Arita last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Arita is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Arita.

Meaning of Arita

An Italian surname derived from the town of Aritola in Calabria.

Arita, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Arita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arita in America

Arita is the 16984th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arita surname appeared 1,673 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Arita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arita to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 16984 23152 -30.74%
Count 1,673 1,029 47.67%
Proportion per 100k 0.57 0.38 40.00%

The history of the last name Arita

The surname Arita is believed to have originated in Japan, derived from the name of the town Arita, located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. The town of Arita has a long history of pottery production, dating back to the early 17th century.

The name Arita is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "aritsu," which means "a place with a ridge." This suggests that the town was named for its geographical location, nestled among ridges or hills. The earliest recorded use of the surname Arita dates back to the late 17th century, when potters and ceramic artisans began to settle in the area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Arita can be found in the writings of German naturalist and explorer Engelbert Kaempfer, who visited Japan in the late 17th century. Kaempfer documented the production of Arita porcelain, which gained international fame for its quality and intricate designs.

In the 18th century, the Arita porcelain industry flourished, and the name Arita became synonymous with fine Japanese ceramics. During this period, several notable potters and ceramic artists with the surname Arita emerged, including Arita Kakiemon (1615-1663), known for his innovative overglaze enamel decoration techniques.

Another prominent figure with the surname Arita was Arita Sahyōe (1688-1756), a renowned potter and artist who helped establish the distinctive Arita porcelain style. His works were highly sought after by Japanese nobility and gained international recognition.

In the 19th century, the Arita name continued to be associated with ceramic production. One notable figure was Arita Tanaka Chōzaburō (1819-1892), a master potter who played a significant role in reviving and preserving traditional Arita porcelain techniques.

Throughout history, the surname Arita has been closely tied to the town's legacy of pottery and ceramic production. While the name's origins can be traced back to the 17th century, it remains an important part of Japan's cultural heritage, symbolizing the country's rich tradition of fine ceramics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arita

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Arita.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Arita was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.84% 81
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 16.80% 281
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.71% 62
Hispanic Origin 73.22% 1,225

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Arita has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.84% 7.29% -40.40%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 16.80% 31.39% -60.55%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 3.71% 3.60% 3.01%
Hispanic 73.22% 56.46% 25.85%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Arita was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Arita, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Arita last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/arita-surname-popularity/.

"Arita last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/arita-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Arita last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/arita-surname-popularity/.

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