2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oguma
A Japanese surname derived from a place name meaning "large rice field".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Oguma. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oguma 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Oguma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oguma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (26.2%) and White (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oguma
The surname OGUMA has its origins in Japan and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated from the Okinawan language, where "ogu" means "large" and "ma" means "space" or "area". The name is thought to have been used to describe a person who lived in a large or expansive area.
The earliest recorded instances of the OGUMA name can be found in historical records from the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled over the Okinawan islands from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Some of the earliest known individuals with this surname include Oguma Chosei, a prominent scholar and poet who lived in the late 16th century, and Oguma Ryokan, a respected Buddhist monk from the 17th century.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the OGUMA family was known to have resided in the village of Oguma, located in the present-day city of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture. This village likely took its name from the OGUMA family, who may have been among the earliest settlers in the area.
One notable figure from this period was Oguma Peichin (1668-1756), a respected scholar and expert in the Ryukyuan language and culture. He is credited with preserving and documenting many aspects of Okinawan history and traditions.
In the 19th century, as the Ryukyu Kingdom came under increased influence from Japan, the OGUMA name began to spread beyond Okinawa. One prominent individual from this time was Oguma Shuntoku (1811-1878), a renowned educator and advocate for the modernization of Okinawan education.
As Okinawa became fully integrated into the Japanese nation in the late 19th century, the OGUMA name continued to be carried by notable individuals. Oguma Heppo (1867-1938) was a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist who played a key role in the development of the Okinawan sugar industry.
Another significant figure was Oguma Kenji (1889-1986), a pioneering sociologist and historian who made important contributions to the study of Japanese nationalism and the role of Okinawa within the broader Japanese identity.
Throughout its history, the OGUMA surname has been associated with scholars, educators, and individuals who have played important roles in preserving and promoting Okinawan culture and traditions. While the name has spread beyond its original home, it remains a proud reminder of the unique heritage and history of the Okinawan people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oguma
Among Census respondents with the surname Oguma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (26.2%) and White (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Oguma 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 Oguma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.8% · 64
- Two or more races26.2% · 28
- White8.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oguma
Oguma 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-14 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,335 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 13,335 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 Oguma 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 | #151,639 | -9.6% |
| Count | 121 | 107 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oguma bearers went from 121 to 107 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 13,335 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #151,639.
FAQ
Oguma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oguma?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Oguma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Oguma?
Oguma ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Oguma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Oguma.
Has Oguma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oguma went from 121 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Oguma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oguma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (26.2%) and White (8.4%). 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 Oguma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oguma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (59.8%), Two or More Races (26.2%), White (8.4%). 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 Oguma (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 Oguma mean?
A Japanese surname derived from a place name meaning "large rice 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 Oguma (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 Oguma?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Oguma on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.