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

Yamaoka, 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 Yamaoka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yamaoka in America

Yamaoka is the 65066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yamaoka surname appeared 305 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 Yamaoka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yamaoka 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 Yamaoka

The surname Yamaoka has its origins in Japan and can be traced back several centuries. It is a compound surname consisting of two kanji characters: "yama" (山), which means "mountain," and "oka" (岡 or 丘), which means "hill" or "ridge." Therefore, Yamaoka can be interpreted to mean "mountain hill" or "mountain ridge," descriptive of the geographical features.

Yamaoka is a surname associated with regions in Japan known for their mountainous terrain. Historically, surnames were often derived from prominent natural features in the area where a family resided. The exact time period of the surname's origin is challenging to pinpoint precisely, but it became more standardized during the Edo period (1603-1868), when the Tokugawa shogunate implemented social policies that included the regulation of surnames.

One of the earliest references to the surname Yamaoka appears in historical records from the Edo period. A notable bearer from this time is Yamaoka Tesshū (1836-1888), a famous samurai, calligrapher, and founder of the Itto Shoden Muto-ryu school of swordsmanship. Tesshū was also a notable figure in the Meiji Restoration, playing a role in negotiating the peaceful surrender of Edo Castle.

In historical documents, variations in the kanji characters for "oka" might appear, sometimes written as 岡 and other times as 丘. These variations do not change the pronunciation but can slightly alter the nuance of the meaning.

Another significant figure is Yamaoka Kagetaka, who served as one of Oda Nobunaga's vassals during Japan’s Sengoku period. His service to Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) placed him at the heart of some of the era's most pivotal military campaigns.

Yamaoka Seisho (born 1812 – died 1886) was another influential figure instrumental in the early Meiji government's efforts to modernize Japan. As a government official, he undertook various diplomatic missions, including traveling to Europe to study Western technology and governance.

The surname continued to be borne by various individuals of note in the creative and academic sectors. Yamaoka Katasuke (1800-1862), a celebrated poet and scholar, contributed to Japanese literature, particularly in the domain of classical poetry.

In contemporary times, although not exactly modern census data, Yamaoka Genjuro (1889-1983), an influential Japanese politician and member of the House of Representatives, is another prominent individual bearing the surname.

Overall, the surname Yamaoka has a rich history intertwined with Japan's social, military, and cultural evolution, with numerous individuals contributing significantly to the nation's development across various periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yamaoka

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

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

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

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