2000
#61,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 303
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Azuma
A Japanese surname meaning "east village" or "eastern town".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 349 Americans carry the last name Azuma. That puts it at #69,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 982,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Azuma 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
349
1 in 982,104
Census rank
#69,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
304
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 304 bearers of the surname Azuma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Azuma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.2%) and White (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Azuma
The surname Azuma has its origins in Japan, where it first emerged in the 8th century AD during the Nara period. It is derived from the Japanese word "azuma," which means "east" or "rising sun," referring to the eastern regions of Japan.
Azuma was initially used as a geographical term to describe the area now known as the Kanto region, which includes modern-day Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures. The name became associated with prominent clans and families who inhabited this region, eventually becoming a surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Azuma can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle completed in 797 AD. The text mentions an individual named Azuma no Hitoyo, who served as a provincial governor during the reign of Emperor Kammu.
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Azuma clan rose to prominence, with several members holding important positions within the shogunate. Notably, Azuma Kagechika (1271-1342) was a renowned military commander who played a significant role in the defense of Kamakura against the Nitta clan.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Azuma name was associated with various samurai families and daimyo (feudal lords). One prominent figure was Azuma Tomotsune (1605-1678), a skilled swordsman and retainer of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Another notable individual was Azuma Tokunosuke (1737-1805), a renowned painter and calligrapher who contributed to the development of the Nanga (Southern Painting) style in Japan.
During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Azuma Kikusue (1849-1911) was a prominent author and educator who advocated for the modernization of Japanese education and played a role in establishing the country's first public school system.
Throughout history, the name Azuma has also been associated with various place names in Japan. For example, the town of Azumamura in Fukushima Prefecture traces its name back to the ancient Azuma region.
While there are many individuals with the surname Azuma throughout Japanese history, these are a few notable examples that illustrate the name's deep roots and historical significance within Japanese culture and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Azuma
Among Census respondents with the surname Azuma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.2%) and White (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Azuma 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 Azuma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander75.0% · 228
- Two or more races12.2% · 37
- White5.6% · 17
- Black or African American5.3% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Azuma
Azuma 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
#64,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 306
+3 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 3,036 places
2020
#69,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
-2 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 4,671 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,855 | 303 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,891 | 306 | 0.10 | +3 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 3,036 places |
| 2020 | #69,562 | 304 | 0.10 | -2 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 4,671 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 Azuma 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 | #64,891 | #69,562 | -7.2% |
| Count | 306 | 304 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Azuma bearers went from 306 to 304 (-0.7% change). The surname moved down 4,671 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,891 to #69,562.
FAQ
Azuma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Azuma?
Name Census estimates that about 349 living Americans carry the surname Azuma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 982,104 residents.
How common is Azuma?
Azuma ranks #69,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 304 people with the surname Azuma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (349), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Azuma.
Has Azuma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Azuma went from 306 recorded bearers to 304. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #64,891 to #69,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Azuma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Azuma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.2%) and White (5.6%). 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 Azuma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Azuma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (75.0%), Two or More Races (12.2%), White (5.6%). 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 Azuma (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 Azuma mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "east village" or "eastern 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 Azuma (0.10 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 Americans have the surname Azuma?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.