SurnameNo. 19 in Japan
Hayashi
Hayashi (林) is the 19th most common surname in Japan, shared by an estimated 0.55 million people. Its kanji mean grove.
は · や · し · はやし
What Hayashi means
林
grove
Where the name comes from
Like most Japanese surnames, Hayashi describes a place. Its kanji point to a grove, the kind of landmark a family was known by when surnames became compulsory for everyone in 1875.