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

Katayama, 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 Katayama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Katayama in America

Katayama is the 32960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Katayama surname appeared 695 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Katayama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Katayama 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 Katayama

The surname Katayama is of Japanese origin, originating from the Edo period (1603-1868). The name is derived from the Japanese words "kata" meaning side or slope, and "yama" meaning mountain. It was likely initially a geographical name, referring to someone who lived near or on the side of a mountain.

The earliest recorded instances of the Katayama name can be found in official family registries and census records from the late 17th century in various regions of Japan. One notable early bearer of the name was Katayama Masayoshi (1640-1718), a samurai warrior and retainer of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), the Katayama name was also associated with several prominent figures in Japanese politics and academia. Katayama Kenshi (1859-1899) was a renowned journalist and political activist who advocated for democratic reforms and freedoms of speech and press. Katayama Toki (1854-1917) was an esteemed educator and one of the founders of the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.

In the 20th century, Katayama Yoshihiro (1908-1994) was a celebrated Japanese film director and screenwriter, known for his works that explored themes of rural life and social issues. Another notable figure was Katayama Akiko (1906-1984), a pioneering female economist and the first woman to receive a doctoral degree in economics from Yale University.

The Katayama name has also been associated with various place names and geographical features in Japan, such as Katayama-cho, a town in Okayama Prefecture, and Mount Katayama, a peak in Shizuoka Prefecture. These places likely drew their names from the original meaning of the surname, referring to their location near or on the side of a mountain.

Overall, the surname Katayama has a rich history that can be traced back to the Edo period in Japan, with its roots in geographical nomenclature and a strong presence among notable figures in various fields throughout Japanese history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Katayama

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

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 Katayama 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 Katayama 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 Katayama was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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