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

Shiraishi, 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 Shiraishi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shiraishi in America

Shiraishi is the 42378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shiraishi surname appeared 512 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 Shiraishi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shiraishi 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 Shiraishi

The surname SHIRAISHI is of Japanese origin, dating back to the late 10th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "shira" meaning white and "ishi" meaning stone or rock, likely referring to a person who lived near a white or light-colored rocky area.

The name first appeared in records from the Kyoto region of Japan, where it was associated with samurai families and minor nobility. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in a 1087 document listing landowners in the area around present-day Kyoto.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the SHIRAISHI name gained prominence as several members of the family served as high-ranking officials and military commanders under the Minamoto and Hojo shogunates. Notably, Shiraishi Michitoki (1192-1262) was a skilled strategist and advisor to the first Kamakura shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo.

In the 16th century, the SHIRAISHI name was found among the retainers and vassals of the powerful Tokugawa clan. One notable figure was Shiraishi Yoshitsugu (1537-1597), a skilled archer and warrior who fought in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which solidified the Tokugawa shogunate's control over Japan.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the SHIRAISHI family continued to hold positions of influence and status. Shiraishi Naohiro (1670-1742) was a prominent Confucian scholar and educator, while Shiraishi Takatsune (1805-1879) was a respected samurai and administrator who served under the Tokugawa shogunate.

In more modern times, Shiraishi Sakuko (1856-1936) was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in Japan, establishing several schools and organizations dedicated to promoting education and social reform.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname SHIRAISHI, which has its roots in the ancient samurai and noble classes of Japan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shiraishi

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

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

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

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