2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kunitake
A Japanese surname potentially derived from a topographic term meaning "within the farm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Kunitake. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kunitake 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Kunitake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunitake, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.1%) and White (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kunitake
The surname KUNITAKE originates from Japan and dates back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "kuni" meaning country or province, and "take" meaning bamboo. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a particular region or area known for its bamboo groves or forests.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KUNITAKE name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese historical chronicle compiled in the 8th century. The text mentions a scholar and court official named KUNITAKE no Fukakusa who served during the Nara period (710-794 AD).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the KUNITAKE clan gained prominence as influential landowners and military leaders in the Kanto region of eastern Japan. The samurai warrior KUNITAKE Masatsura (1228-1305) was a notable figure from this era, known for his role in suppressing the Shokyu War and his loyalty to the Hojo regents.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the KUNITAKE family was among the prominent daimyo clans ruling over various domains in Japan. One prominent member was KUNITAKE Tsunanori (1617-1689), the daimyo of Tokushima Domain who was known for his administrative reforms and patronage of the arts.
The KUNITAKE name has also been associated with several notable scholars and artists throughout Japanese history. KUNITAKE Teiyo (1672-1739) was a renowned painter and calligrapher during the Edo period, known for his works in the Kano style. KUNITAKE Kuniteru (1790-1853) was a Confucian scholar and educator who played a significant role in the late Tokugawa period intellectual movements.
Another notable figure was KUNITAKE Hisaku (1834-1908), a politician and diplomat who served as the Japanese ambassador to the United States and played a crucial role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.
While not exhaustive, these examples illustrate the long and rich history of the KUNITAKE surname, which has been associated with prominent figures in various fields throughout Japanese history, from military leaders and daimyo rulers to scholars, artists, and diplomats.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kunitake
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunitake, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.1%) and White (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kunitake 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 Kunitake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.8% · 93
- Two or more races16.1% · 19
- White5.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kunitake
Kunitake 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,713 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-20 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,963 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 7,713 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 18,963 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 Kunitake 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 | #124,548 | #143,511 | -15.2% |
| Count | 138 | 118 | -14.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kunitake bearers went from 138 to 118 (-14.5% change). The surname moved down 18,963 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #143,511.
FAQ
Kunitake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kunitake?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Kunitake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Kunitake?
Kunitake ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Kunitake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Kunitake.
Has Kunitake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kunitake went from 138 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Kunitake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kunitake, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.1%) and White (5.1%). 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 Kunitake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kunitake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.8%), Two or More Races (16.1%), White (5.1%). 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 Kunitake (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 Kunitake mean?
A Japanese surname potentially derived from a topographic term meaning "within the farm." 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 Kunitake (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 share the surname Kunitake?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.