioned in several historical texts from the late Edo period.

Another prominent figure was KUROIWA Ruiko (1856-1920), a Japanese feminist and pioneer in women's education. She founded one of the first private girls' schools in Tokyo and was a vocal advocate for women's rights and gender equality.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), the KUROIWA surname was also found in the former provinces of Musashi (now part of Tokyo) and Awa (now part of Chiba Prefecture). Some notable individuals from this time include KUROIWA Masahiro (1874-1942), a politician and member of the House of Representatives, and KUROIWA Takako (1888-1972), a renowned painter and member of the Imperial Art Academy.

In the 20th century, KUROIWA Hiromi (1927-2001) was a respected writer and literary critic. She received numerous awards for her work, including the Noma Literary Prize and the Yomiuri Prize for Literature.

While not as common as some other Japanese surnames, KUROIWA has a long and varied history, with its roots tracing back to the samurai class and its bearers making significant contributions in fields such as politics, art, and literature over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kuroiwa

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

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

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

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