2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Nakatsuka
A Japanese surname derived from the place name "Nakatsuka," meaning "middle village."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Nakatsuka. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nakatsuka 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Nakatsuka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakatsuka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and White (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nakatsuka
The surname NAKATSUKA has its origins in Japan, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 16th century. The name likely originated from a combination of two Japanese words, "naka" meaning "middle" or "center" and "tsuka" meaning "hill" or "mound." This suggests that the surname may have initially referred to a person or family residing in a central or middlemost hilly region.
One of the earliest known references to the NAKATSUKA surname appears in the Shogunate records of the Tokugawa period (1603-1867), where it is mentioned as a prominent samurai family serving under the Shogun in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). During this time, the name was also associated with several notable scholars and artists, including the poet NAKATSUKA Masatsune (1564-1635), whose works were highly celebrated during the Edo period.
In the 18th century, the NAKATSUKA name gained further prominence with the birth of NAKATSUKA Kinsui (1737-1820), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work was widely recognized and influenced the development of modern astronomy in Japan.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the NAKATSUKA surname was NAKATSUKA Masaharu (1857-1923), a prominent statesman and diplomat who served as the Japanese ambassador to the United States in the early 20th century. His diplomatic efforts played a crucial role in strengthening the relationship between Japan and the United States during a period of significant global tensions.
In the realm of literature, the NAKATSUKA name is associated with the acclaimed novelist NAKATSUKA Hisako (1902-1987), whose works explored themes of family, identity, and the changing roles of women in modern Japanese society. Her novels, such as "The Wandering Wife" and "The Daughter-in-Law's Diary," received widespread critical acclaim and are considered among the most influential works of 20th-century Japanese literature.
While the NAKATSUKA surname has its roots in Japan, over the centuries, it has also been carried by individuals and families who have migrated to other parts of the world, contributing to the cultural diversity and richness of various societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nakatsuka
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakatsuka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and White (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Nakatsuka 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 Nakatsuka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.1% · 109
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- White3.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nakatsuka
Nakatsuka 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-29 bearers (-18.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,386 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-18.7%) | Down 27,386 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,446 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 Nakatsuka 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 | #133,863 | #141,309 | -5.6% |
| Count | 126 | 121 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nakatsuka bearers went from 126 to 121 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #141,309.
FAQ
Nakatsuka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nakatsuka?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Nakatsuka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Nakatsuka?
Nakatsuka ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Nakatsuka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Nakatsuka.
Has Nakatsuka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nakatsuka went from 126 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Nakatsuka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakatsuka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and White (3.3%). 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 Nakatsuka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nakatsuka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.1%), Two or More Races (5.8%), White (3.3%). 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 Nakatsuka (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 Nakatsuka mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the place name "Nakatsuka," meaning "middle 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 Nakatsuka (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 are called Nakatsuka?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Nakatsuka on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.