Their use traces back to ancient times when they began to be used as titles signifying a family's political and social status.
[1] At first, the kabane were administered by individual clans, but eventually they came to be controlled by the Yamato imperial court.
As the court's national unification efforts progressed, a kabane was given to the most powerful families, which gradually became a hereditary noble title, and new ones were created.
[2] Some of the more common kabane were Omi (臣), Muraji (連), Sukune (宿禰), Kuni no miyatsuko (国造), Kimi (君, or 公), Atai (直), Fubito (史), Agatanushi (県主), and Suguri (村主).
[4] During this reform, the kabane was no longer tied to a specific occupation or political position, but simply began to signify a family's aristocratic lineage and social status.