2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Shibayama
A locative surname indicating someone who lived near a brushwood mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Shibayama. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shibayama surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Shibayama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shibayama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (9.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shibayama
The surname Shibayama is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the 8th century CE. It is believed to have originated in the Kanto region of central Japan, specifically in the area around present-day Tokyo. The name is derived from two words: "shiba," meaning "grassland," and "yama," meaning "mountain." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name lived in a hilly or mountainous area covered in grasslands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shibayama name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle completed in 797 CE. The chronicle mentions a minor nobleman named Shibayama no Mitsunori, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 CE).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Shibayama family rose to prominence as a samurai clan. They were vassals of the powerful Hojo clan, who ruled as shoguns from their base in Kamakura. A notable member of the Shibayama clan was Shibayama Yoshitsugu (1263-1324), a skilled warrior who fought in the Mongol invasions of Japan.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Shibayama clan were daimyo, or feudal lords, ruling over a small domain in the Kanto region. One of the most influential figures from this era was Shibayama Naotsune (1640-1718), who served as a senior advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate.
The Shibayama name can also be found in various place names throughout Japan, such as Shibayama-cho in Tochigi Prefecture and Shibayama-mura in Gunma Prefecture. These locations were likely named after the family or their ancestral lands.
Other notable individuals bearing the Shibayama surname include:
1. Shibayama Zenkei (1390-1453), a renowned Zen Buddhist monk and calligrapher.
2. Shibayama Hiroyuki (1890-1974), a Japanese diplomat who served as ambassador to several countries.
3. Shibayama Katsuhiko (1925-2005), a renowned economist and professor at the University of Tokyo.
4. Shibayama Renzo (born 1947), a celebrated architect known for his innovative designs.
5. Shibayama Hitomi (born 1986), a professional tennis player who has represented Japan in international competitions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shibayama
Among Census respondents with the surname Shibayama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (9.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shibayama bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shibayama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.2% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 10
- Two or more races9.9% · 10
- White3.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shibayama
Shibayama appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 10,384 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 10,384 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 4,442 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shibayama surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #159,712 | #155,270 | 2.8% |
| Count | 101 | 101 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shibayama bearers went from 101 to 101 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 4,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #155,270.
FAQ
Shibayama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shibayama?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Shibayama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Shibayama?
Shibayama ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Shibayama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Shibayama.
Has Shibayama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shibayama went from 101 recorded bearers to 101. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Shibayama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shibayama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Two or More Races (9.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shibayama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.2% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shibayama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.2%), Hispanic (9.9%), Two or More Races (9.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shibayama (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shibayama mean?
A locative surname indicating someone who lived near a brushwood mountain. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shibayama (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Shibayama?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Shibayama at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.