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

Oishi, 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 Oishi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oishi in America

Oishi is the 36585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oishi surname appeared 611 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 Oishi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oishi 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 Oishi

The surname Oishi is of Japanese origin and is believed to have originated during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE) in the regions of Chūbu and Kansai. The name is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "oi," meaning big or large, and "shi," which can mean several things, including a cape, a peninsula, or a salt field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oishi can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle from the late 13th century, which mentions an individual named Oishi Yoritsuna, a samurai from the Kanagawa region. Another early reference is in the Taiheiki, a 14th-century war chronicle, which mentions an Oishi Sadatsuna, a samurai loyal to Emperor Go-Daigo during the Nanboku-chō Wars.

In the 17th century, the Oishi name gained particular prominence due to Oishi Yoshio (1659-1703), a samurai who led the famous revenge attack known as the Akō Incident or the Akō Vendetta. Oishi was a retainer of the daimyō Asano Naganori, and after Asano was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), Oishi and his fellow samurai plotted and carried out a successful revenge attack against Asano's enemy, Kira Yoshinaka.

Another notable figure with the Oishi surname was Oishi Masami (1858-1928), a Japanese naval officer and politician who served as the 10th Prime Minister of Japan from 1913 to 1914. He played a crucial role in the modernization of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the establishment of Japan's naval strategy.

In the literary world, Oishi Makoto (1905-1988) was a renowned Japanese poet and essayist. He was known for his free-verse poetry and his contributions to the development of modern Japanese literature.

Oishi Masaaki (1935-2008) was a prominent Japanese businessman and the founder of the electronics company Sanyo. He played a significant role in the growth and success of the company, which became a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics and batteries.

While the Oishi name has its roots in Japan, it has also been adopted by individuals in other countries, particularly in regions with significant Japanese communities or cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oishi

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

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

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

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