2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ashida
A Japanese surname derived from the name of a city or town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Ashida. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashida 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Ashida in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashida, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Two or More Races (10.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ashida
The surname ASHIDA is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the feudal era of the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Iga Province, a mountainous region in present-day Mie Prefecture known for its skilled ninja clans.
The name ASHIDA is derived from the Japanese words "ashi" meaning "foot" and "da" meaning "rice paddy." This combination suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived or worked in the rice paddies, possibly as farmers or agricultural workers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ASHIDA can be found in the Iga-monogatari, a historical text from the late 16th century that details the exploits of the Iga ninja clans. The text mentions an ASHIDA Yorihide, a skilled ninja who served under the famous warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the ASHIDA family played a prominent role in the region's ninja traditions. ASHIDA Mitsuhide (1582-1654), a renowned ninjutsu master, authored several influential texts on the art of stealth and espionage, which were widely studied by samurai and ninja alike.
In the 18th century, ASHIDA Kangan (1710-1782) gained recognition as a skilled calligrapher and painter, his works depicting scenes from the ninja's way of life. His paintings and scrolls are now preserved in various museums and private collections.
Another notable figure was ASHIDA Nobunaga (1825-1898), a philosopher and strategist who wrote extensively on the application of ninja principles in warfare and politics. His writings influenced the military strategies of the Meiji Restoration and the modernization of Japan's armed forces.
During the 20th century, ASHIDA Tatsuhiro (1914-1998) was a prominent martial artist and teacher of ninjutsu. He established the Bujinkan Dojo, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional martial arts of the Iga region, including the techniques of the ASHIDA ninja clan.
While the ASHIDA surname is relatively uncommon outside of Japan, it remains closely associated with the historical legacy of the Iga ninja clans and their contributions to the martial arts and cultural traditions of Japan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashida
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashida, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Two or More Races (10.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashida 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 Ashida surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.3% · 85
- White10.9% · 12
- Two or more races10.0% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashida
Ashida 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,956 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+9 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 18,956 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 10,266 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 Ashida 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 | #159,712 | #149,446 | 6.4% |
| Count | 101 | 110 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashida bearers went from 101 to 110 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 10,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #149,446.
FAQ
Ashida surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashida?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Ashida. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Ashida?
Ashida ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Ashida. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Ashida.
Has Ashida become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashida went from 101 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 9 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashida?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashida, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.9%) and Two or More Races (10.0%). 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 Ashida in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.3% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashida appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.3%), White (10.9%), Two or More Races (10.0%). 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 Ashida (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 Ashida mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the name of a city or town. 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 Ashida (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 have the surname Ashida?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.