2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hirasawa
A surname derived from the names of locations in Japan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Hirasawa. 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 Hirasawa 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 Hirasawa 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 Hirasawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and White (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hirasawa
The surname Hirasawa has its roots in Japan, originating during the 8th century CE. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "hira," meaning "flat" or "level," and "sawa," meaning "marsh" or "swamp." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived in or near a flat, marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hirasawa can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century. This text mentions a person named Hirasawa no Sukune, who held a prominent position in the imperial court.
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Hirasawa clan was known to be a influential samurai family based in the Kanto region. Several members of this clan served as retainers to the Hojo regents, who ruled Japan during that time.
In the 14th century, a Buddhist monk named Hirasawa Shuncho (1296-1379) gained recognition for his calligraphic works and contributions to the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.
The name Hirasawa also appears in various historical documents from the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), including records of merchants, artisans, and scholars. One notable figure from this era was Hirasawa Kyokuzan (1666-1735), a renowned scholar and poet who served as a tutor to the shogunate.
Another prominent individual with the surname Hirasawa was Hirasawa Keishiro (1819-1900), a scholar and educator who played a significant role in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji era.
During the 20th century, Hirasawa Keiko (1914-1987) gained fame as a celebrated author and playwright, known for her works exploring the struggles of women in modern Japanese society.
It is worth noting that the name Hirasawa has also been associated with various place names in Japan, such as Hirasawa-mura (a village) and Hirasawa-go (a district), which may have influenced the origin and spread of the surname.
While the surname Hirasawa may not be among the most common in Japan today, it has a rich historical legacy spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, including samurai, monks, scholars, artists, and writers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hirasawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Hirasawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and White (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hirasawa 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 Hirasawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.2% · 95
- Two or more races10.0% · 12
- White9.2% · 11
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hirasawa
Hirasawa 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-13 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,161 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+9 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,298 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 21,161 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.1%) | Up 6,298 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 Hirasawa 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 | #148,347 | #142,049 | 4.2% |
| Count | 111 | 120 | 8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hirasawa bearers went from 111 to 120 (+8.1% change). The surname moved up 6,298 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #142,049.
FAQ
Hirasawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hirasawa?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Hirasawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Hirasawa?
Hirasawa 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 Hirasawa. 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 Hirasawa.
Has Hirasawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hirasawa went from 111 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 9 (+8.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Hirasawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hirasawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and White (9.2%). 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 Hirasawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hirasawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.2%), Two or More Races (10.0%), White (9.2%). 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 Hirasawa (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 Hirasawa mean?
A surname derived from the names of locations in Japan. 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 Hirasawa (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 have the surname Hirasawa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.