Explore the Family Name Kamiya
The meaning of Kamiya
Japanese: written 神谷 ‘divine valley’; also pronounced Kamitani (in western Japan), Kamegai, and Kabeya. It is a habitational name. One family, descendants of the Iwaki branch of the Taira clan, took the name from Kamiya-mura in Iwaki (now part of Fukushima prefecture). Other families descend from the northern Fujiwara through the Utsunomiya family, and through Fujiwara no Hidesato (10th century) by his descendant Iga and Satake families. The pronunciation Kamiya is mainly found in eastern Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. It can also be written 上谷 ‘upper valley’ or 紙屋 ‘paper shop’. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Akira, Keiko, Sanae, Tomoko, Akihide, Eiichi, Fumiaki, Genichi, Hideaki, Hiroaki, Hiroko, Hirotsugu.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kamiya in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Kamiya" has slightly increased over a decade. In 2000, Kamiya was ranked 43,157th and increased marginally to 43,077th in 2010. The count of individuals bearing this surname also grew from 472 in 2000 to 502 in 2010, marking a 6.36% increase. Despite these changes, the proportion of people with the Kamiya surname per 100k remained steady at 0.17.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #43,157 | #43,077 | 0.19% |
| Count | 472 | 502 | 6.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kamiya
The ethnicity breakdown for the Kamiya surname, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, showed notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, although their percentage dropped from 81.78% in 2000 to 77.49% in 2010. Individuals identifying with two or more ethnicities saw an increase, climbing from 8.26% to 10.36%. A significant rise was observed among those claiming Hispanic ethnic identity, jumping from 1.91% to 4.78%. The percentage of Kamiyas identifying as white decreased by 14.17%, while there was a new appearance of black ethnicity at 1.20% in 2010. No change was recorded for those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 81.78% | 77.49% | -5.25% |
| Two or More Races | 8.26% | 10.36% | 25.42% |
| White | 7.2% | 6.18% | -14.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.91% | 4.78% | 150.26% |
| Black | 0% | 1.2% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |