2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Misawa
An uncommon Japanese surname derived from the toponym Misawa.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Misawa. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Misawa 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Misawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Misawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.4%) and Hispanic (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Misawa
The surname Misawa originated in Japan, with its origins dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese word "misamura," which means "an estate with a view of the sea." This suggests that the name was initially associated with landowners or noblemen who owned properties with scenic views of the ocean.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Misawa name can be found in the "Shinano Kokugun Shuran" (Chronicles of the Provinces of Shinano), a historical document compiled in the late 16th century. This text references a samurai warrior named Misawa Katsunori, who served under the powerful Takeda clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615).
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Misawa family gained prominence in the Aizu region of present-day Fukushima Prefecture. Notable members included Misawa Masanori (1630-1688), a skilled swordsman and martial arts instructor, and Misawa Yoshiyuki (1772-1844), a renowned scholar and educator who established several private schools in the region.
In the 19th century, the Misawa name appeared in various historical records related to the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912). One notable figure was Misawa Tsuyoshi (1832-1908), a samurai who fought alongside the pro-imperial forces and later served as a government official in the new Meiji administration.
Another prominent figure was Misawa Nobuo (1855-1933), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education. He founded several schools, including the Misawa Women's Academy, which became a prestigious institution in Tokyo.
In the 20th century, the Misawa name gained further recognition with individuals like Misawa Ibuki (1910-1997), a renowned author and poet who wrote extensively about rural life in Japan. His works were critically acclaimed and earned him numerous literary awards.
It's worth noting that the Misawa surname has also been associated with several place names in Japan, such as Misawa City in Aomori Prefecture and Misawa Air Base, a significant military installation operated by the United States Air Force.
While the above examples provide a glimpse into the historical significance of the Misawa surname, it's important to note that this name has been carried by countless individuals throughout Japan's rich history, each contributing to the nation's cultural, economic, and social fabric in their unique ways.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Misawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Misawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.4%) and Hispanic (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Misawa 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 Misawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.1% · 86
- Two or more races12.4% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 6
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- White2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Misawa
Misawa 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-21 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,905 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 25,905 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 3,080 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 Misawa 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 | #144,141 | #147,221 | -2.1% |
| Count | 115 | 113 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Misawa bearers went from 115 to 113 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 3,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #147,221.
FAQ
Misawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Misawa?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Misawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Misawa?
Misawa ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Misawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Misawa.
Has Misawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Misawa went from 115 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Misawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Misawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.4%) and Hispanic (5.3%). 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 Misawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Misawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.1%), Two or More Races (12.4%), Hispanic (5.3%). 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 Misawa (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 Misawa mean?
An uncommon Japanese surname derived from the toponym Misawa. 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 Misawa (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 surname Misawa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.