Find out how popular the last name Hirata is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hirata.

Hirata, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hirata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hirata in America

Hirata is the 18614th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hirata surname appeared 1,479 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hirata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hirata to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hirata

The surname HIRATA has its origins in Japan, dating back to the 8th century CE. It is believed to have been derived from the Japanese word "hirata," which means "flat land" or "plain." This suggests that the name may have been associated with people who lived in flat or open areas, possibly farmers or landowners.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HIRATA surname can be found in the "Shoku Nihongi," an early Japanese chronicle completed in 797 CE. This historical text mentions an individual named HIRATA no Atsushi, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 CE).

During the Heian period (794-1185 CE), the HIRATA family gained prominence as prominent landowners and scholars. The "Nihon Shoki," an early Japanese historical text completed in 720 CE, mentions a HIRATA no Kanetomo, who was a renowned scholar and poet.

In the 13th century, a HIRATA named Toshitsune played a significant role in the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate, serving as a trusted advisor to the first Shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo.

The HIRATA surname also has associations with Buddhism. In the 16th century, a Buddhist monk named HIRATA Shunshō (1554-1618) gained fame for his calligraphy and poetry.

Another notable individual with the HIRATA surname was Atsutane HIRATA (1776-1843), a prominent Shinto scholar and philosopher who played a significant role in the revival of Shinto studies during the Edo period.

Other notable figures with the HIRATA surname include the Meiji era poet Kaname HIRATA (1836-1908), the physicist Riichi HIRATA (1902-1957), and the writer and critic Hosai HIRATA (1776-1853).

Throughout its long history, the HIRATA surname has been associated with various professions, including scholars, artists, government officials, and religious figures, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hirata

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hirata.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hirata was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hirata has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hirata was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hirata, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!