2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hayase
Japanese surname meaning "swift" or "speedy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Hayase. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hayase 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Hayase in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hayase, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hayase
The surname Hayase originates from Japan and dates back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "ha" meaning "leaf" and "yase" meaning "thin" or "slender." The name likely referred to someone who was of a slender build or had a lean appearance.
Historical records show that the Hayase surname first appeared in the Heian period (794-1185) in the Kansai region of Japan. It was a common surname among the samurai class and lower nobility during this time. The earliest known person with the surname Hayase was Hayase no Munetoki, a minor court official who lived in the late 10th century.
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Hayase family gained prominence in the Satsuma Province (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture). They were vassals of the powerful Shimazu clan and served as skilled archers and warriors. One notable figure from this era was Hayase Naomori (1184-1264), a skilled archer who fought in the Mongol invasions of Japan.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Hayase family settled in the Tosa Province (present-day Kochi Prefecture) and became wealthy landowners. They were known for their expertise in falconry and hunting. Hayase Masataka (1634-1697) was a renowned falconer who served under the Tosa daimyo (lord).
In the 19th century, several Hayase individuals made their mark in various fields. Hayase Jokichi (1822-1892) was a prominent educator and founder of the Hayase Gakuen, a private school in Tokyo. Hayase Taisuke (1840-1898) was a politician and diplomat who served as the first Japanese envoy to Korea.
Another notable figure was Hayase Yoshio (1876-1935), a pioneering aviator and one of the first Japanese pilots. He made the first successful powered flight in Japan in 1910 and later established the Hayase Aviation School.
While the Hayase surname is not as common today as it was in the past, it continues to hold a place in Japanese history and culture, with its roots dating back to the ancient samurai and noble classes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hayase
Among Census respondents with the surname Hayase, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hayase 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 Hayase surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander74.2% · 89
- Two or more races16.7% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- White4.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hayase
Hayase 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+7 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,748 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-17 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +7 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 2,748 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 16,767 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 Hayase 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 | #125,282 | #142,049 | -13.4% |
| Count | 137 | 120 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hayase bearers went from 137 to 120 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 16,767 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #142,049.
FAQ
Hayase surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hayase?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Hayase. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Hayase?
Hayase ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Hayase. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Hayase.
Has Hayase become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hayase went from 137 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 17 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Hayase?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hayase, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Hayase in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.2% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hayase appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (74.2%), Two or More Races (16.7%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Hayase (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 Hayase mean?
Japanese surname meaning "swift" or "speedy." 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 Hayase (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 Hayase?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Hayase on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.