2000
#10,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,678
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Fujimoto
A Japanese surname meaning "wisteria origin," referring to someone who lived near or worked with wisteria plants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,823 Americans carry the last name Fujimoto. That puts it at #12,087 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fujimoto surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 121,415
Census rank
#12,087
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,462 bearers of the surname Fujimoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12087th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fujimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.7%) and White (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fujimoto
The surname Fujimoto originates from Japan and has its roots dating back to the early 7th century. It is a combination of two Japanese words, "fuji" meaning wisteria and "moto" meaning origin or source. This suggests that the name may have been derived from an area or location where wisteria plants were abundant or perhaps a family's occupation was related to the cultivation or harvesting of wisteria.
One of the earliest documented references to the Fujimoto name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle completed in 797 AD. This ancient text mentions a person named Fujimoto no Tsunekiyo, who held a prominent position in the imperial court during the Nara period (710-794 AD).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the Fujimoto family gained recognition as a samurai clan based in the Kanto region of central Japan. Records from this era indicate that the Fujimoto clan played a significant role in the military conflicts and power struggles of the time.
A notable figure from this period was Fujimoto Nobuyori (1164-1238), a skilled warrior and military strategist who served under the powerful Minamoto clan. He fought in several battles, including the Gempei War, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate.
In the Muromachi period (1336-1573 AD), the Fujimoto name appeared in various historical documents related to the arts and cultural pursuits. One such individual was Fujimoto Tsunetsugu (1394-1457), a renowned Noh actor and playwright who contributed significantly to the development of traditional Japanese theater.
Moving into the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Fujimoto family continued to play a role in various aspects of Japanese society. Fujimoto Kizan (1628-1704) was a highly respected scholar and artist who made notable contributions to the field of Japanese literature and poetry.
Another prominent figure from this period was Fujimoto Tokoyo (1659-1719), a skilled samurai and military strategist who served under the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was known for his expertise in fortification and castle defense.
Throughout its long history, the Fujimoto surname has been associated with various regions and place names across Japan, including the Kanto, Chubu, and Kansai regions. While the spelling has remained relatively consistent over the centuries, some variations such as Fujimoto, Fujimoto, and Fujimoto have been documented in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fujimoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Fujimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.7%) and White (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fujimoto bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Fujimoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander74.9% · 1,845
- Two or more races13.7% · 338
- White6.9% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 101
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fujimoto
Fujimoto appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,580
-98 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 1,175 places
2020
#12,087
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,462
-118 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,907 | 2,678 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,082 | 2,580 | 0.87 | -98 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,175 places |
| 2020 | #12,087 | 2,462 | 0.82 | -118 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 5 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Fujimoto surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,082 | #12,087 | -0.0% |
| Count | 2,580 | 2,462 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.82 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fujimoto bearers went from 2,580 to 2,462 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,082 to #12,087.
FAQ
Fujimoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fujimoto?
Name Census estimates that about 2,823 living Americans carry the surname Fujimoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,415 residents.
How common is Fujimoto?
Fujimoto ranks #12,087 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,462 people with the surname Fujimoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,823), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Fujimoto.
Has Fujimoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fujimoto went from 2,580 recorded bearers to 2,462. That is a decrease of 118 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,082 to #12,087.
What does the Census say about the background of Fujimoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fujimoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.7%) and White (6.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fujimoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.9% (1,845 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fujimoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (74.9%), Two or More Races (13.7%), White (6.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Fujimoto (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Fujimoto mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "wisteria origin," referring to someone who lived near or worked with wisteria plants. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Fujimoto (0.82 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Fujimoto?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Fujimoto on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.