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

Matsuyama, 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 Matsuyama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Matsuyama in America

Matsuyama is the 54178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Matsuyama surname appeared 381 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 Matsuyama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama

The surname Matsuyama has its origins in Japan, where it emerged during the feudal period of the country's history, which spanned from the 12th to the 19th century. The name is derived from the Japanese words "matsu," which means pine tree, and "yama," meaning mountain, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have hailed from a region near pine-covered mountains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Matsuyama surname can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when it appeared in historical records related to samurai families and noble clans. During this time, surnames were still relatively rare, but they gradually became more widespread as a means of identifying lineages and establishing social status.

In the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Matsuyama surname gained further prominence, particularly in the Kyushu region of Japan, where several notable figures bore this name. One such individual was Matsuyama Kiyohide (1512-1572), a powerful daimyo (feudal lord) who controlled territories in what is now Fukuoka Prefecture.

As the Edo period (1603-1868) dawned, the Matsuyama surname continued to be associated with influential samurai families and regional lords. One notable example was Matsuyama Nobuharu (1597-1636), a renowned military commander who served under the Tokugawa shogunate.

In the late 19th century, during the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), the practice of using hereditary surnames became more widespread among the general population. This led to an increased prevalence of the Matsuyama surname across various regions of Japan.

Throughout history, the Matsuyama surname has been associated with several notable individuals, including Matsuyama Masao (1859-1925), a pioneering Japanese artist who played a significant role in the development of Western-style painting in Japan, and Matsuyama Kenshi (1877-1961), a revered Buddhist scholar and calligrapher.

In more recent times, the name Matsuyama has gained international recognition through individuals such as Hideki Matsuyama (born 1992), a professional golfer who became the first Japanese man to win a major championship when he claimed the 2021 Masters Tournament.

While the surname Matsuyama has its roots in feudal Japan, it has endured through the centuries and continues to be a prominent name in various fields, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and history associated with this Japanese surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Matsuyama

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

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

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

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