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

Morimoto, 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 Morimoto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morimoto in America

Morimoto is the 20541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morimoto surname appeared 1,291 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 Morimoto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morimoto 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 Morimoto

The surname Morimoto has its origins in Japan, dating back several centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "mori," meaning forest or grove, and "moto," meaning source or origin. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near or originated from a forested area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Morimoto name can be found in the historical records of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). A samurai warrior named Morimoto Nobuyuki (born around 1200) is mentioned in the chronicles of the time, serving under the renowned shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Morimoto family gained prominence in the Kanto region of Japan. In the 16th century, a influential landowner named Morimoto Takenobu (1525-1592) is recorded as having played a significant role in the local politics and governance of the area.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Morimoto name was particularly prevalent in the city of Edo, now known as Tokyo. One notable figure from this time was Morimoto Masahiro (1678-1744), a respected scholar and calligrapher who contributed to the preservation of traditional Japanese arts and culture.

The 19th century saw the rise of Morimoto Katsunoshin (1810-1879), a prominent businessman and entrepreneur who established a successful trading company in Osaka. His business ventures played a crucial role in the city's economic development during the late Edo and early Meiji periods.

Another noteworthy individual with the Morimoto surname was Morimoto Tokuchu (1868-1944), a renowned painter and printmaker who helped popularize the ukiyo-e art form in the early 20th century. His works are celebrated for their vivid depictions of traditional Japanese life and landscapes.

Throughout its history, the Morimoto name has been associated with various place names and regions within Japan. For instance, the town of Morimoto-cho in Shizuoka Prefecture is believed to have derived its name from the presence of Morimoto families in the area. Additionally, variations in the spelling of the name, such as Morimouto or Morimoto, have been documented in historical records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morimoto

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

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

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

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