2000
#11,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,595
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Ikeda
A Japanese surname meaning "pond" or "rice paddy" combined with "rice field," referring to the family's agricultural origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,813 Americans carry the last name Ikeda. That puts it at #12,128 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,847 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ikeda 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
2.8K
1 in 121,847
Census rank
#12,128
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,453 bearers of the surname Ikeda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12128th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ikeda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and White (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ikeda
The surname Ikeda originated in Japan and has its roots dating back to the 8th century. The name is derived from the Japanese words "Ike," meaning "pond," and "da," meaning "rice field." It likely referred to a geographical location or a place name where the original bearers of the name lived or worked.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ikeda surname can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century. This historical document mentions an individual named Ikeda no Sukune, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Ikeda clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Settsu Province (present-day Osaka and Hyogo prefectures). They played a crucial role in supporting the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War (1180-1185) and were rewarded with land and titles.
Notable figures with the Ikeda surname include Ikeda Terumasa (1565-1613), a renowned daimyo (feudal lord) who ruled over the Himeji Domain. He was known for his military prowess and for strengthening the defenses of Himeji Castle, one of Japan's most famous castles.
Another prominent figure was Ikeda Mitsunari (1560-1600), a daimyo and one of the leading figures in the Western Army during the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Although his forces were ultimately defeated, he is remembered for his loyalty and bravery.
In the realm of literature, Ikeda Mokuami (1838-1895) was a celebrated Kabuki playwright and poet during the late Edo and early Meiji periods. He is credited with reviving the Kabuki theater and introducing innovative techniques in his plays.
During the Meiji Era (1868-1912), Ikeda Yoichi (1836-1887) was a prominent statesman and diplomat who played a crucial role in the modernization of Japan. He served as the first ambassador to Austria-Hungary and later became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Throughout its history, the Ikeda surname has been associated with various regions in Japan, including Osaka, Hyogo, and Hiroshima prefectures, where the name remains prevalent today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ikeda
Among Census respondents with the surname Ikeda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and White (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ikeda 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 Ikeda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.4% · 1,873
- Two or more races12.3% · 301
- White6.7% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 106
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ikeda
Ikeda 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
#11,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,675
+80 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 516 places
2020
#12,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,453
-222 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,200 | 2,595 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,716 | 2,675 | 0.91 | +80 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 516 places |
| 2020 | #12,128 | 2,453 | 0.82 | -222 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 412 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 Ikeda 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 | #11,716 | #12,128 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,675 | 2,453 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.82 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ikeda bearers went from 2,675 to 2,453 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 412 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,716 to #12,128.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ikeda
FAQ
Ikeda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ikeda?
Name Census estimates that about 2,813 living Americans carry the surname Ikeda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,847 residents.
How common is Ikeda?
Ikeda ranks #12,128 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,453 people with the surname Ikeda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,813), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ikeda.
Has Ikeda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ikeda went from 2,675 recorded bearers to 2,453. That is a decrease of 222 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,716 to #12,128.
What does the Census say about the background of Ikeda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ikeda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.3%) and White (6.7%). 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 Ikeda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.4% (1,873 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ikeda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.4%), Two or More Races (12.3%), White (6.7%). 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 Ikeda (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 Ikeda mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "pond" or "rice paddy" combined with "rice field," referring to the family's agricultural origins. 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 Ikeda (0.82 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 Americans have the surname Ikeda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.