2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Onaka
A Japanese surname potentially meaning "stomach" or "abdomen".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Onaka. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onaka 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Onaka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onaka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (21.4%) and Hispanic (9.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onaka
The surname Onaka is believed to have originated in Japan, although the exact time period and location of its origin are uncertain. The name may derive from the Japanese word "onaka," which means "stomach" or "belly," suggesting that it might have been a descriptive surname given to someone with a prominent stomach or a large appetite.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Onaka surname can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE) in Japan. During this time, it was common for families to adopt surnames based on personal characteristics, occupations, or locations. The Onaka name may have been given to a person or family with a connection to food or agriculture.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), there are records of several notable individuals bearing the Onaka surname. One such person was Onaka Masahiro (1632-1705), a prominent samurai and military strategist who served under the Tokugawa shogunate. Another was Onaka Tsunenori (1680-1741), a renowned painter and calligrapher whose works are still admired today.
Moving forward in history, the Onaka surname can be found in various regions of Japan. In the late 19th century, Onaka Kiyomitsu (1848-1920) was a prominent educator and philosopher who helped establish modern educational systems in Japan. He was also a proponent of the Westernization of Japanese society.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Onaka Jiroku (1870-1936) was a successful businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Onaka Trading Company, which played a significant role in the development of international trade in Japan. Onaka Jiroku also donated a substantial portion of his wealth to educational and social causes.
In more recent times, the Onaka surname has been associated with various fields, including politics, sports, and entertainment. One notable figure is Onaka Takeshi (1932-2022), a former politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives in Japan for several terms.
It is important to note that the Onaka surname may have different origins or variations in other parts of the world, as surnames can evolve and change over time and across different cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onaka
Among Census respondents with the surname Onaka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (21.4%) and Hispanic (9.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Onaka 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 Onaka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.8% · 70
- Two or more races21.4% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino9.4% · 11
- White7.7% · 9
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onaka
Onaka 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+13 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,904 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-20 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,988 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 1,904 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 18,988 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 Onaka 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 | #125,282 | #144,270 | -15.2% |
| Count | 137 | 117 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onaka bearers went from 137 to 117 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 18,988 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #144,270.
FAQ
Onaka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onaka?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Onaka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Onaka?
Onaka ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Onaka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Onaka.
Has Onaka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onaka went from 137 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 20 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Onaka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onaka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (21.4%) and Hispanic (9.4%). 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 Onaka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onaka 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 (21.4%), Hispanic (9.4%). 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 Onaka (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 Onaka mean?
A Japanese surname potentially meaning "stomach" or "abdomen". 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 Onaka (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 Onaka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.