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

Yamat, 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 Yamat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yamat in America

Yamat is the 65782nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yamat surname appeared 301 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 Yamat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yamat 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 Yamat

The surname Yamat traces its origins to Japan, with historical roots anchored in the Nara and Heian periods (8th to 12th centuries). The name is believed to derive from the ancient province of Yamato, which is often considered the cradle of Japanese civilization. Yamato has significant historical importance, as it was the region from which the early Japanese imperial family emerged. The characters for Yamato (大和) can be translated to mean "great harmony" or "great peace," reflecting a cultural and ideological aspiration of early Japanese society.

The name Yamat appears sporadically in historical records, often in various forms including Yamato and Yamada, reflecting local dialectical and orthographic preferences. One of the earliest recorded instances of a person bearing a similar name appears in the Kojiki, a chronicle of Japan's ancient myths compiled around 712 AD, where various clan leaders and individuals from the Yamato ascended to historical prominence.

A significant historical figure with a variant of the surname is Yamato Takeru, a legendary prince in Japanese mythology who lived around the 4th century. Although his name is often written and spoken as Yamato, historical manuscripts like the Nihon Shoki, another ancient chronicle compiled in 720 AD, often include phonetic variations like Yamat.

During the feudal era of Japan, the name Yamat appears in land and tax records, pointing to the name's persistence among samurai clans and agrarian communities. One notable individual is Yamat no Otorii, a lesser-known samurai from the Sengoku period (circa 1467-1600), who was documented in the Taiheiki, a historical military epic chronicling the wars of the time.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), the surname Yamat continued to be recorded in various han (feudal domains), often associated with individuals in administrative roles or local governance. Another historically significant person is Yamat Kichibei, a merchant documented in trade records from the late Edo period, contributing to the flourishing commerce in Kyoto and Osaka.

Lastly, the surname appears in Meiji-era census records, pointing to a continuation of the name into modern Japan. Yamat Keiji, a figure documented in the early 1900s, played a role in the industrialization efforts during Japan's rapid modernization period. His contributions in engineering are noted in several Meiji-period journals and publications.

Overall, the surname Yamat encapsulates a rich tapestry of Japanese history, connected through various periods and individuals who contributed to the cultural and social framework of Japan. Its roots in the region of Yamato underscore significant historical and cultural values that have persisted through centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yamat

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

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

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

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