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

Murai, 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 Murai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murai in America

Murai is the 46725th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murai surname appeared 455 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 Murai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murai 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 Murai

The surname MURAI originates from Japan and has been traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "murai" which means "forest village" or "village in the woods". This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name likely lived in rural settlements surrounded by wooded areas.

One of the earliest recorded appearances of the MURAI name can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) records of the Kamakura Shogunate, which ruled over parts of Japan during that time. These historical documents mention several individuals with the MURAI surname serving as samurai warriors or minor government officials.

In the Muromachi period (1336-1573), there are references to a MURAI family residing in the Iga region of present-day Mie Prefecture. This family was known for their expertise in the art of ninjutsu and served as skilled spies and assassins for various feudal lords.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), a prominent figure named MURAI Kinjo (1733-1817) rose to fame as a highly skilled swordsmith and sword polisher. His works were highly sought after by samurai and daimyo (feudal lords) throughout Japan.

Another notable MURAI was Osamu MURAI (1905-1989), a Japanese diplomat and ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. He played a crucial role in facilitating international relations and diplomacy during the post-World War II era.

In modern times, the name MURAI has also been associated with several notable personalities, such as Kunihiko MURAI (1912-1995), a renowned Japanese sculptor and artist known for his abstract and modernist works, and Minoru MURAI (born 1958), a Japanese businessman and entrepreneur who co-founded the popular messaging app LINE.

While the MURAI surname may have originated from a specific geographical region in Japan, it has since spread throughout the country and even to other parts of the world due to migration and global diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murai

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

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

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

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