2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hoshiko
A Japanese surname derived from words meaning "star" and "child".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Hoshiko. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hoshiko 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Hoshiko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoshiko, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (29.1%) and White (14.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hoshiko
The surname HOSHIKO originates from Japan, with roots dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868). It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "hoshi" meaning "star" and "ko" signifying "child" or "offspring." This suggests that the name HOSHIKO may have initially referred to someone born under an auspicious star or celestial event.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the HOSHIKO name can be found in the Tokugawa Shogunate's official family registers (koseki) from the late 17th century. These records were meticulously maintained to document the lineage and ancestry of samurai clans and prominent families.
In the Edo period, the HOSHIKO family likely originated from the Kanto region, encompassing modern-day Tokyo and surrounding prefectures. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the areas around the former Edo Castle, which was the center of power for the Tokugawa Shogunate.
During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), when Japan underwent rapid modernization and westernization, the HOSHIKO name gained wider recognition. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Hoshiko Tatsuo (1856-1923), a prominent educator and founder of one of Japan's first modern schools for girls.
Another historical figure was Hoshiko Masako (1879-1948), an early female journalist and advocate for women's rights in Japan. Her writings and activism played a significant role in raising awareness about gender equality and women's suffrage during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the realm of literature, Hoshiko Kazuko (1901-1975) was a celebrated novelist and poet known for her lyrical works capturing the beauty of nature and the human experience. Her literary achievements earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Imperial Prize for Literature in 1962.
Moving into the 20th century, Hoshiko Yukio (1920-1999) was a renowned architect who contributed to the modernist movement in Japanese architecture. His iconic designs, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, left an indelible mark on the urban landscape of Japan's capital.
Lastly, Hoshiko Michiyo (1938-2018) was a highly respected scholar and expert on Japanese traditional arts and culture. Her extensive research and publications on topics like Noh theater and tea ceremony earned her recognition both domestically and internationally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hoshiko
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoshiko, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (29.1%) and White (14.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hoshiko 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 Hoshiko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander49.1% · 54
- Two or more races29.1% · 32
- White14.5% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hoshiko
Hoshiko appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,099 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,099 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 Hoshiko 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 | #149,446 | -0.7% |
| Count | 111 | 110 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hoshiko bearers went from 111 to 110 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #149,446.
FAQ
Hoshiko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hoshiko?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Hoshiko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Hoshiko?
Hoshiko ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Hoshiko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Hoshiko.
Has Hoshiko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hoshiko went from 111 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Hoshiko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hoshiko, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (29.1%) and White (14.5%). 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 Hoshiko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.1% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hoshiko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (49.1%), Two or More Races (29.1%), White (14.5%). 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 Hoshiko (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 Hoshiko mean?
A Japanese surname derived from words meaning "star" and "child". 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 Hoshiko (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 Hoshiko?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hoshiko on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.