2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kusuda
A rare Japanese surname potentially derived from the merger of two families' names.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Kusuda. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kusuda 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Kusuda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kusuda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (24.8%) and White (14.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kusuda
The surname Kusuda has its origins in Japan. It is believed to have emerged during the Kamakura period, which spanned from 1185 to 1333 AD. The name is thought to be derived from the Japanese words "kusu" and "da", which together translate to "field of grasses".
This suggests that the name may have initially been given to families who lived in rural areas surrounded by grassy fields or meadows. The earliest recorded instances of the Kusuda name can be found in historical documents from the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, which lasted until the late 16th century.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Kusuda surname was Kusuda Nobumitsu, a samurai warrior who lived during the Sengoku period in the late 15th century. He was a skilled archer and served under the renowned daimyo Takeda Shingen.
Another notable figure was Kusuda Ryōhei, a poet and calligrapher who lived in the late 18th century. He was known for his mastery of the waka poetic form and his beautiful calligraphic works, which are still admired today.
In the 19th century, Kusuda Masataka was a prominent educator and scholar who helped establish modern educational systems in Japan. He worked tirelessly to promote literacy and education for all, regardless of social class or gender.
During the Meiji era, Kusuda Hiroko was a pioneering female journalist and activist who fought for women's rights and societal reforms. She published several influential articles and books, challenging traditional gender roles and advocating for greater equality.
In more recent times, Kusuda Rintaro was a renowned film director and screenwriter, known for his thought-provoking and socially conscious films. His works often explored complex themes of identity, human nature, and the human condition.
While the Kusuda name has evolved and spread across Japan over centuries, its roots can be traced back to rural areas where families lived surrounded by grassy fields, a connection that is reflected in the name's meaning and origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kusuda
Among Census respondents with the surname Kusuda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (24.8%) and White (14.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kusuda 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 Kusuda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander55.4% · 56
- Two or more races24.8% · 25
- White14.9% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kusuda
Kusuda appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 1,964 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 Kusuda 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 | #157,234 | #155,270 | 1.2% |
| Count | 103 | 101 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kusuda bearers went from 103 to 101 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 1,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,270.
FAQ
Kusuda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kusuda?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Kusuda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Kusuda?
Kusuda ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Kusuda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kusuda.
Has Kusuda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kusuda went from 103 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Kusuda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kusuda, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (24.8%) and White (14.9%). 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 Kusuda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.4% (56 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kusuda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (55.4%), Two or More Races (24.8%), White (14.9%). 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 Kusuda (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 Kusuda mean?
A rare Japanese surname potentially derived from the merger of two families' names. 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 Kusuda (0.03 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 common is the surname Kusuda?
Find out how many people have the surname Kusuda on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.