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

Shiba, 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 Shiba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shiba in America

Shiba is the 58042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shiba surname appeared 350 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 Shiba.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shiba 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 Shiba

The surname "SHIBA" is of Japanese origin, dating back to the 8th century CE. It is believed to have originated from the word "shiba," which means "brushwood" or "small bushes" in Japanese. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with people who lived in areas with dense brushwood or worked in occupations related to forestry or woodcutting.

The earliest recorded instances of the name "SHIBA" can be found in ancient Japanese records and manuscripts from the Heian period (794-1185 CE). During this time, Japan adopted the Chinese system of surnames, and many families took on names that reflected their occupations, locations, or characteristics.

One of the earliest known references to the name "SHIBA" appears in the "Shoku Nihongi," a historical chronicle compiled in the late 8th century CE. This document mentions a person named "Shiba no Tsunehira," who served as a government official during the reign of Emperor Kammu (737-806 CE).

In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the name "SHIBA" gained prominence as several influential families and individuals bore this surname. For instance, Shiba Yoshimasa (1350-1410 CE) was a renowned Buddhist monk and founder of the Shiba branch of the Shingon sect of Buddhism.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Shiba clan was a prominent samurai family that held significant influence and land holdings in the Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata Prefecture). One notable member of this clan was Shiba Yoshimune (1680-1749 CE), a skilled swordsman and strategist who served as a retainer to the Tokugawa shogunate.

Another important figure with the surname "SHIBA" was Shiba Kokan (1747-1818 CE), a famous painter and scholar of the Edo period. He was renowned for his intricate and detailed ukiyo-e woodblock prints, which depicted scenes from everyday life and landscapes.

In more recent history, Shiba Ryotaro (1923-1996 CE) was a celebrated Japanese novelist and playwright who won numerous literary awards, including the prestigious Akutagawa Prize and the Order of Culture from the Emperor of Japan.

While the surname "SHIBA" is primarily associated with Japan, it has also been documented in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and cultural exchanges. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above highlight the deep roots and significance of this surname within Japanese culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shiba

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

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

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

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