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

Kitajima, 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 Kitajima surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kitajima in America

Kitajima is the 83541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kitajima surname appeared 225 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 Kitajima.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kitajima 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 Kitajima

The surname Kitajima originates from Japan and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "kita" meaning north and "jima" meaning island, likely referring to a northern island or region of Japan where the name first arose.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kitajima name appears in the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD) within official records and scrolls documenting noble families and samurai lineages. During this era, the Kitajima clan held lands and estates in the Kansai region, particularly around the present-day prefectures of Kyoto and Shiga.

By the Muromachi period (1336-1573 AD), the Kitajima name had spread to other parts of Japan, with various branches and families bearing the surname. Notable figures from this time include Kitajima Masamoto (1455-1513), a renowned Buddhist monk and scholar who studied at the prestigious Enryaku-ji monastery on Mount Hiei.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Kitajima name continued to be associated with samurai families and regional lords. One prominent example is Kitajima Masayoshi (1628-1705), a daimyo (feudal lord) who ruled over the Kitajima Domain in present-day Okayama Prefecture.

During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), as Japan underwent modernization and westernization, the Kitajima name became more widespread among commoners and urban populations. Kitajima Toshiki (1834-1905) was a influential politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the establishment of the modern Japanese government.

In more recent history, Kitajima Saburo (1853-1928) was a renowned artist and painter who helped revive and popularize traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Other notable individuals with the Kitajima surname include Kitajima Isamu (1924-1992), a highly respected ceramic artist and Living National Treasure of Japan, and Kitajima Hiroko (born 1957), a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur who founded one of Japan's largest cosmetics companies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kitajima

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

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

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

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