2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Asami
A Japanese surname derived from a district name or location in Japan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Asami. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asami 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Asami in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Two or More Races (11.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asami
The surname "ASAMI" is of Japanese origin, with roots dating back to the 8th century AD. It is a locational name, derived from the name of a specific area or village, likely located in the Kansai region of Japan.
In ancient Japanese texts, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Asamyi" and "Asami-no-sato," which translates to "the village of Asami." These early records suggest that the name may be connected to a prominent family or clan that inhabited the area during the Nara and Heian periods.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Asami was Asami no Mabiki, a renowned calligrapher and poet who lived during the late 12th century. His works were highly regarded and can be found in several anthologies from the Kamakura era.
During the Sengoku period (1467-1603), the Asami clan played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the region. Asami Nobumori (1532-1591) was a skilled samurai and retainer of the powerful Tokugawa clan, known for his bravery and loyalty on the battlefield.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Asami family flourished as wealthy merchants and landowners. Asami Gensuke (1651-1711) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist who funded the construction of several temples and bridges in his hometown.
Another notable figure was Asami Keisai (1718-1794), a renowned scholar and artist who made significant contributions to the study of Japanese literature and the revitalization of traditional painting techniques.
During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), the Asami family continued to play an influential role in various fields. Asami Hiroshi (1863-1925) was a highly respected educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote gender equality in education.
Throughout its long history, the surname Asami has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from artists and scholars to warriors and merchants, all of whom have left an indelible mark on Japanese culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asami
Among Census respondents with the surname Asami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Two or More Races (11.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Asami 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 Asami surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander71.2% · 79
- White11.7% · 13
- Two or more races11.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asami
Asami 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-4 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,049 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-18 bearers (-14.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 11,049 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.0%) | Down 17,286 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 Asami 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 | #131,379 | #148,665 | -13.2% |
| Count | 129 | 111 | -14.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asami bearers went from 129 to 111 (-14.0% change). The surname moved down 17,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #148,665.
FAQ
Asami surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asami?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Asami. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Asami?
Asami ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Asami. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Asami.
Has Asami become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asami went from 129 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Asami?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.2%. The next largest groups are White (11.7%) and Two or More Races (11.7%). 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 Asami in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.2% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asami appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (71.2%), White (11.7%), Two or More Races (11.7%). 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 Asami (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 Asami mean?
A Japanese surname derived from a district name or location in Japan. 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 Asami (0.04 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 are called Asami?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Asami on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.