Explore the Family Name Iwai
The meaning of Iwai
Japanese: 1. written 岩井 ‘stone well’ or 岩居 ‘resides in a stony place’; a common placename. The first is found as a surname in western Japan, the second is more common in eastern Japan. Both are related to the name Ishii, which has similar meanings. 2. alternate reading, in the Ryūkyūan island of Amami, of Ga 2. The name is written 祝 ‘celebration’. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Makoto, Hiroshi, Kazuhiro, Shiro, Yoshio, Akira, Asako, Eiichi, Eiko, Haruhiko, Haruko, Hideko.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Iwai in the United States?
The surname Iwai, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, saw a slight fluctuation in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name dropped by around 4.61%, moving from 49,965th place in 2000 to 52,267th in 2010. Despite this decrease in rank, the actual count of individuals with the surname Iwai increased marginally by 0.76% from 394 to 397 people. However, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by approximately 13.33%, indicating that while the number of people with the Iwai last name grew, it did so at a slower rate than the overall population growth.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #49,965 | #52,267 | -4.61% |
| Count | 394 | 397 | 0.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.13 | -13.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Iwai
When we turn to the ethnic identity associated with the Iwai surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some significant changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander decreased slightly by 3.71%, but still remained the dominant ethnicity at 82.12%. The category of "Two or more races" experienced a substantial increase of 41.21%, moving from 6.60% to 9.32%. The number of those identifying as White declined by 19.70%, while the Hispanic category saw an impressive jump of 53.41%. Notably, there were no individuals with the Iwai surname who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 85.28% | 82.12% | -3.71% |
| Two or More Races | 6.6% | 9.32% | 41.21% |
| White | 5.33% | 4.28% | -19.7% |
| Hispanic | 2.79% | 4.28% | 53.41% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |