2000
#10,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,817
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Murakami
A Japanese surname meaning "village upper" or "above the village," referring to someone who lived at the top of a village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,019 Americans carry the last name Murakami. That puts it at #11,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,532 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murakami 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
3.0K
1 in 113,532
Census rank
#11,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,633 bearers of the surname Murakami in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murakami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murakami
The surname Murakami is of Japanese origin, with its roots dating back to the ancient times of feudal Japan. In the Japanese language, "mura" means village, while "kami" translates to either god or ruler. Thus, the name Murakami likely originated as a title or descriptor for someone who held an esteemed position within a village or rural community.
The earliest recorded instances of the Murakami name can be traced back to the 12th century, during the Kamakura period of Japanese history. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by samurai families or those with close ties to the ruling shogunate of the time.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the Murakami name was Murakami Michiyuki, a prominent samurai and military strategist who lived during the late 12th century. He played a crucial role in the Genpei War, a conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans that ultimately led to the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate.
In the 14th century, during the Muromachi period, the Murakami clan gained prominence as a powerful feudal family in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture). The Murakami daimyo (lords) ruled over a vast territory and wielded significant influence in the region.
Another notable figure in Japanese history bearing the Murakami surname was Murakami Yoshikiyo, a 16th-century samurai and daimyo who served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate. He played a key role in the Battle of Sekigahara, one of the most significant conflicts that solidified the Tokugawa clan's control over Japan.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Murakami family continued to hold positions of power and influence in various domains across Japan. One such example was Murakami Nagatoshi, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the late 17th century and served as a retainer to the Tokugawa shogunate.
In more recent history, the Murakami name has been associated with several influential figures in the arts and literature. Haruki Murakami, born in 1949, is one of Japan's most celebrated and internationally acclaimed authors, known for his works such as "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" and "Norwegian Wood."
Overall, the surname Murakami has a rich and storied history in Japanese culture, spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, including samurai warriors, feudal lords, scholars, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murakami
Among Census respondents with the surname Murakami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Murakami 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 Murakami surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.0% · 2,001
- Two or more races11.9% · 313
- White7.4% · 195
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 114
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murakami
Murakami 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
#11,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,830
+13 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 714 places
2020
#11,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,633
-197 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,460 | 2,817 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,174 | 2,830 | 0.96 | +13 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 714 places |
| 2020 | #11,449 | 2,633 | 0.88 | -197 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 275 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 Murakami 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 | #11,174 | #11,449 | -2.5% |
| Count | 2,830 | 2,633 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.88 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murakami bearers went from 2,830 to 2,633 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 275 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,174 to #11,449.
FAQ
Murakami surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murakami?
Name Census estimates that about 3,019 living Americans carry the surname Murakami. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,532 residents.
How common is Murakami?
Murakami ranks #11,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,633 people with the surname Murakami. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,019), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Murakami.
Has Murakami become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murakami went from 2,830 recorded bearers to 2,633. That is a decrease of 197 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,174 to #11,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Murakami?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murakami, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (7.4%). 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 Murakami in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (2,001 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murakami appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.0%), Two or More Races (11.9%), White (7.4%). 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 Murakami (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 Murakami mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "village upper" or "above the village," referring to someone who lived at the top of a village. 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 Murakami (0.88 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 Murakami?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Murakami on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.