2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kitashima
A Japanese surname potentially meaning "north island".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kitashima. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kitashima 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kitashima in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kitashima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 51.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (37.9%) and White (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kitashima
The surname Kitashima is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period of Japanese history, around the 12th to 16th centuries. It is a geographical name, derived from the Japanese words "kita" meaning north, and "shima" meaning island, suggesting that the name originated from a northern island region of Japan.
The earliest known records of the Kitashima name can be found in various historical documents and family registers from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. One notable reference is in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle compiled in the late 13th century, which mentions a samurai warrior named Kitashima Takanori who served under the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kitashima name was prominent among several samurai families who served as retainers to various daimyo lords. One such individual was Kitashima Masanobu (1594-1660), a skilled swordsman and military strategist who played a crucial role in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.
In the late 19th century, as Japan underwent rapid modernization, the Kitashima name gained recognition in the literary and academic circles. Kitashima Kiyosada (1834-1891) was a renowned scholar and educator who played a significant role in the establishment of the modern Japanese education system.
Another notable figure with the Kitashima surname was Kitashima Tokunaga (1869-1937), a pioneering Japanese archaeologist who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Japanese cultures through his excavations and research.
During the 20th century, the Kitashima name continued to be associated with notable individuals in various fields. Kitashima Masaharu (1914-1998) was a respected painter and calligrapher, renowned for his traditional Japanese ink paintings and his contributions to preserving the art of calligraphy.
It is worth noting that while the Kitashima name has its roots in Japan, it has also been adopted and used by people of Japanese descent in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant Japanese diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kitashima
Among Census respondents with the surname Kitashima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 51.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (37.9%) and White (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kitashima 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 Kitashima surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander51.7% · 60
- Two or more races37.9% · 44
- White6.9% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kitashima
Kitashima 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+5 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,500 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,319 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 4,500 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Up 3,319 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 Kitashima 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 | #148,347 | #145,028 | 2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 116 | 4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kitashima bearers went from 111 to 116 (+4.5% change). The surname moved up 3,319 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kitashima surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kitashima?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kitashima. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kitashima?
Kitashima ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Kitashima. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Kitashima.
Has Kitashima become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kitashima went from 111 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 5 (+4.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kitashima?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kitashima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 51.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (37.9%) and White (6.9%). 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 Kitashima in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.7% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kitashima appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (51.7%), Two or More Races (37.9%), White (6.9%). 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 Kitashima (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 Kitashima mean?
A Japanese surname potentially meaning "north island". 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 Kitashima (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 many people are called Kitashima?
See how many Americans have the surname Kitashima on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.