Yoneda last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Yoneda

A Japanese surname meaning "rice paddy valley field".

Yoneda, 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 Yoneda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Yoneda in America

Yoneda is the 56195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Yoneda surname appeared 364 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 Yoneda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Yoneda 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 56195 49965 11.74%
Count 364 394 -7.92%
Proportion per 100k 0.12 0.15 -22.22%

The history of the last name Yoneda

The surname Yoneda originates from Japan and has a rich history dating back hundreds of years. Japan, with its complex feudal system and varied landscape of ruling clans, has a long tradition of surnames that often reflect geographical features, occupations, or significant traits. The name Yoneda can be broken down into two components: "Yone" and "Da." In Japanese, "Yone" translates to "rice," a staple food and significant agricultural product in Japan, and "da" or "ta" often implies a field or location. Thus, Yoneda can be interpreted to mean "rice field," indicating that the original bearers of this surname were likely tied to rice farming or lived near areas where rice cultivation was prominent.

The earliest records of the surname Yoneda appear in historical scrolls and documents from the Edo period (1603-1868). During this time, the Tokugawa shogunate controlled most of Japan, and record-keeping became more systematic. Names like Yoneda would have been recorded in family registries and land ownership documents. The region most associated with the name Yoneda is the Kansai area, which includes well-known prefectures such as Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka. This region has always been a significant cultural and agricultural hub in Japan.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Yoneda is found in a land registry document from the late 17th century. Yoneda Michinobu, born in 1665, was a landowner in the region near Osaka. His family was well-regarded for their rice production, contributing significantly to the local economy. Another historical figure is Yoneda Saneatsu, a samurai who served under a notable daimyo in the early 18th century. Born in 1690, Saneatsu's loyalty and service were documented in various annals of the time.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as Japan underwent rapid modernization during the Meiji and Taisho eras, the Yoneda family continued to make their mark. Yoneda Tadao, born in 1876, was a prominent scholar and educator who wrote extensively on agricultural practices, helping to modernize rice farming techniques in Japan. His contribution to agriculture was pivotal in improving crop yields and sustainability.

Another notable figure with the surname is Yoneda Miyo, born in 1901, who became one of the first female voices in Japan’s education reform movement during the early Showa period. Her efforts were critical in pushing for gender equality in education and had a lasting impact on Japanese society. She authored several publications advocating for women's rights in the academic world.

In the scientific community, Yoneda Nobuo, born in 1930, made significant contributions to mathematics. His work in category theory, especially the Yoneda Lemma, has become a fundamental concept within the field, underlining the theoretical framework that many modern mathematical theories are built upon.

Overall, the Yoneda surname has a storied past deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, agriculture, and academia, spanning several centuries and influencing various spheres of life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Yoneda

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

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 Yoneda was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 6.04% 22
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 78.02% 284
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 13.74% 50
Hispanic Origin 2.20% 8

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 6.04% 4.82% 22.47%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 78.02% 84.77% -8.29%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 13.74% 8.63% 45.69%
Hispanic 2.20% 1.52% 36.56%

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

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

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"Yoneda last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/yoneda-surname-popularity/.

"Yoneda last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/yoneda-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Yoneda last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/yoneda-surname-popularity/.

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