2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Naganuma
A Japanese surname meaning "long swamp" or "long marsh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Naganuma. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naganuma 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Naganuma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naganuma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naganuma
The surname Naganuma is of Japanese origin, originating from the Edo period (1603-1868). It is a locational surname, derived from the place name "Naganuma," which likely refers to a long or elongated body of water such as a lake or pond.
In the Japanese language, "naga" means "long" or "elongated," while "numa" means "swamp" or "pond." Together, the name "Naganuma" suggests a location near a long or elongated body of water, possibly a swampy or marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Naganuma surname can be found in the "Shinsen Shojirokoku," a genealogical record compiled in the late 17th century. This document lists several individuals with the Naganuma surname, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.
During the Edo period, the Naganuma family was prominent in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture). Naganuma Chikuzen-no-kami, a samurai and retainer of the Uesugi clan, was a notable figure from this era.
In the late 19th century, Naganuma Chikamatsu (1821-1892) was a prominent educator and scholar. He played a significant role in the establishment of modern education in Japan and was instrumental in the founding of the Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo).
Another notable figure was Naganuma Kenritsu (1888-1967), a Japanese architect known for his work on several important buildings, including the Tochigi Prefectural Office and the Hitachi Seisakusho Headquarters.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Naganuma Chikamatsu Masachika (1841-1928) was a influential politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and played a crucial role in the establishment of Japan's modern diplomatic relations.
In the field of literature, Naganuma Tokusuke (1888-1948) was a renowned novelist and playwright. His works, such as "Suna no Onna" (The Woman in the Dunes), explored themes of existentialism and the human condition.
While the Naganuma surname is not among the most common in Japan, it has a rich history and has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, including politics, architecture, education, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naganuma
Among Census respondents with the surname Naganuma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Naganuma 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 Naganuma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.7% · 94
- Two or more races11.3% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- White2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naganuma
Naganuma 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-19 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,473 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,496 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 25,473 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,496 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 Naganuma 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 | #147,253 | #145,757 | 1.0% |
| Count | 112 | 115 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naganuma bearers went from 112 to 115 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,496 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,757.
FAQ
Naganuma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naganuma?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Naganuma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Naganuma?
Naganuma ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Naganuma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Naganuma.
Has Naganuma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naganuma went from 112 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Naganuma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naganuma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Naganuma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naganuma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.7%), Two or More Races (11.3%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Naganuma (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 Naganuma mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "long swamp" or "long marsh". 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 Naganuma (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 Naganuma?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.