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

Nishimura, 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 Nishimura surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nishimura in America

Nishimura is the 12732nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nishimura surname appeared 2,424 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nishimura.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nishimura 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 Nishimura

The surname Nishimura is of Japanese origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The name is derived from the combination of two Japanese words, "nishi" meaning west and "mura" meaning village, suggesting that the family originated from a western village or settlement.

One of the earliest known references to the Nishimura name can be found in the historical records of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868. Several samurai warriors and feudal lords bore the Nishimura surname during this era, including Nishimura Shigenao (1638-1718), a prominent daimyo (feudal lord) who governed the Akita Domain in northern Japan.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Nishimura name was also associated with various merchant families and artisans. One notable figure was Nishimura Shigenaga (1693-1756), a celebrated woodblock print artist known for his intricate ukiyo-e prints depicting scenes from Kabuki theater and everyday life in Edo (present-day Tokyo).

In the late 19th century, as Japan underwent modernization and westernization during the Meiji Restoration, the Nishimura name gained prominence in various fields. Nishimura Shigeki (1828-1902) was a prominent samurai and statesman who played a crucial role in the formation of the Imperial Japanese Army, serving as the first Chief of the Army General Staff.

Another notable figure was Nishimura Yukio (1850-1924), a pioneering educator and founder of one of Japan's earliest modern schools, the Keio Gijuku University. His contributions to the advancement of education in Japan were widely recognized, and he was awarded the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun.

In more recent times, the Nishimura name has been associated with achievements in various fields, including sports, literature, and business. Nishimura Hiroshi (1927-2003) was a celebrated novelist and essayist, known for his works exploring themes of modern Japanese society and human relationships. Nishimura Shingo (born 1977) is a professional baseball player who has played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.

The surname Nishimura continues to be widely used across Japan, reflecting its rich historical roots and the contributions of its bearers to various aspects of Japanese culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nishimura

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

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

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

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