2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Onizuka
An uncommon Japanese surname derived from "oni" meaning demon or ogre, and "zuka" meaning small hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 171 Americans carry the last name Onizuka. That puts it at #121,931 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,004,411 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Onizuka 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
171
1 in 2,004,411
Census rank
#121,931
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
149
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 149 bearers of the surname Onizuka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 121931st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Onizuka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and White (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Onizuka
The surname Onizuka has its origins in Japan, where it first emerged during the feudal period of the 12th to 19th centuries. The name is derived from the Japanese words "oni" meaning demon or ogre, and "zuka" meaning mound or hill. This suggests that the name likely referred to a person who lived near a hill or mound associated with ogres or demons in Japanese folklore.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Onizuka name appears in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) samurai records, where a warrior named Onizuka Takeshi is mentioned for his bravery in battle. Another notable individual was Onizuka Kiyohiro, a 16th-century Buddhist monk and calligrapher renowned for his exquisite brush work.
During the Edo period (1603–1867), the Onizuka family was prominent in the Iga region of present-day Mie Prefecture, where they served as skilled ninja and spies for various daimyo lords. One famous member was Onizuka Masahiro (1620–1697), who was said to have infiltrated enemy castles and acquired valuable intelligence through his stealth and cunning.
In the late 19th century, as Japan underwent rapid modernization, the Onizuka name began to spread beyond its traditional strongholds. Onizuka Tomotada (1845–1910) was a pioneering educator who established one of the first modern schools in Osaka, paving the way for the country's educational reforms.
Another notable figure was Onizuka Hiroshi (1892–1945), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Tokyo, including the former headquarters of the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu and the Nihon University College of Art.
In more recent times, the name gained international recognition with the astronaut Ellison Onizuka (1946–1986), the first Asian-American and the first Hawaiian to reach space. Tragically, he perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, but his legacy as a pioneering explorer lives on.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Onizuka
Among Census respondents with the surname Onizuka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and White (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Onizuka 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 Onizuka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.2% · 124
- Two or more races10.7% · 16
- White2.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 3
- Black or African American1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Onizuka
Onizuka 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-7 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,143 places
2020
#121,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
+20 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,448 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 13,143 places |
| 2020 | #121,931 | 149 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 9,448 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 Onizuka 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 | #131,379 | #121,931 | 7.2% |
| Count | 129 | 149 | 15.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 24.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Onizuka bearers went from 129 to 149 (+15.5% change). The surname moved up 9,448 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #121,931.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Onizuka
FAQ
Onizuka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Onizuka?
Name Census estimates that about 171 living Americans carry the surname Onizuka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,004,411 residents.
How common is Onizuka?
Onizuka ranks #121,931 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 149 people with the surname Onizuka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (171), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Onizuka.
Has Onizuka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Onizuka went from 129 recorded bearers to 149. That is an increase of 20 (+15.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #131,379 to #121,931.
What does the Census say about the background of Onizuka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Onizuka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.7%) and White (2.7%). 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 Onizuka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Onizuka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.2%), Two or More Races (10.7%), White (2.7%). 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 Onizuka (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 Onizuka mean?
An uncommon Japanese surname derived from "oni" meaning demon or ogre, and "zuka" meaning small hill. 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 Onizuka (0.05 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 people are called Onizuka?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Onizuka at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.