Shiroma last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Shiroma

An ethnically Japanese surname originating from the Okinawan term shiroma meaning "citrus village".

Shiroma, 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 Shiroma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shiroma in America

Shiroma is the 23019th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shiroma surname appeared 1,110 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 Shiroma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shiroma 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 23019 21814 5.38%
Count 1,110 1,111 -0.09%
Proportion per 100k 0.38 0.41 -7.59%

The history of the last name Shiroma

The surname Shiroma has its origins in the island of Okinawa, Japan, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Okinawan word "shima," which means island, and "ma," meaning a gap or space. This suggests that the name may have originated from a locality or settlement situated between islands or in a coastal area.

Records from the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled over Okinawa in the 15th to 19th centuries, show instances of the surname being used by families residing in the central and northern regions of the island. The name's earliest documented appearance is found in a land registry from 1612, listing a farmer named Shiroma Chobun as a landowner in the village of Kunigami.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Shiroma name was Shiroma Seikan (1753-1823), a scholar and poet who contributed to the development of the Okinawan literary tradition. His works, including the poetry collection "Omoro Soshi," are considered significant in preserving the island's cultural heritage.

The 19th century saw the rise of Shiroma Fukutoku (1822-1890), a prominent political leader and advocate for Okinawan autonomy. He played a crucial role in negotiating with the Japanese government during the island's annexation in 1879, striving to protect the rights and interests of Okinawan people.

Another influential figure was Shiroma Bukan (1879-1958), a renowned educator and linguist who dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the Okinawan language. His contributions included the publication of several dictionaries and textbooks, which helped preserve the language's rich heritage.

In more recent times, Shiroma Mitsuru (1920-2002) gained recognition as a prominent businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Shiroma Corporation, a successful construction company, and donated generously to various educational and cultural institutions in Okinawa.

While the surname Shiroma is predominantly found in Okinawa, it has also spread to other parts of Japan due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots can be traced back to the island's rich cultural history and the significant contributions made by individuals bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shiroma

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

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 Shiroma was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 6.94% 77
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 72.43% 804
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 12.52% 139
Hispanic Origin 6.40% 71

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 Shiroma has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 6.94% 7.02% -1.15%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 72.43% 78.40% -7.92%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 12.52% 9.00% 32.71%
Hispanic 6.40% 4.86% 27.35%

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

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

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.