2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kimata
A Japanese surname possibly derived from "kimata," meaning 'beautiful rice field.'
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Kimata. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kimata 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Kimata in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimata, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and White (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kimata
The surname KIMATA is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the 8th century AD in the region known as the Kansai region, which encompasses modern-day prefectures such as Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. The name is believed to have derived from the Old Japanese word "kimata," which referred to a particular type of land formation or terrain, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided in an area with such geographical features.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KIMATA surname can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century AD, where it is mentioned in reference to a noble family from the Kyoto region. This provides evidence that the name was already established and in use during the Nara period (710-794 AD).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the KIMATA family is believed to have owned significant landholdings in the Kyoto area, as evidenced by several historical documents from that era mentioning their involvement in local governance and administrative affairs.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named KIMATA Nobuyuki (1540-1615) gained prominence as a skilled swordsman and military strategist, serving under the renowned warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Nobuyuki's exploits are recorded in various historical accounts of the Sengoku period.
Another prominent individual bearing the KIMATA surname was Kimata Masayuki (1690-1758), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Edo period. His works are still studied and revered in Japanese literary circles.
In the 19th century, KIMATA Toshihiro (1820-1890) made a significant contribution to the field of education, establishing several schools and advocating for educational reforms during the Meiji Restoration.
While the KIMATA surname is not among the most common in Japan, it has a long and rich history dating back to the ancient times, with its bearers having played notable roles in various aspects of Japanese culture and society throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimata
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimata, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and White (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kimata 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 Kimata surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander67.0% · 71
- Black or African American15.1% · 16
- White7.5% · 8
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kimata
Kimata 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-10 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,978 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 19,978 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 2,568 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 Kimata 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 | #154,907 | #152,339 | 1.7% |
| Count | 105 | 106 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kimata bearers went from 105 to 106 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 2,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,339.
FAQ
Kimata surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kimata?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Kimata. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Kimata?
Kimata ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Kimata. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Kimata.
Has Kimata become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kimata went from 105 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Kimata?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kimata, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and White (7.5%). 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 Kimata in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.0% (71 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kimata appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (67.0%), Black (15.1%), White (7.5%). 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 Kimata (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 Kimata mean?
A Japanese surname possibly derived from "kimata," meaning 'beautiful rice field.' 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 Kimata (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 Kimata?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Kimata on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.