2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kajikawa
A surname derived from Japanese words meaning "river" and "valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kajikawa. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kajikawa 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kajikawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kajikawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.9%) and White (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kajikawa
The surname Kajikawa is of Japanese origin, derived from the Kanji characters 梶川, which translate to "bamboo river" or "bamboo creek." The name likely originated in the late 8th or early 9th century during the Heian period in Japan.
The Kajikawa name is thought to have its roots in the Kansai region of Japan, particularly in the prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. It is believed to have been associated with individuals who lived near or worked along bamboo-lined rivers or creeks, leading to the adoption of the name.
While there are no definitive historical records of the Kajikawa name appearing in ancient manuscripts or documents, it is likely that the name has been in use since the early days of Japan's family name system, which began to solidify during the Kamakura period (1185-1333).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kajikawa name can be found in the 16th century, when a samurai named Kajikawa Yoichiro (dates unknown) served under the renowned daimyo (feudal lord) Tokugawa Ieyasu. Yoichiro's descendants continued to hold positions of prominence in the Tokugawa shogunate.
In the 18th century, Kajikawa Shunsui (1710-1776) was a renowned Edo-period poet and artist, known for his haiku and ukiyo-e woodblock prints. His works are highly regarded in Japanese cultural history.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Kajikawa Koshiro (1841-1918) was a respected educator and advocate for modern teaching methods in Japan. He established several schools and played a significant role in shaping the country's education system.
In the 20th century, Kajikawa Hiroshi (1922-2008) was a prominent Japanese businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Kajikawa Corporation, a successful conglomerate, and donated generously to various charitable causes.
Another notable figure was Kajikawa Susumu (1944-2022), a renowned Japanese architect known for his innovative and sustainable designs. He received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2018.
While the Kajikawa name originated in Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, the rich history and cultural significance of the name remain firmly rooted in its Japanese origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kajikawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Kajikawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.9%) and White (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kajikawa 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 Kajikawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander82.1% · 92
- Two or more races8.9% · 10
- White4.5% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kajikawa
Kajikawa 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,326 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,326 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 9,280 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 Kajikawa 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 | #157,234 | #147,954 | 5.9% |
| Count | 103 | 112 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kajikawa bearers went from 103 to 112 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 9,280 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kajikawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kajikawa?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kajikawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kajikawa?
Kajikawa ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Kajikawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Kajikawa.
Has Kajikawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kajikawa went from 103 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kajikawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kajikawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.9%) and White (4.5%). 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 Kajikawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kajikawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (82.1%), Two or More Races (8.9%), White (4.5%). 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 Kajikawa (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 Kajikawa mean?
A surname derived from Japanese words meaning "river" and "valley". 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 Kajikawa (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 Kajikawa?
Find out how many people have the surname Kajikawa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.