2000
#23,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,029
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Arita
An Italian surname derived from the town of Aritola in Calabria.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,607 Americans carry the last name Arita. That puts it at #12,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,475 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arita 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
2.6K
1 in 131,475
Census rank
#12,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,273 bearers of the surname Arita in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.3%) and White (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arita
Among Census respondents with the surname Arita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.3%) and White (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Arita 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 Arita surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.9% · 1,770
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.3% · 280
- White5.5% · 124
- Two or more races3.0% · 68
- Black or African American1.3% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arita
Arita appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#16,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,673
+644 bearers (+62.6%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 6,168 places
2020
#12,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,273
+600 bearers (+35.9%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 4,059 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,152 | 1,029 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,984 | 1,673 | 0.57 | +644 bearers (+62.6%) | Up 6,168 places |
| 2020 | #12,925 | 2,273 | 0.76 | +600 bearers (+35.9%) | Up 4,059 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 Arita 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 | #16,984 | #12,925 | 23.9% |
| Count | 1,673 | 2,273 | 35.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.76 | 33.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arita bearers went from 1,673 to 2,273 (+35.9% change). The surname moved up 4,059 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,984 to #12,925.
FAQ
Arita surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arita?
Name Census estimates that about 2,607 living Americans carry the surname Arita. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,475 residents.
How common is Arita?
Arita ranks #12,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,273 people with the surname Arita. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Arita.
Has Arita become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arita went from 1,673 recorded bearers to 2,273. That is an increase of 600 (+35.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,984 to #12,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Arita?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arita, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.3%) and White (5.5%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (1,770 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arita appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.3%), White (5.5%). 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 Arita (2000, 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 Arita mean?
An Italian surname derived from the town of Aritola in Calabria. 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 Arita (0.76 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 last name Arita?
See how many people are called Arita on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.