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

Okuda, 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 Okuda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Okuda in America

Okuda is the 35447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Okuda surname appeared 635 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 Okuda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Okuda 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 Okuda

The surname Okuda is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the Edo period (1603-1868) of Japanese history. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "oku," meaning "inner" or "deep," and "da," which can signify a field or rice paddy. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place located deep within or surrounded by rice fields.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Okuda surname can be found in the "Shinokokufu Dochukukihoncho" (新撰組土產並料會本草), a Japanese book on medicinal herbs and plants published in the early 18th century. The book mentions an individual named Okuda Genroku, who is credited with discovering and documenting several species of plants.

During the Edo period, the Okuda family was known to have resided in the Izu region of present-day Shizuoka Prefecture. Records from the town of Okuda-mura (village) in Izu suggest that the family may have taken their name from this location, which was likely surrounded by rice paddies or situated deep within a valley.

In the late 19th century, Okuda Masashi (1838-1912) was a prominent educator and pioneer in the field of Western-style education in Japan. He established several schools and was instrumental in introducing Western scientific and academic concepts to the Japanese educational system.

Another notable individual with the Okuda surname was Okuda Torahiko (1870-1926), a pioneering Japanese physicist and engineer. He made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and was one of the first Japanese scientists to gain international recognition for his work.

In the realm of literature, Okuda Kinjiro (1886-1961) was a renowned Japanese author and poet. He was a leading figure in the "Bungo" literary movement, which sought to revive and modernize classical Japanese literature.

The Okuda name has also been associated with the world of martial arts. Okuda Hideo (1925-2012) was a highly respected master of Judo and Aikido, and was instrumental in spreading these disciplines both within Japan and internationally.

While the Okuda surname is not as common as some other Japanese surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, ranging from science and education to literature and martial arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Okuda

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

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

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

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