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

Kitahara, 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 Kitahara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kitahara in America

Kitahara is the 87663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kitahara surname appeared 212 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 Kitahara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kitahara 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 Kitahara

The surname Kitahara has its origins in Japan, where it can be traced back to the mid-16th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "kita," meaning north, and "hara," meaning field or plain. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person or family who lived or worked in a northern field or plain area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kitahara can be found in the Tamon-in Nikki, a diary written by a Buddhist monk in the late 16th century, which mentions a person with this surname. Additionally, the name appears in several historical documents from the Edo period (1603-1868), suggesting that it was a well-established surname during that time.

During the Edo period, the Kitahara family was known to have resided in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture) and held positions as samurai retainers under the Uesugi clan, one of the most prominent feudal lords of the region. Notably, Kitahara Masanao (1608-1673) was a renowned military strategist and adviser to the Uesugi daimyo.

Another notable figure with the Kitahara surname was Kitahara Kodayū (1667-1736), a mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of the Japanese calendar system. He was also involved in surveying and mapping projects during the Edo period.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several Kitahara individuals gained recognition in various fields. Kitahara Jirō (1868-1936) was a prominent businessman and industrialist who played a key role in the modernization of Japan's silk industry. Kitahara Taisuke (1871-1930) was a respected educator and founder of several schools, including the Kitahara Institute of English in Tokyo.

More recently, Kitahara Yoshihiro (1923-2005) was a renowned Japanese writer and literary critic, known for his works exploring cultural identity and the impact of modernization on traditional values. He was awarded the prestigious Noma Literary Prize in 1970 for his novel "The Tarnished Blades."

While there may have been variations in spelling or pronunciation in different regions of Japan, the Kitahara surname has maintained a strong presence throughout the country's history, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions across various domains.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kitahara

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

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

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

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