2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hanashiro
A Japanese surname derived from the words "hana" (flower) and "shiro" (castle), potentially referring to someone living near a castle with flowers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Hanashiro. 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 Hanashiro 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 Hanashiro 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 Hanashiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hanashiro
The surname HANASHIRO originated in Japan, with records indicating its use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "hana" meaning flower and "shiro" meaning castle or fortress, suggesting a possible connection to a location or family associated with a floral-themed castle or residence.
Early mentions of the HANASHIRO name can be found in historical Japanese texts and records from the Edo period (1603-1868). One notable instance is in the "Hanashiro Monogatari," a literary work from the 17th century that references a family bearing this surname.
During the Edo period, the HANASHIRO family was known to reside in the Kyushu region, particularly in the areas of Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. Some historical accounts suggest that members of the HANASHIRO clan held positions of influence and authority within local communities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the HANASHIRO surname was Hanashiro Masatoshi, a samurai warrior who lived in the late 16th century and fought in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, a pivotal conflict that marked the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Another notable figure was Hanashiro Tokuzo, a prominent merchant and trader who lived in the 18th century and contributed significantly to the economic development of Nagasaki, facilitating trade between Japan and other nations.
In the 19th century, Hanashiro Akira, a scholar and educator, gained recognition for his contributions to the modernization of Japan's education system, advocating for the incorporation of Western knowledge and ideas.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Hanashiro Mitsuko, a pioneering female artist, gained acclaim for her intricate woodblock prints and paintings, which depicted traditional Japanese scenes and landscapes.
In more recent history, Hanashiro Kenji, an accomplished architect, left his mark on the urban landscape of Tokyo with his innovative designs, including the iconic Hanashiro Tower, completed in the late 20th century.
While the HANASHIRO name has its roots in Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange, carrying with it a rich historical legacy and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hanashiro
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanashiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hanashiro 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 Hanashiro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.8% · 91
- Two or more races12.3% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- White3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hanashiro
Hanashiro 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+14 bearers (+13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,987 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.6%) | Up 4,987 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,387 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 Hanashiro 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 | #142,108 | #146,495 | -3.1% |
| Count | 117 | 114 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hanashiro bearers went from 117 to 114 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,387 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #146,495.
FAQ
Hanashiro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hanashiro?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Hanashiro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Hanashiro?
Hanashiro 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 Hanashiro. 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 Hanashiro.
Has Hanashiro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hanashiro went from 117 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Hanashiro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanashiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Hanashiro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hanashiro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.8%), Two or More Races (12.3%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Hanashiro (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 Hanashiro mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the words "hana" (flower) and "shiro" (castle), potentially referring to someone living near a castle with flowers. 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 Hanashiro (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 common is the surname Hanashiro?
See how many people are called Hanashiro on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.