Kobayashi

由来と歴史

Kobayashi means 'small forest' (小林) and is a topographic surname for families living near a small woodland grove. The name arose during the late Heian and Kamakura periods as warriors and farmers adopted place-descriptive surnames. It is especially common in Nagano, Niigata, and Kanagawa prefectures and is one of the most widely distributed surnames in eastern Japan.