2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Keopuhiwa
A Hawaiian surname referring to an enclosure or area surrounded by water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Keopuhiwa. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Keopuhiwa 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Keopuhiwa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Keopuhiwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 54.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.1%) and Hispanic (19.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Keopuhiwa
The surname KEOPUHIWA has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is believed to have emerged during the 18th century in the Hawaiian Islands, which were then an independent kingdom.
The name KEOPUHIWA is derived from the combination of two Hawaiian words - "keo" meaning "white" or "pale", and "puhiwa" meaning "feather" or "plume". This suggests that the name may have referred to a person or family associated with white feathers, which held great significance in Hawaiian traditions and were used in various ceremonial practices.
In ancient Hawaiian society, feathers from certain birds, such as the now-extinct Hawaiian honeyeaters, were highly prized and used to create intricate cloaks and other regalia worn by Hawaiian royalty and high-ranking chiefs. The possession and use of these feathers were closely guarded and regulated, making them symbols of power and status.
The earliest recorded instances of the KEOPUHIWA surname date back to the late 18th century, during the reign of Kamehameha I, the first monarch to unite the Hawaiian Islands under a single kingdom. Historical records from this period, including genealogical accounts and land records, mention individuals bearing the name KEOPUHIWA.
One notable figure with this surname was Keopuhiwa Kekoa, a high-ranking chief and military leader who served under Kamehameha I during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Keopuhiwa Kekoa played a significant role in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands and was known for his bravery and strategic prowess in battle.
Another individual of note was Keopuhiwa Kekuaokalani, a prominent member of the Hawaiian nobility in the early 19th century. Kekuaokalani was closely related to the Hawaiian royal family and held significant land holdings and influence during the reign of King Kamehameha III.
In the late 19th century, the KEOPUHIWA surname was also associated with Keopuhiwa Kauhi, a respected Hawaiian scholar and historian who contributed to the preservation of Hawaiian language and cultural practices during a time of significant change and external influences.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the KEOPUHIWA name appeared in various historical records, including birth, marriage, and death records, as well as land deeds and other official documents, attesting to the continued presence of this surname in Hawaiian communities.
While the exact origins and early history of the KEOPUHIWA surname may be obscured by the passage of time, its ties to Hawaiian cultural traditions and the legacy of powerful chiefs and nobility suggest a rich and meaningful heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Keopuhiwa
Among Census respondents with the surname Keopuhiwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 54.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.1%) and Hispanic (19.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Keopuhiwa 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 Keopuhiwa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander54.6% · 59
- Two or more races23.1% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino19.4% · 21
- White2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Keopuhiwa
Keopuhiwa 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+4 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,109 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.8%) | Up 5,109 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 Keopuhiwa 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 | #156,044 | #150,935 | 3.3% |
| Count | 104 | 108 | 3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Keopuhiwa bearers went from 104 to 108 (+3.8% change). The surname moved up 5,109 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,935.
FAQ
Keopuhiwa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Keopuhiwa?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Keopuhiwa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Keopuhiwa?
Keopuhiwa ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Keopuhiwa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Keopuhiwa.
Has Keopuhiwa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Keopuhiwa went from 104 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 4 (+3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Keopuhiwa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Keopuhiwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 54.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.1%) and Hispanic (19.4%). 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 Keopuhiwa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.6% (59 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Keopuhiwa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (54.6%), Two or More Races (23.1%), Hispanic (19.4%). 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 Keopuhiwa (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 Keopuhiwa mean?
A Hawaiian surname referring to an enclosure or area surrounded by water. 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 Keopuhiwa (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 Keopuhiwa?
See how many Americans have the surname Keopuhiwa on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.