2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nagasako
A Japanese surname originating from the Nagasaki region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Nagasako. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nagasako 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Nagasako in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagasako, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (18.9%) and Hispanic (11.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nagasako
The surname Nagasako is of Japanese origin, originating from the Nagasaki region of Japan. The earliest records of this surname can be traced back to the late 16th century, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603) in Japanese history.
The name Nagasako is believed to be derived from the place name "Nagasaki," which means "long cape" or "promontory" in Japanese. Nagasaki was an important port city and was one of the few regions in Japan that allowed limited trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the Edo period (1603-1868).
In the late 16th century, a family residing in the Nagasaki region adopted the name Nagasako, likely to indicate their connection to the area. This family may have been involved in maritime trade or activities related to the port.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nagasako was Nagasako Kanpei (1570-1635), a prominent merchant and interpreter who facilitated trade between the Japanese and the Portuguese during the early Edo period.
Another notable figure was Nagasako Kiyonobu (1592-1674), a samurai and retainer of the Tokugawa shogunate. He played a role in the establishment of the Nagasaki trading port and served as a liaison between the shogunate and the Dutch East India Company.
In the 18th century, Nagasako Rokunojo (1710-1785) was a renowned calligrapher and artist who gained recognition for his contributions to the development of the Shoin-zukuri architectural style, which became popular during the Edo period.
During the Meiji Restoration (1868-1912), Nagasako Kiyomi (1835-1901) was a prominent educator and scholar who advocated for the modernization of Japan's education system and the adoption of Western academic principles.
In more recent history, Nagasako Tomizo (1888-1970) was a well-known writer and poet who was celebrated for his contributions to the development of modern Japanese literature.
While the surname Nagasako may not be as common as some other Japanese surnames, it holds a rich history and has been associated with various notable figures throughout Japan's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nagasako
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagasako, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (18.9%) and Hispanic (11.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nagasako 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 Nagasako surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander65.1% · 69
- Two or more races18.9% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 12
- White3.8% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nagasako
Nagasako 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-19 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,815 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-15 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,035 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 22,815 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 14,035 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 Nagasako 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 | #138,304 | #152,339 | -10.1% |
| Count | 121 | 106 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nagasako bearers went from 121 to 106 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 14,035 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #152,339.
FAQ
Nagasako surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nagasako?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Nagasako. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Nagasako?
Nagasako ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Nagasako. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Nagasako.
Has Nagasako become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nagasako went from 121 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Nagasako?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nagasako, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (18.9%) and Hispanic (11.3%). 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 Nagasako in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.1% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nagasako appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (65.1%), Two or More Races (18.9%), Hispanic (11.3%). 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 Nagasako (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 Nagasako mean?
A Japanese surname originating from the Nagasaki region. 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 Nagasako (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 last name Nagasako?
You can see how common the surname Nagasako is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.