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

Okita, 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 Okita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Okita in America

Okita is the 67943rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Okita surname appeared 290 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 Okita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Okita 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 Okita

The surname Okita is of Japanese origin, with its roots traced back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. The name is believed to have derived from the word "okita," which refers to a landing or a dock, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or worked in proximity to a port or a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Okita name can be found in the 18th century samurai archives, where it was associated with a prominent samurai family from the Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. The Okita clan was known for their loyalty and skilled swordsmanship, with Okita Sōji (1842-1868), a highly revered captain of the Shinsengumi, being one of the most famous figures bearing this surname.

During the late Edo period, the Okita name also appeared in various historical documents and records from the Shizuoka Prefecture, located in central Japan. One notable individual from this region was Okita Masataka (1823-1872), a prominent feudal lord and military strategist who played a significant role in the Boshin War.

As the surname spread across Japan, it took on various spellings and regional variations, such as Okida and Ookita. One of the earliest recorded instances of these variations can be traced back to the 16th century, in the annals of the Hōjō clan, a powerful samurai family that ruled over the Kantō region.

Another renowned individual with the Okita surname was Okita Sōgo (1855-1933), a pioneering mathematician and educator from the Tottori Prefecture. His contributions to the field of mathematics and his innovative teaching methods had a lasting impact on the education system in Japan.

In the realm of literature, Okita Ujō (1718-1787) was a renowned haiku poet and scholar from the Edo period. His works, which captured the essence of nature and the human experience, are still widely celebrated and studied today.

Throughout its history, the Okita surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including samurai warriors, feudal lords, scholars, and artists, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Japan and the diverse backgrounds of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Okita

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

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

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

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