2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Atagi
A Japanese surname possibly derived from the archaic word "ata," meaning "territory."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Atagi. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Atagi 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Atagi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Atagi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 36.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (33.1%) and White (19.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Atagi
The surname Atagi originated in Japan, emerging in the 16th century. It is derived from the Japanese word "atagaru," which means "to give or present." The name is believed to have been given to individuals who worked as gift-bearers or presenters in noble households or at imperial ceremonies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Atagi surname can be found in the "Kinkafu," a genealogical record of Japanese noble families compiled in the late 16th century. The record mentions an Atagi family from the Owari Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture).
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Atagi surname was particularly prominent in the Kyoto region, where several families bearing this name held positions as imperial court attendants or worked in the service of influential noble houses.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Atagi Shingon (1732-1804) gained recognition as a highly skilled calligrapher and poet. His works were celebrated for their elegance and technical mastery.
Another prominent individual with the Atagi surname was Atagi Kannon (1806-1878), a Buddhist monk and scholar from Kyoto. He is renowned for his contributions to the study and preservation of ancient Buddhist texts and teachings.
The Atagi surname can also be found in historical records from the Edo period related to the arts, particularly in the field of traditional Japanese theater. One such figure was Atagi Genzaburo (1778-1842), a renowned Kabuki actor and playwright known for his dynamic performances and innovative plays.
In the late 19th century, during the Meiji Restoration, an influential politician and statesman named Atagi Nobuyoshi (1841-1906) played a crucial role in the modernization and westernization of Japan's political and legal systems.
While the Atagi surname has its roots in Japan, over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have migrated to other parts of the world, contributing to the global diversity of this lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Atagi
Among Census respondents with the surname Atagi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 36.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (33.1%) and White (19.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Atagi 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 Atagi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander36.4% · 44
- Two or more races33.1% · 40
- White19.0% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 12
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Atagi
Atagi appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,860 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,860 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 Atagi 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 | #136,449 | #141,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 123 | 121 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Atagi bearers went from 123 to 121 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,860 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #141,309.
FAQ
Atagi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Atagi?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Atagi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Atagi?
Atagi ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Atagi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Atagi.
Has Atagi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Atagi went from 123 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Atagi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Atagi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 36.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (33.1%) and White (19.0%). 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 Atagi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 36.4% (44 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Atagi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (36.4%), Two or More Races (33.1%), White (19.0%). 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 Atagi (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 Atagi mean?
A Japanese surname possibly derived from the archaic word "ata," meaning "territory." 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 Atagi (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 share the surname Atagi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.