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

Obata, 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 Obata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Obata in America

Obata is the 73005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Obata surname appeared 266 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 Obata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Obata 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 Obata

The surname Obata originates from Japan, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "obi" meaning "belt" and "ta" meaning "field," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked in a belt-making profession or lived near a field where materials for making belts were grown.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Obata surname was Obata no Sukune, a renowned Japanese scholar and calligrapher who lived during the Nara period (710-794 AD). He is credited with contributing to the development of the Japanese writing system and is mentioned in several historical documents from that era.

In the 13th century, the Obata clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata Prefecture). They served as vassals to the powerful Uesugi clan and played a significant role in various regional conflicts during the Sengoku period (1467-1615).

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Obata family produced several notable figures, including Obata Toramitsu (1603-1683), a skilled swordsmith who contributed to the development of the Japanese sword-making tradition, and Obata Kagehiro (1765-1849), a respected scholar and poet who served as a tutor to the Tokugawa shogunate.

In more recent history, Obata Kazuo (1914-2000) was a renowned Japanese architect who designed several iconic buildings, including the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. His innovative designs blended traditional Japanese elements with modern architectural principles, earning him international acclaim.

Another notable figure was Obata Shūrei (1905-1992), a celebrated Japanese artist known for his intricate woodblock prints depicting landscapes and scenes from everyday life. His works were widely exhibited and collected, both in Japan and abroad, and he was recognized as a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government in 1963.

Obata Koichi (1884-1945) was a Japanese-American artist and educator who played a pivotal role in the development of the California Plein-Air Painting movement. He taught at various art schools, including the Otis Art Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, and his landscape paintings captured the unique beauty of the American West.

Overall, the surname Obata has a rich history spanning centuries, with bearers making significant contributions across various fields, including art, literature, architecture, and warfare, solidifying its place as an esteemed Japanese family name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Obata

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

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 Obata 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 Obata 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 Obata was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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