Surname Kojima - Meaning and Origin
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Kojima: What does the surname Kojima mean?
The last name Kojima (小嶋) is a Japanese surname derived from the eponymous Kojima region in the former Kai Province (today's Yamanashi Prefecture). It's found in both the Koshi and Tohoku area.
The literal meaning of Kojima is “small island” since the name comes from one of the many small islands situated between the larger islands of the prefecture. In addition to island living, the Kojima were also believed to have been involved with fishing, as indicated by the presence of various fish-related terms in the region's local dialect.
Historically, the name Kojima was used to distinguish people from the area. It can also be found in both ancient and modern books and records, showing that it has been a popular surname for multiple generations.
Kojima is still a fairly common surname today and is used by those descended from those who lived in the Kojima area. It is a reminder of the island’s lasting significance to this day.
The surname is thought to have originated in earlier times, as it was common for people to adopt the place of their origin as their surname. The Kojima region remains well-known to this day, and the people who adopt this surname are likely to be proud of their roots.
Order DNA origin analysisKojima: Where does the name Kojima come from?
The last name Kojima is most commonly found in Japan today, where it is one of the most common surnames. It is estimated that there are over 1.3 million people with the surname Kojima throughout Japan, making it the 33rd most common last name in the country. It is also common in other nearby countries, particularly in China and South Korea.
The exact origin of the name is unknown, but it is believed to be linked to the ancient Japanese syllabary. The characters for Kojima, 小島, also mean small island. It is thought that many people with the surname had originally lived near small islands. It is also possible that the name could have been given to people who traveled to Japan from other countries, such as China, Korea, and Taiwan.
Outside of East Asia, the name Kojima can be found in other parts of the world, primarily in countries with large Japanese populations, such as the United States, Brazil, and Canada. The name is much less common in these places than in Japan and other East Asian countries, however.
In summary, the last name Kojima is most commonly found in Japan today, where it is the 33rd most common surname. It can also be found in China, South Korea, and other parts of East Asia, as well as in countries with large Japanese populations, such as the United States, Brazil, and Canada.
Variations of the surname Kojima
The surname Kojima is a common Japanese surname, which is spelled in various ways including 小島, 小嶋, 小峰, 小出, 小路, 甲島, and many more. As surnames can change over generations, many variants, spellings and surnames have emerged from the original Japanese surname. The simplest variant of Kojima is typically written as Ko(ji)ma, containing both the Kanji characters 'Kō' (小) and 'Jima' (島). Kojima is believed to have originated from the Japanese words 'Kō' meaning 'little' and 'Jima' meaning 'island', referring to a small island located in an area of Japan where the family originated.
Other variants of the Kojima surname include Koizumi, Koyama, Komine, Kouno, Koide, Kokubo, Kobashi, Kumagai, Kuba, Koike, Konno, Kosugi, Kaneya, Kuroki, Kurisu, Kanda, Kotarou, Kikuchi, Kushimoto, and more. Similarly, spellings can vary as well, including 'Koいじま' (Kojima in Katakana, a Japanese syllabary used to write foreign words), 'Koじま' (Kojima in Hiragana, a Japanese syllabary used mainly to write native Japanese words), and 'コジマ' (Kojima in Romaji, the alphabetical transliteration of Japanese).
Surnames derived from Kojima include Kota, Koshiba, Kohara, Kogane, Koki, Konno, Kome, Kodama, Kuto, Kipping, Kobrane, and Koje. Depending on which area of Japan the family originated from, some of these surnames may bear slightly different spellings or characters. For instance, the surname Motoki, which is derived from Kojima, is written as もとき (Motoki) in Katakana, モトキ (Motoki) in Hiragana, and 門木 (Motoki) in Kanji.
In conclusion, the surname Kojima has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. From the original combination of Kanji characters, numerous branches of the surname have emerged over time due to changes in spelling, pronunciation, and regional origin, creating a wide diversity in the names associated with Kojima.
Famous people with the name Kojima
- Hideo Kojima: He is a famous and internationally recognised video game designer, developer, director, and writer. He is best known for his work on the Metal Gear franchise.
- Yoshinori Kojima: He is a renowned anime scriptwriter and director. He is best known for directing several episodes of Pokémon and for being a screenwriter on the 2019 Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside anime.
- Mitsuru Kojima: He is an acclaimed Japanese actor and voice actor. He has been in many popular films and television shows, such as Gintama.
- Kenshi Kojima: He is a Japanese actor, singer, songwriter, dancer, and voice actor. He is best known for his role in several films, TV shows, commercials and musicals, including the live action adaptation of The Last: Naruto the Movie.
- Yoshiki Kojima: He was a renowned Japanese professional wrestler. He is most well-known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling.
- Kosuke Kojima: He is a professional tennis player from Japan who is currently ranked 165th in the world rankings.
- Rika Kojima: She is a professional female tennis player from Japan and has been playing since 2013.
- Emi Kojima: She is a Japanese singer-songwriter who is known for her upbeat pop/rock music and catchy lyrics.