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

Onishi, 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 Onishi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Onishi in America

Onishi is the 35993rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Onishi surname appeared 623 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 Onishi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Onishi 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 Onishi

The surname ONISHI originates from Japan and dates back to the 8th century AD. It is derived from the ancient Japanese words "oni" meaning demon or ogre, and "shi" meaning warrior or samurai. The name likely referred to a fierce and courageous warrior of that era.

ONISHI was initially found in the Kyoto region of Japan, where many prominent samurai families resided. Early records show the name appearing in scrolls and manuscripts detailing battles and military campaigns during the Heian period (794-1185 AD).

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the ONISHI surname was Onishi Masatsuna, a revered samurai who lived from 1217 to 1285 AD. He served under the powerful Minamoto clan and was known for his bravery and skill in combat.

Another notable figure was Onishi Yasuaki (1528-1594), a Sengoku-period daimyo (feudal lord) who ruled over parts of present-day Hiroshima Prefecture. He was a skilled strategist and played a pivotal role in several battles during the turbulent era.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the ONISHI name was associated with several prominent families in the Samurai class. One such family resided in the town of Onishi, located in present-day Gunma Prefecture, which likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of their surname.

During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), Onishi Takijiro (1845-1906) was a prominent political figure and diplomat. He played a crucial role in establishing Japan's modern diplomatic relations with Western nations.

Another distinguished individual was Onishi Takijiro (1891-1945), a naval officer who served as the Vice Admiral of the Japanese Imperial Navy during World War II. He was a key strategist in the Battle of Midway and later led the Special Attack Units, known as the "kamikaze" pilots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Onishi

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Onishi, 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!