2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Aikawa
A Japanese surname meaning "love river," likely referring to a place of origin near a river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Aikawa. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aikawa surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Aikawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aikawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.1%) and White (11.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aikawa
The surname AIKAWA is of Japanese origin, with its roots tracing back to the 7th century AD during the Asuka period of ancient Japan. The name is believed to be derived from the Old Japanese word "ai" meaning "indigo" or "blue," combined with "kawa" meaning "river." This suggests that the name AIKAWA may have originally referred to a specific geographic location near a river or body of water with an indigo or bluish hue.
One of the earliest documented references to the AIKAWA surname can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, a historical text from the 8th century AD. This ancient chronicle mentions an individual named Aikawa no Sukune, who served as a government official during the reign of Emperor Shōmu in the early 700s.
Another notable figure in the history of the AIKAWA name is Aikawa Yoshisuke (1534-1615), a renowned samurai warrior and retainer of the powerful Toyotomi clan during the Sengoku period. Aikawa Yoshisuke was known for his bravery and loyalty, and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Siege of Odawara in 1590.
In the early 19th century, Aikawa Keiun (1779-1845) was a celebrated Confucian scholar and educator from the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture). Aikawa Keiun established a private academy called the Kōgidō, which attracted students from across Japan and made significant contributions to the promotion of Confucian teachings.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Aikawa Keiun's grandson, Aikawa Toshizō (1857-1915), was a prominent businessman and industrialist. He played a key role in the modernization of Japan's textile industry and was instrumental in the establishment of the Aikawa Cotton Spinning Company, one of the largest textile manufacturers in the country at the time.
In more recent history, Aikawa Hiroshi (1929-2019) was a renowned Japanese architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to the field of sustainable architecture. Some of his notable works include the Saitama Super Arena and the Kyoto International Conference Center.
While the AIKAWA surname has its origins in Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the majority of individuals bearing this surname can still trace their ancestry back to the Japanese archipelago, where the name has a rich and storied history spanning over a millennium.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aikawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Aikawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.1%) and White (11.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Aikawa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Aikawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander68.7% · 68
- Two or more races14.1% · 14
- White11.1% · 11
- Black or African American4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aikawa
Aikawa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-5 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.8%) | Up 39 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Aikawa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #156,005 | 0.0% |
| Count | 104 | 99 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aikawa bearers went from 104 to 99 (-4.8% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,005.
FAQ
Aikawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aikawa?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Aikawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Aikawa?
Aikawa ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 99 people with the surname Aikawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Aikawa.
Has Aikawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aikawa went from 104 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Aikawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aikawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.1%) and White (11.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aikawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.7% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aikawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (68.7%), Two or More Races (14.1%), White (11.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Aikawa (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Aikawa mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "love river," likely referring to a place of origin near a river. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Aikawa (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Aikawa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.