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

Noguchi, 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 Noguchi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Noguchi in America

Noguchi is the 31360th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Noguchi surname appeared 739 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 Noguchi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Noguchi 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 Noguchi

The surname Noguchi originates from Japan and dates back to the early 15th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "no" meaning "field" or "plain" and "guchi" which is a variation of the word "kuchi" meaning "entrance" or "mouth." The name likely originated from a location description, referring to someone who lived near the entrance to a field or plain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Noguchi name appears in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) records. These documents mention a family of warriors and landowners from the Kanagawa region near present-day Tokyo who bore the Noguchi name. Over time, the name spread to other regions of Japan as the family expanded.

Historical records from the Muromachi period (1336-1573) mention several influential Noguchi samurai and retainers, including Noguchi Moriyoshi (1456-1524), a skilled archer and military strategist who served under the Takeda clan in Kai Province (now part of Yamanashi Prefecture).

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Noguchi name became more widespread across Japan. Noguchi Hideyo (1725-1806), a prominent scholar and poet from Kyoto, is known for his contributions to the study of classical Japanese literature. Another notable figure was Noguchi Shukucho (1668-1731), a Buddhist monk and calligrapher from Edo (now Tokyo).

In the 19th century, Noguchi Naokichi (1834-1897) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Noguchi Medical School, one of the first modern medical institutions in Japan.

The sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988), born in Los Angeles to a Japanese father and American mother, was a renowned artist known for his modern sculptures and public works around the world. He is perhaps the most famous person to bear the Noguchi surname internationally.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Noguchi

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

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

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

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