Inoue

井上 — Above the Well

640,000

Population

#15

Country Rank

0.52%

of Population

Japanese Names

Culture

Origin & History

Inoue means 'above the well' (井上) and denotes families living near or uphill from a communal well — the social heart of traditional villages. The surname appears in records as early as the Nara period. Several distinct Inoue clans arose: one branch claimed descent from Emperor Seiwa through the Minamoto line. The name is most prevalent in western Japan, especially in Hyogo, Osaka, and Fukuoka prefectures.