2000
#9,340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Oshiro
A Japanese toponymic surname meaning "large castle," referring to someone who lived near an impressive or important castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,285 Americans carry the last name Oshiro. That puts it at #10,652 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,339 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oshiro 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
3.3K
1 in 104,339
Census rank
#10,652
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,865 bearers of the surname Oshiro in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10652nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oshiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oshiro
The surname OSHIRO has its origins in Japan and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Okinawan place name "Oshiro," which means "big castle" or "large fortress." This place name likely referred to a prominent castle or fortified structure in the region during that time period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the OSHIRO surname can be found in the historical records of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled over the Okinawan islands from the 15th to the 19th century. These records mention several individuals with the OSHIRO name, suggesting that it was a well-established surname in the region.
The OSHIRO surname has also been linked to the village of Oshiro, located in the Yaeyama Islands of Okinawa Prefecture. This village likely derived its name from the same root as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the local geography.
In terms of notable individuals with the OSHIRO surname, one of the earliest recorded was Oshiro Anken (1677-1751), a prominent Okinawan scholar and poet who made significant contributions to the literary and cultural traditions of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Another prominent figure was Oshiro Chojo (1833-1908), a renowned Okinawan martial artist and teacher who played a crucial role in the preservation and dissemination of traditional Okinawan martial arts, such as Karate.
In the modern era, Oshiro Tatsuhiro (1925-2020) was a highly respected Okinawan politician and activist who advocated for the rights and recognition of the Okinawan people. He served as a member of the House of Representatives in Japan from 1972 to 1996.
Oshiro Kenichi (1955-) is a contemporary Japanese artist known for his abstract and minimalist paintings. His works have been exhibited internationally and are part of numerous museum collections.
Lastly, Oshiro Masayuki (1971-) is a former professional baseball player who played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league for over a decade, primarily as an outfielder for the Orix BlueWave and Yakult Swallows teams.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oshiro
Among Census respondents with the surname Oshiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Oshiro 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 Oshiro surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.3% · 2,244
- Two or more races10.4% · 297
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 188
- White4.4% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oshiro
Oshiro 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
#10,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,177
-25 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 815 places
2020
#10,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,865
-312 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 497 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,340 | 3,202 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,155 | 3,177 | 1.08 | -25 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 815 places |
| 2020 | #10,652 | 2,865 | 0.96 | -312 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 497 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 Oshiro 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 | #10,155 | #10,652 | -4.9% |
| Count | 3,177 | 2,865 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.96 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oshiro bearers went from 3,177 to 2,865 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 497 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,155 to #10,652.
FAQ
Oshiro surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oshiro?
Name Census estimates that about 3,285 living Americans carry the surname Oshiro. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,339 residents.
How common is Oshiro?
Oshiro ranks #10,652 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,865 people with the surname Oshiro. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,285), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Oshiro.
Has Oshiro become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oshiro went from 3,177 recorded bearers to 2,865. That is a decrease of 312 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,155 to #10,652.
What does the Census say about the background of Oshiro?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oshiro, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.4%) and Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Oshiro in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (2,244 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oshiro appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.3%), Two or More Races (10.4%), Hispanic (6.6%). 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 Oshiro (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 Oshiro mean?
A Japanese toponymic surname meaning "large castle," referring to someone who lived near an impressive or important castle. 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 Oshiro (0.96 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 Oshiro?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.