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

Niimi, 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 Niimi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Niimi in America

Niimi is the 93125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Niimi surname appeared 197 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 Niimi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Niimi 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 Niimi

The surname NIIMI originates from Japan and dates back to the early Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE). It is derived from the Japanese word "nii" meaning "new" and "mi" meaning "village" or "settlement". This suggests that the name was likely given to families who established themselves in newly founded villages or towns.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the NIIMI surname can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle from the late 13th century. It mentions a samurai warrior named NIIMI Norikata who fought in the battle of Hakozaki in 1274 during the Mongol invasions of Japan.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), the NIIMI clan was based in the Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata Prefecture). They served as local lords and retainers to the powerful Uesugi clan, who ruled over the region.

In the 16th century, a notable figure was NIIMI Munekiyo (1529-1590), a samurai and vassal of the Uesugi clan. He was instrumental in the defense of Echigo against the forces of the Hojo clan during the Sengoku period.

The NIIMI surname is also associated with the town of Niimi, located in Okayama Prefecture. This town was established in the early Edo period (1603-1868 CE) and likely took its name from the NIIMI clan or families who settled there.

Another prominent individual was NIIMI Nariaki (1825-1894), a samurai and political thinker from the late Edo period. He advocated for the modernization of Japan and played a role in the Meiji Restoration of 1868.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912 CE), NIIMI Masahiro (1857-1927) was a significant figure in the development of modern Japanese education. He served as the president of Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) from 1900 to 1912.

In more recent times, NIIMI Nankichi (1913-1943) was a renowned Japanese writer and poet. His works, such as "Jindō Shiki" and "Hōrorō Shū", explored themes of human existence and the beauty of nature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Niimi

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!