Find out how popular the last name Numata is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Numata.

Numata, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Numata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Numata in America

Numata is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Numata surname appeared 156 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Numata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Numata to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Numata

The surname Numata is of Japanese origin and can be traced back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have originated in the Kyushu region of Japan, where it was initially spelled Numa-ta. The name is derived from the Japanese words "numa" meaning marsh or swamp, and "ta" meaning rice field or paddy, suggesting that the name may have referred to people living in areas with marshy rice fields.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Numata appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle of ancient Japan compiled in the late 8th century. The text mentions a court official named Numata no Sukune who served under Emperor Kammu in the late 700s AD.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Numata clan was known as a prominent samurai family based in the Kozuke Province (modern-day Gunma Prefecture). The clan's ancestral home was located in a village called Numata-mura, which likely contributed to the solidification of their surname.

In the 14th century, a Buddhist monk named Numata Zenshin (1282-1366) became a well-known figure in the Rinzai Zen tradition. He studied under the renowned Zen master Muso Soseki and later established the Tenryū-ji temple in Kyoto, which remains an important Zen center to this day.

Another notable figure was Numata Sokyo (1469-1556), a skilled swordsman and martial artist who lived during the Sengoku period. He served as a retainer to the powerful Hojo clan and is credited with establishing the Numata-ryu school of swordsmanship.

In more recent history, Numata Kazuo (1897-1977) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Chicago, which has played a significant role in promoting the study of Buddhism in the West.

While the surname Numata has its roots in ancient Japan, it has since spread across the world through immigration and globalization. However, this report focuses specifically on the historical origins and notable figures associated with the surname, rather than modern census data or recent trends.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Numata

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Numata.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Numata was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Numata has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Numata was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Numata, please contact us.

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