2000
#6,858
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,520
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Matsumoto
A Japanese surname meaning "base of the pine tree," referring to a person who lived near pine trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,884 Americans carry the last name Matsumoto. That puts it at #7,527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matsumoto 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
4.9K
1 in 70,179
Census rank
#7,527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,259 bearers of the surname Matsumoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matsumoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and White (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matsumoto
The surname Matsumoto originated in Japan and can be traced back to the early 8th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "matsu" meaning pine tree and "moto" meaning origin or source, suggesting it was initially given to someone who lived near a pine tree or a pine forest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Matsumoto appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an early 9th century historical text that chronicles the reigns of Japanese emperors. It mentions a samurai warrior named Matsumoto no Tsunekata who served under Emperor Kammu during the late Nara period (710-794).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Matsumoto clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Shinano province, modern-day Nagano Prefecture. They were known for their skilled archery and served as retainers to the powerful Ogasawara clan.
In the 16th century, Matsumoto Yasuhiro (1551-1611) was a notable daimyo, or feudal lord, who ruled over the Matsumoto Domain in present-day Nagano Prefecture. He was instrumental in the construction of the iconic Matsumoto Castle, which still stands today as one of Japan's oldest surviving castles.
Another famous individual with the Matsumoto surname was Matsumoto Koshiro II (1666-1746), a renowned Kabuki actor and playwright during the Edo period (1603-1868). He was celebrated for his innovative acting style and for popularizing the aragoto style of Kabuki performance.
In the 20th century, Matsumoto Toshio (1932-2017) was a respected writer and critic who won several prestigious literary awards, including the Akutagawa Prize and the Tanizaki Prize, for his works exploring themes of identity and cultural displacement.
While the name Matsumoto is most commonly associated with Japan, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Japanese diaspora communities. However, its origins can be firmly traced back to the historical regions of Japan and the cultural significance of pine trees in Japanese tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matsumoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Matsumoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and White (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Matsumoto 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 Matsumoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.4% · 3,296
- Two or more races11.2% · 475
- White6.3% · 268
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 204
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matsumoto
Matsumoto 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
#7,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,486
-34 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 563 places
2020
#7,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,259
-227 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,858 | 4,520 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,421 | 4,486 | 1.52 | -34 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 563 places |
| 2020 | #7,527 | 4,259 | 1.42 | -227 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 106 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 Matsumoto 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 | #7,421 | #7,527 | -1.4% |
| Count | 4,486 | 4,259 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.42 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matsumoto bearers went from 4,486 to 4,259 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,421 to #7,527.
FAQ
Matsumoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matsumoto?
Name Census estimates that about 4,884 living Americans carry the surname Matsumoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,179 residents.
How common is Matsumoto?
Matsumoto ranks #7,527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,259 people with the surname Matsumoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,884), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Matsumoto.
Has Matsumoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matsumoto went from 4,486 recorded bearers to 4,259. That is a decrease of 227 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,421 to #7,527.
What does the Census say about the background of Matsumoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matsumoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and White (6.3%). 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 Matsumoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (3,296 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matsumoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.4%), Two or More Races (11.2%), White (6.3%). 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 Matsumoto (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 Matsumoto mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "base of the pine tree," referring to a person who lived near pine trees. 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 Matsumoto (1.42 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 people are called Matsumoto?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Matsumoto on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.