Explore the Family Name Nishimoto

The meaning of Nishimoto

Japanese: written 西本 ‘(one who lives) to the west’. It is mainly found in western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Masao, Hideo, Kazuo, Masami, Shig, Torao, Yoko, Yoshiji, Akira, Atsushi, Emiko, Fumio.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Nishimoto in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Nishimoto has modestly decreased between 2000 and 2010. The ranking slipped from 19,328 in 2000 to 20,829 in 2010, a decline of 7.77%. Similarly, the number of people with this surname dropped from 1,297 to 1,267 during the same period, marking a decrease of 2.31%. The proportion of individuals named Nishimoto per 100,000 residents also fell by 10.42%, from 0.48 in 2000 to 0.43 in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#19,328	#20,829	-7.77%
Count	1,297	1,267	-2.31%
Proportion per 100k	0.48	0.43	-10.42%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nishimoto

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a shift in the ethnic identity of those carrying the Nishimoto surname. A majority still identifies as Asian/Pacific Islander, although the percentage dropped from 81.96% in 2000 to 74.43% in 2010. However, there were significant increases in those identifying with two or more races (from 10.02% to 15.39%) and those identifying as Hispanic (from 1.93% to 3.47%). Meanwhile, the percentage of Nishimotos identifying as White rose slightly from 6.01% to 6.63% over the decade. It's important to note that no individuals with the surname Nishimoto identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	81.96%	74.43%	-9.19%
Two or More Races	10.02%	15.39%	53.59%
White	6.01%	6.63%	10.32%
Hispanic	1.93%	3.47%	79.79%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%