2000
#14,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,958
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.73
Rare Last name
Okada
A Japanese surname meaning "hill rice paddy," referring to someone who lived near or worked in such a field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,127 Americans carry the last name Okada. That puts it at #15,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,144 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Okada 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
2.1K
1 in 161,144
Census rank
#15,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,855 bearers of the surname Okada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Okada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and White (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Okada
The surname "OKADA" is of Japanese origin, originating in the late 8th century CE. It is thought to have originated from the Japanese words "oka" meaning "hill" or "small mountain" and "da" meaning "rice paddy field." Thus, the name likely referred to a person who lived in a hilly region surrounded by rice fields.
The earliest recorded mention of the name Okada can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle dating back to the late 8th century. This text mentions an individual named Okada no Takamochi, who served as a government official during the Nara period (710-794 CE).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Okada family was known to be a prominent clan of samurai warriors hailing from the Izu Province, located in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture. One notable figure from this clan was Okada Yoshimasa (1319-1388), a skilled military strategist who served under the Ashikaga shogunate.
In the 16th century, the Okada name gained further prominence with the rise of Okada Masahiro (1518-1590), a wealthy merchant and landowner in the Edo region (now Tokyo). His descendants went on to establish a successful business empire that spanned generations.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Okada was Okada Keisuke (1868-1952), a pioneering aviator who is credited with designing and building Japan's first successful aircraft in 1910. He played a crucial role in the development of Japan's aviation industry in the early 20th century.
In more recent times, the name Okada is associated with Okada Kazuo (1904-1962), a renowned Japanese sculptor known for his avant-garde works that blended traditional and modern styles. His sculptures can be found in various museums and public spaces across Japan.
While the surname Okada has its roots in Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriages. However, the majority of individuals bearing this surname can still trace their ancestry back to Japan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Okada
Among Census respondents with the surname Okada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and White (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Okada 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 Okada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.8% · 1,461
- Two or more races9.2% · 170
- White7.5% · 139
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 77
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Okada
Okada 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
#14,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,987
+29 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 792 places
2020
#15,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,855
-132 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 338 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,101 | 1,958 | 0.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,893 | 1,987 | 0.67 | +29 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 792 places |
| 2020 | #15,231 | 1,855 | 0.62 | -132 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 338 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 Okada 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 | #14,893 | #15,231 | -2.3% |
| Count | 1,987 | 1,855 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.62 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Okada bearers went from 1,987 to 1,855 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 338 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,893 to #15,231.
FAQ
Okada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Okada?
Name Census estimates that about 2,127 living Americans carry the surname Okada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,144 residents.
How common is Okada?
Okada ranks #15,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,855 people with the surname Okada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Okada.
Has Okada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Okada went from 1,987 recorded bearers to 1,855. That is a decrease of 132 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,893 to #15,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Okada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Okada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.2%) and White (7.5%). 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 Okada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (1,461 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Okada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.8%), Two or More Races (9.2%), White (7.5%). 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 Okada (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 Okada mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "hill rice paddy," referring to someone who lived near or worked in such a 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 Okada (0.62 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 Americans have the surname Okada?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.