2000
#3,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.39
Uncommon Last name
Maki
A Japanese surname meaning "roll" or "scroll," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation as a scroll maker or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,081 Americans carry the last name Maki. That puts it at #3,919 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,000 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maki 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
10K
1 in 34,000
Census rank
#3,919
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,791 bearers of the surname Maki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3919th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maki, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maki
The surname MAKI originated in Japan, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 8th century CE. It is derived from the Japanese word "maki," which means "roll" or "coil," and was likely an occupational name given to those who worked with rolling or coiling materials, such as weavers or scroll makers.
During the Heian period (794-1185 CE), the name MAKI appeared in several historical records and manuscripts, including the Shoku Nihongi, a chronicle of Japan's imperial court. One notable figure from this era was Maki no Genroku, a renowned calligrapher and poet who lived in the late 12th century.
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the MAKI surname was associated with several influential families, particularly those from the Maki District of present-day Ibaraki Prefecture. The Maki clan played a significant role in the military affairs of the time, with several members serving as samurai warriors.
One of the most famous bearers of the MAKI name was Maki Izumi (1723-1801), a renowned scholar and philosopher during the Edo period. He was influential in the spread of Confucian thought in Japan and authored numerous works on ethics and governance.
Another notable figure was Maki Saburō (1835-1911), a prominent businessman and philanthropist from the late Edo and Meiji periods. He founded the Maki Trading Company and was instrumental in promoting international trade between Japan and the West.
During the Sengoku period (1467-1615 CE), the MAKI surname was also found among several daimyo (feudal lords) and their retainers. One such individual was Maki Nobuyori (1515-1584), a powerful daimyo who controlled a vast territory in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture.
Throughout its history, the MAKI surname has been associated with various place names, such as Maki-machi (Maki Town) in Niigata Prefecture, Maki-mura (Maki Village) in Ibaraki Prefecture, and Maki-jinja (Maki Shrine) in Kyoto. These place names likely derived from the same root word as the surname and may have contributed to its widespread usage across Japan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maki
Among Census respondents with the surname Maki, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Maki 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 Maki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 7,858
- Two or more races3.6% · 313
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 256
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 209
- Black or African American1.1% · 96
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maki
Maki 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
#3,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,190
+35 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.12
Rank movement Down 299 places
2020
#3,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,791
-399 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.94
Rank movement Down 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,561 | 9,155 | 3.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,860 | 9,190 | 3.12 | +35 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 299 places |
| 2020 | #3,919 | 8,791 | 2.94 | -399 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 59 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 Maki 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 | #3,860 | #3,919 | -1.5% |
| Count | 9,190 | 8,791 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.12 | 2.94 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maki bearers went from 9,190 to 8,791 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,860 to #3,919.
FAQ
Maki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maki?
Name Census estimates that about 10,081 living Americans carry the surname Maki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,000 residents.
How common is Maki?
Maki ranks #3,919 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,791 people with the surname Maki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,081), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Maki.
Has Maki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maki went from 9,190 recorded bearers to 8,791. That is a decrease of 399 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,860 to #3,919.
What does the Census say about the background of Maki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maki, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Maki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (7,858 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Maki (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 Maki mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "roll" or "scroll," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation as a scroll maker or seller. 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 Maki (2.94 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 Maki?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.