2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kawabe
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a river bend.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kawabe. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kawabe 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kawabe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kawabe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and White (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kawabe
The surname Kawabe originated in Japan, with its roots traced back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE). It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "kawa," meaning river, and "be," referring to a side or bank. This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who lived near a riverbank or in a riverside settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kawabe name can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle compiled in the late 13th century. This work mentions a samurai named Kawabe no Sukemoto, who served under the Kamakura shogunate during the late 12th century.
During the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), the Kawabe clan became prominent in the Iga region of present-day Mie Prefecture. They were renowned for their skills in ninjutsu, the traditional Japanese art of stealth and espionage. Kawabe Shōgo (1563-1629), a renowned ninja and military strategist, played a significant role in the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Kawabe family held influential positions in various domains across Japan. One notable figure was Kawabe Chikaoki (1693-1775), a prominent Confucian scholar and advisor to the Maeda clan of Kaga Domain (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture).
Another prominent individual bearing the Kawabe surname was Kawabe Masatari (1816-1895), a statesman and diplomat who played a crucial role in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. He served as the Imperial Ambassador to Russia and was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of St. Petersburg in 1875, which established diplomatic relations between Japan and Russia.
In more recent times, Kawabe Sumio (1904-1988) was a renowned Japanese novelist and poet. His works, including the novel "Snow Country," explored themes of loneliness, alienation, and the human condition in modern Japan.
The Kawabe surname has also been associated with notable figures in various fields, such as Kawabe Nobuko (1907-1999), a pioneering Japanese actress and singer, and Kawabe Nobuo (1924-2015), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Tokyo and other parts of Japan.
Overall, the surname Kawabe has a rich history that spans centuries, with its origins rooted in the riverine landscapes of ancient Japan. Its bearers have made significant contributions to various aspects of Japanese society, culture, and history, leaving an indelible mark on the nation's legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kawabe
Among Census respondents with the surname Kawabe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and White (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kawabe 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 Kawabe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.3% · 99
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- White4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kawabe
Kawabe 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
+9 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 936 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-13 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 936 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 13,649 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 Kawabe 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 | #131,379 | #145,028 | -10.4% |
| Count | 129 | 116 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kawabe bearers went from 129 to 116 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 13,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kawabe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kawabe?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kawabe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kawabe?
Kawabe ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Kawabe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Kawabe.
Has Kawabe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kawabe went from 129 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kawabe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kawabe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and White (4.3%). 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 Kawabe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kawabe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.3%), Two or More Races (6.0%), White (4.3%). 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 Kawabe (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 Kawabe mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a river bend. 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 Kawabe (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 many people are called Kawabe?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Kawabe on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.