Explore the Family Name Iwamoto
The meaning of Iwamoto
Japanese: written 岩本 ‘(one who lives) near or on the stone’. It is common in west-central Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. One family is named after Iwamoto-mura in Suruga (now part of Shizuoka prefecture); another descends from Minamoto no Yoshimitsu (1056–1127), an ancestor of several samurai families; still another family is of northern Fujiwara descent. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Hiroshi, Shigeo, Kosuke, Masami, Masaru, Nobuo, Satoru, Shuhei, Toshihiko, Akio, Akira, Chika.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Iwamoto in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Iwamoto saw a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. It dropped in rank from 22,612 to 25,102, marking an 11.01% decrease. In terms of actual count, there were 1,061 individuals with this surname in 2000, which decreased by 6.79% to 989 individuals in 2010. The proportion of individuals with the Iwamoto surname per 100,000 people also decreased by 12.82% during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,612 | #25,102 | -11.01% |
| Count | 1,061 | 989 | -6.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.39 | 0.34 | -12.82% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Iwamoto
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals interesting shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Iwamoto surname. In 2000, the majority of Iwamotos identified as Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.79%, but this declined to 79.88% by 2010. Conversely, those identifying as two or more races increased significantly, up 43.48% to 11.22%. Identification as White also rose, from 6.03% to 7.08%. There was a notable decrease among Iwamotos identifying as Hispanic, dropping from 2.36% to 1.82%, while the percentages for Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native remained at 0.00% for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 83.79% | 79.88% | -4.67% |
| Two or More Races | 7.82% | 11.22% | 43.48% |
| White | 6.03% | 7.08% | 17.41% |
| Hispanic | 2.36% | 1.82% | -22.88% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |