Explore the Family Name Shirai

The meaning of Shirai

Japanese: written 白井 ‘white well’. It is found mostly in eastern Japan. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Eiji, Takeshi, Akira, Atsuo, Atsushi, Hiro, Hiroko, Hiromi, Hiromichi, Isami, Junji, Junko.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Shirai has been increasing in the United States. In 2000, it was the 55,849th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 48,347th position, a change of 13.43%. The number of individuals with this surname also rose from 343 to 437 during this period, an increase of 27.41%. Moreover, the proportion per 100,000 people also saw a growth of 15.38%, going from 0.13 to 0.15.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#55,849	#48,347	13.43%
Count	343	437	27.41%
Proportion per 100k	0.13	0.15	15.38%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shirai

When examining the ethnic identity of individuals with the Shirai surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that Asian/Pacific Islander is the predominant ethnicity associated with the name. In 2000, 88.63% of individuals with the surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, and while this decreased slightly to 86.27% in 2010, it remained the dominant ethnic identity. During this same period, we see an increase in the proportion of those identifying as two or more races from 4.96% to 7.09%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as White fell from 5.25% to 4.81%. There were no recorded individuals with the surname identifying as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000. However, by 2010, there was a slight presence of individuals identifying as Hispanic at 1.14%.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	88.63%	86.27%	-2.66%
Two or More Races	4.96%	7.09%	42.94%
White	5.25%	4.81%	-8.38%
Hispanic	0%	1.14%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%