Explore the Family Name Nishiyama

The meaning of Nishiyama

Japanese: written 西山 ‘western mountain’. This is a common placename and surname; the surname is found mostly in western Japan and the island of Okinawa. Some bearers are descended from the Fujiwara clan. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Kaoru, Hitoshi, Fumie, Hiroshi, Masanori, Shigeru, Yasuo, Yosuke, Akira, Emiko, Fumio, Ikuko.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Nishiyama" has seen a decrease in its popularity over the years in the United States. In 2000, it was ranked 37,881st and slipped to 42,579th by 2010, marking a 12.4% decline. The number of individuals carrying this surname also dropped from 551 to 509 during the same time period, representing a 7.62% decrease. Meanwhile, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 15%, settling at 0.17.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#37,881	#42,579	-12.4%
Count	551	509	-7.62%
Proportion per 100k	0.2	0.17	-15%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nishiyama

When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a shift for those bearing the Nishiyama surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander fell by 9% to 75.64%. However, there was a significant increase in the proportion identifying with two or more ethnicities, jumping from 6.17% to 11.79%. The percentage of those identifying as white modestly increased by 11.02% to reach 8.06%, while those identifying as Hispanic grew by 14.56% to account for 3.54% of the total. The census recorded no change in those identifying as Black, American Indian, or Alaskan Native.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	83.12%	75.64%	-9%
Two or More Races	6.17%	11.79%	91.09%
White	7.26%	8.06%	11.02%
Hispanic	3.09%	3.54%	14.56%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%