Explore the Family Name Ii
The meaning of Ii
Japanese: written 井伊 ‘well’ and ‘that’, the name one of Japan’s great daimyō families, originally based in Tōtōmi (now part of Shizuoka prefecture), later in Kōzuke (now Gunma prefecture) and Ōmi (now Shiga prefecture). Other variants of the name substitute either character with similar sounding characters such as 飯 ‘cooked rice’, 居 ‘residence’, and so forth. It was formerly Romanized as Iyi. — Note: In the population figure published by the US Census Bureau, the Roman number II (meaning ‘the second’, i.e. ‘the younger’ of the two bearers of the name) is apparently also counted as a surname Ii. History: Ii Naomasa (1561–1602) was awarded lands in Kōzuke and Ōmi for his service in the civil wars that won the shōgunate (military dictatorship) for Tokugawa Ieyasu. His family built the beautiful castle of Hikone, which still stands. His descendant Ii Naosuke (1815–60) ruled Japan for two years as Tairō (Great Elder) and played a major part in signing treaties that opened Japan to foreign trade at the end of the Tokugawa Shōgunate. He was assassinated by adherents of the anti-foreign party.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ii in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Ii" has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 79,115 in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it had jumped to the rank of 39,004, indicating a change of 50.7%. In addition, the number of individuals with the surname "Ii" more than doubled from 224 in 2000 to 565 in 2010, a substantial increase of 152.23%. The proportion of this surname per 100k also saw an increase of 137.5%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #79,115 | #39,004 | 50.7% |
| Count | 224 | 565 | 152.23% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.19 | 137.5% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ii
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some notable changes between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased from 25.45% to 7.79%, a decrease of 69.39%. Meanwhile, those identifying as White increased from 42.86% to 50.44%, marking a 17.69% change. The Hispanic community saw the largest growth, with an increase of 281.79% from 3.57% to 13.63%. There was also a significant increase within the Black community, from 16.07% to 26.02%, an increase of 61.92%. There were no reported individuals identifying as American Indian or Alaskan Native in either year, and the proportion of those identifying with two or more races dropped to zero in 2010 from 12.05% in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 42.86% | 50.44% | 17.69% |
| Black | 16.07% | 26.02% | 61.92% |
| Hispanic | 3.57% | 13.63% | 281.79% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 25.45% | 7.79% | -69.39% |
| Two or More Races | 12.05% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |