2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kunisaki
A surname from the name of a former Japanese province.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kunisaki. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kunisaki 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kunisaki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunisaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.3%) and White (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kunisaki
The surname Kunisaki has its roots in Japan and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to the Kunisaki Peninsula located on the island of Kyushu, specifically in the Oita Prefecture. The name itself is derived from the Japanese words "kuni," meaning country or province, and "saki," meaning cape or peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kunisaki surname can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), where it is mentioned in historical documents related to samurai clans and feudal lords. During this time, it was common for families to adopt surnames based on their place of origin, particularly if they held power or influence in that region.
The Kunisaki name has been associated with several notable figures throughout Japanese history. One prominent example is Kunisaki Munekiyo (1546-1598), a renowned samurai and military commander who served under the powerful Otomo clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). His exploits and loyalty to the Otomo are documented in various historical texts and chronicles.
Another significant figure bearing the Kunisaki surname is Kunisaki Masanari (1718-1782), a renowned scholar and poet of the Edo period (1603-1868). He was particularly renowned for his works on Japanese classical literature and his contributions to the study of the Man'yōshū, one of Japan's earliest anthologies of poetry.
In more recent times, Kunisaki Masao (1882-1944) was a prominent Japanese painter and printmaker who specialized in woodblock prints depicting traditional Japanese landscapes and scenes. His works have been exhibited in various museums and galleries around the world and are highly regarded in the field of Japanese art.
Another notable figure with the Kunisaki surname is Kunisaki Takeo (1904-1987), a Japanese businessman and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the post-World War II reconstruction and industrialization of Japan. He founded the Kunisaki Group, a conglomerate that spanned various industries, including manufacturing, real estate, and finance.
While the Kunisaki surname has its roots in Japan, it is worth noting that due to migration and cultural exchange, individuals bearing this surname may now reside in other parts of the world. However, the historical significance and legacy of the Kunisaki name remain closely tied to its Japanese origins and the rich cultural heritage associated with it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kunisaki
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunisaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.3%) and White (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kunisaki 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 Kunisaki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.0% · 92
- Two or more races10.3% · 11
- White3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kunisaki
Kunisaki 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,560 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-13 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,411 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,560 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 12,411 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 Kunisaki 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 | #139,228 | #151,639 | -8.9% |
| Count | 120 | 107 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kunisaki bearers went from 120 to 107 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 12,411 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kunisaki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kunisaki?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kunisaki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kunisaki?
Kunisaki ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Kunisaki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Kunisaki.
Has Kunisaki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kunisaki went from 120 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kunisaki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunisaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.3%) and White (3.7%). 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 Kunisaki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kunisaki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.0%), Two or More Races (10.3%), White (3.7%). 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 Kunisaki (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 Kunisaki mean?
A surname from the name of a former Japanese province. 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 Kunisaki (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 have the last name Kunisaki?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Kunisaki on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.