2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Okumoto
A Japanese surname theorized to mean "big root" or "big base".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Okumoto. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Okumoto 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Okumoto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Okumoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.8%) and White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Okumoto
The surname Okumoto originated in Japan and dates back to the late 12th century. It was derived from the Japanese words "oku" meaning "inner" or "deep" and "moto" meaning "source" or "origin". The name likely referred to someone who lived in the interior or remote areas of the country.
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Okumoto family was recorded as minor nobility in the region of Kanto, just north of present-day Tokyo. Some of the earliest known records mentioning the name are found in court documents and land registries from that era.
In the 15th century, a Buddhist monk named Okumoto Seirin (1421-1499) gained recognition for his calligraphy and poetry. He served as the head priest of several temples in Kyoto and was known for his influential teachings on Zen philosophy.
The Okumoto name appears in various historical accounts and records over the centuries, often associated with members of the samurai class or local landowners. During the Edo period (1603-1868), an Okumoto Masatoshi (1630-1701) served as a retainer to the powerful Tokugawa shogunate.
In the late 19th century, an Okumoto Kiyoshi (1860-1923) became a respected scholar and educator, contributing to the modernization of Japan's education system during the Meiji Restoration.
More recently, Okumoto Shozo (1905-1988) was a prominent Japanese businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Okumoto Corporation, a successful manufacturing company that still operates today.
While the Okumoto name has roots in medieval Japan, it has since spread across the country and into other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the deep interior regions of Japan several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Okumoto
Among Census respondents with the surname Okumoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.8%) and White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Okumoto 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 Okumoto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander81.5% · 88
- Two or more races14.8% · 16
- White2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Okumoto
Okumoto 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+8 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,556 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-16 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,342 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 1,556 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 15,342 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 Okumoto 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 | #135,593 | #150,935 | -11.3% |
| Count | 124 | 108 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Okumoto bearers went from 124 to 108 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 15,342 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,935.
FAQ
Okumoto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Okumoto?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Okumoto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Okumoto?
Okumoto ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Okumoto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Okumoto.
Has Okumoto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Okumoto went from 124 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Okumoto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Okumoto, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.8%) and White (2.8%). 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 Okumoto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Okumoto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (81.5%), Two or More Races (14.8%), White (2.8%). 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 Okumoto (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 Okumoto mean?
A Japanese surname theorized to mean "big root" or "big base". 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 Okumoto (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 Americans have the surname Okumoto?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.