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

Matsuo, 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 Matsuo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matsuo in America

Matsuo is the 30442nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matsuo surname appeared 767 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 Matsuo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matsuo 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 Matsuo

The surname Matsuo is of Japanese origin, derived from the old Japanese words "matsu" meaning pine tree and "o" meaning small or little. It likely originated in the 8th or 9th century CE among families residing in rural areas near pine forests in central Japan.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Matsuo name appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an early 9th century imperial chronicle, referring to a village called "Matsuonogo" located in what is now Shiga Prefecture. This suggests the name may have originated as a place name before becoming a family surname.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Matsuo clan rose to prominence as skilled warriors and samurai. Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), the revered poet and master of haiku, is undoubtedly the most famous bearer of this surname. His poems, such as "The Narrow Road to the Deep North," are considered literary masterpieces.

Another notable Matsuo was Matsuo Kinsaku (1744-1820), a mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of eclipses. His work heavily influenced the development of modern astronomy in Japan.

In the late 19th century, Matsuo Gengyo (1835-1903) was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. He established one of Japan's first schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote gender equality in education.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Matsuo Tasuku (1847-1918) was a respected statesman and diplomat who served as Japan's ambassador to several European countries, helping to strengthen international relations and promote Japan's interests abroad.

The Matsuo surname can also be found in ancient place names like Matsuoshima, an island in Kyushu region, and Matsuogawa, a river in Yamanashi Prefecture, both of which likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the name across different regions of Japan over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matsuo

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

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

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

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