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

Kita, 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 Kita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kita in America

Kita is the 29138th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kita surname appeared 813 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 Kita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kita 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 Kita

The surname KITA originates from Japan and dates back to around the 8th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "kita," which means "north." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived in the northern regions of Japan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KITA can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle completed in 797 AD. This text mentions a person named Kita no Aritsune, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 AD).

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the KITA name gained prominence with the rise of the Kita clan, a prominent samurai family based in the northern Mutsu Province (present-day Aomori Prefecture). Notable members of this clan include Kita Masatsune (1238-1305), a skilled military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of northern Japan against Mongol invasions.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the KITA name was associated with several influential daimyo (feudal lords) and scholars. One notable figure was Kita Naokata (1619-1683), a daimyo of the Takamatsu Domain (present-day Kagawa Prefecture) who was known for his expertise in Confucian studies and calligraphy.

Another notable bearer of the KITA surname was Kita Ikki (1284-1438), a Buddhist monk and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Zen Buddhism. His writings and teachings influenced the development of Zen philosophy in Japan.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912 AD), the KITA name gained further prominence with individuals who played important roles in the modernization of Japan. One such figure was Kita Ikki (1883-1937), a political theorist and revolutionary who advocated for a system of direct democracy and played a role in the attempted coup d'état in 1936.

Other notable individuals with the KITA surname include Kita Reikichi (1873-1944), a pioneering agricultural scientist known for his work on improving rice cultivation methods, and Kita Sadakichi (1870-1939), a writer and art critic who was active in the United States and played a role in introducing Japanese art and culture to Western audiences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kita

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

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

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

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