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

Ronin, 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 Ronin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ronin in America

Ronin is the 126018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ronin surname appeared 136 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 Ronin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ronin 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 Ronin

The surname "RONIN" has its origins in Japan, dating back to the feudal period between the 12th and 19th centuries. It is derived from the Japanese word "ronin," which refers to a samurai warrior who no longer served a lord or master.

During this era, samurai were bound by a strict code of honor and loyalty to their feudal lords. If a samurai's lord was killed or lost his domain, the samurai would become "ronin," or a wandering warrior without a master. This was considered a dishonorable status, and many ronin resorted to mercenary work or even banditry to survive.

The term "ronin" first appeared in historical records and literature during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the samurai class rose to prominence in Japan. One of the earliest known references to a ronin can be found in the "Azuma Kagami" (Mirror of the East), a historical chronicle from the late 13th century.

Prominent examples of ronin from this period include Yoritomo Minamoto (1147-1199), the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, and Yoshitsune Minamoto (1159-1189), a brilliant military commander who later became a ronin after a falling out with his brother, Yoritomo.

During the Sengoku period (1467-1615), a time of constant warfare and political upheaval, the number of ronin increased significantly. One of the most famous ronin from this era was Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645), a renowned swordsman and author of "The Book of Five Rings," a treatise on strategy and philosophy.

Another notable ronin was Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659-1719), who served as a personal attendant to the lord of Saga Domain. After his lord's death, Yamamoto became a ronin and wrote "Hagakure," a influential text on the samurai code of honor and the way of the warrior.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Tokugawa Shogunate established a strict hierarchical system that limited the number of ronin. However, the final years of this period saw the rise of the "Shinsengumi," a special police force composed mainly of ronin who were tasked with protecting the Shogunate from threats.

While the surname "RONIN" is not as common today, it remains an important part of Japanese cultural heritage, representing the ideals of honor, loyalty, and perseverance that were embodied by the samurai warriors of ancient Japan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ronin

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

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

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

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