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

Uechi, 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 Uechi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Uechi in America

Uechi is the 116201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Uechi surname appeared 150 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 Uechi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Uechi 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 Uechi

The surname UECHI is of Japanese origin, originating from the Okinawan region. It is derived from the ancient Okinawan word "uechi," meaning "above the house" or "above the village," indicating that the name bearers likely lived in elevated areas or hilltop settlements.

The UECHI surname can be traced back to the 15th century in Okinawa, during the period of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Some of the earliest records of the name appear in official documents and local histories from that time. The name was prominent among families residing in the northern regions of Okinawa, particularly in the villages of Nago and Motobu.

One notable mention of the UECHI surname is found in the "Omoro Soshi," a collection of ancient Okinawan poetry and songs from the 17th century. A poet with the surname UECHI is referenced in this literary work, though their specific identity remains uncertain.

The earliest known individual bearing the UECHI surname was Uechi Kanga, a prominent warrior and military strategist who lived in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the defense of Okinawa against Japanese invasion attempts during the Satsuma Conquest.

Another notable figure was Uechi Kanbun (1661-1741), a scholar and philosopher who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the traditional cultural heritage of Okinawa. He is credited with establishing one of the earliest schools for the study of Okinawan literature and history.

In the 19th century, Uechi Choshin (1824-1897) gained recognition as a skilled practitioner and teacher of Okinawan martial arts. He is regarded as one of the founders of the Uechi-ryu style of karate, which bears his family name.

The UECHI surname also has historical ties to the Yaeyama Islands, a remote archipelago southwest of Okinawa. Records indicate that a branch of the UECHI family settled in these islands during the 17th century, where they were influential landowners and community leaders.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the UECHI surname have been observed, including Uechi, Weechi, and Wechi, reflecting the different ways of transcribing the Okinawan pronunciation into written form.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Uechi

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

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

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

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