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

Asakura, 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 Asakura surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Asakura in America

Asakura is the 110286th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Asakura surname appeared 160 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Asakura.

We can also compare 2010 data for Asakura 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.

The history of the last name Asakura

The surname Asakura is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century during the Muromachi period. It is believed to have originated from the Asakura clan, a prominent feudal family that ruled over parts of present-day Fukui Prefecture on the island of Honshu.

The name Asakura is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "asaka," meaning "bright" or "morning sun," and the word "ra," which was a common suffix used in naming regions or territories. This suggests that the Asakura clan may have initially controlled an area known for its eastern orientation or favorable exposure to the morning sun.

Historical records indicate that the Asakura clan played a significant role in the power struggles that characterized the Sengoku period (1467-1615) in Japan. Notable figures from this clan include Asakura Takakage (1428-1481), who led the clan during its peak and fought against the powerful Yamana clan, and Asakura Norikage (1477-1555), who temporarily allied with the famous warlord Oda Nobunaga.

The Asakura name can be found in various historical documents and records from the 15th to 17th centuries, such as the Taiheiki, a chronicle of the Nanboku-chō period, and the Asakura-shi, a genealogical record of the Asakura clan. These sources provide insights into the clan's activities, territories, and connections with other noble families.

Outside of the Asakura clan itself, some notable historical figures with this surname include Asakura Tōgo (1892-1972), a Japanese naval officer and politician who served as the 43rd Prime Minister of Japan from 1944 to 1945, and Asakura Natsumi (1540-1592), a renowned courtesan and poet during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

Other individuals with the Asakura surname worth mentioning are Asakura Fumio (1883-1964), a Japanese inventor and engineer known for his contributions to the development of the fax machine, and Asakura Hisashi (1916-2003), a celebrated Japanese author and literary critic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Asakura

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

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 Asakura was:

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 Asakura has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Asakura was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!