2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Egami
A Japanese surname meaning "picture" or "art picture".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Egami. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Egami 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Egami in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Egami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.0%) and Hispanic (9.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Egami
The surname EGAMI has its origins in Japan, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese word "egami," which means "a picture or image." This name likely originated in the region of Kyoto, where many artists and craftsmen lived during that time period.
In the late 15th century, there are records of an EGAMI family residing in the city of Nara, which was once the capital of Japan. The name appears in several historical documents from that era, including tax records and land deeds.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname EGAMI was Egami Nobuyuki, a skilled calligrapher and painter who lived in the late 16th century. His works can still be found in several temples and museums throughout Japan.
Another notable figure was Egami Takayoshi, a samurai warrior who served under the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century. He was known for his bravery and loyalty on the battlefield and was awarded several honors for his service.
In the 18th century, an EGAMI family established a successful silk-weaving business in the city of Kyoto. Their intricate designs and high-quality fabrics were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
During the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, Egami Masahiko was a prominent politician and diplomat who played a key role in negotiating treaties with Western nations. He was instrumental in modernizing Japan's foreign policies and fostering international relations.
Another individual of note was Egami Tokuzen, a renowned scholar and educator who lived in the early 20th century. He was a professor at the prestigious Tokyo Imperial University and made significant contributions to the study of Japanese literature and history.
While there have been many other individuals with the surname EGAMI throughout history, these examples highlight the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name. From artists and warriors to businesspeople and academics, the EGAMI surname has left its mark on various aspects of Japanese culture and society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Egami
Among Census respondents with the surname Egami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.0%) and Hispanic (9.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Egami 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 Egami surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander74.6% · 85
- Two or more races14.0% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 11
- White1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Egami
Egami 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+21 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,001 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 12,001 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 9,168 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 Egami 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 | #137,327 | #146,495 | -6.7% |
| Count | 122 | 114 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Egami bearers went from 122 to 114 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 9,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #146,495.
FAQ
Egami surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Egami?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Egami. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Egami?
Egami ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Egami. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Egami.
Has Egami become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Egami went from 122 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Egami?
Among Census respondents with the surname Egami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.0%) and Hispanic (9.6%). 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 Egami in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.6% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Egami appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (74.6%), Two or More Races (14.0%), Hispanic (9.6%). 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 Egami (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 Egami mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "picture" or "art picture". 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 Egami (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 Egami?
Want to know how many people have the last name Egami? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.