2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nitahara
A Japanese surname possibly derived from a place name or meaning "new field".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Nitahara. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nitahara 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Nitahara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nitahara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.0%) and White (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nitahara
The surname NITAHARA has its origins in Japan, where it first appeared during the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "nita," meaning "to resemble," and "hara," which can translate to "field" or "plain." This suggests the name may have initially referred to a person living in or near a particular type of field or plain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NITAHARA surname is found in a local census record from the Edo period, dating back to around 1625. This document lists a family by the name residing in a small village within the Chiba Prefecture. It's possible the name originated in this region before gradually spreading to other parts of Japan.
During the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century, a samurai warrior named Nitahara Shigenobu (1613-1689) gained recognition for his bravery and loyalty. He served under the prominent Tokugawa clan and was granted land holdings in what is now known as Shizuoka Prefecture.
In the late 18th century, a Buddhist monk named Nitahara Zenshi (1736-1804) became renowned for his calligraphy skills and teachings on mindfulness. His written works and artistic contributions are still studied and appreciated by scholars today.
Another notable figure was Nitahara Akiko (1828-1901), a pioneering educator who established one of Japan's first schools for women during the Meiji era. Her efforts helped pave the way for greater educational opportunities for women in Japanese society.
During the Edo period, the NITAHARA surname was also found in various records from the Kanagawa Prefecture, particularly in the town of Kamakura. It's believed that a branch of the family may have resided in this area, which was once the seat of the Kamakura shogunate.
As Japan entered the modern era, the NITAHARA surname continued to be associated with individuals who made significant contributions to various fields. One such person was Nitahara Kenji (1901-1983), a renowned physicist and academic who played a crucial role in advancing nuclear research in Japan after World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nitahara
Among Census respondents with the surname Nitahara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.0%) and White (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nitahara 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 Nitahara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander69.0% · 69
- Two or more races23.0% · 23
- White5.0% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nitahara
Nitahara appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,287 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 6,287 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 Nitahara 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 | #149,395 | #155,682 | -4.2% |
| Count | 110 | 100 | -9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nitahara bearers went from 110 to 100 (-9.1% change). The surname moved down 6,287 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #155,682.
FAQ
Nitahara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nitahara?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Nitahara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Nitahara?
Nitahara ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Nitahara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Nitahara.
Has Nitahara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nitahara went from 110 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Nitahara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nitahara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (23.0%) and White (5.0%). 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 Nitahara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.0% (69 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nitahara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (69.0%), Two or More Races (23.0%), White (5.0%). 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 Nitahara (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 Nitahara mean?
A Japanese surname possibly derived from a place name or meaning "new field". 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 Nitahara (0.03 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 share the surname Nitahara?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.