2000
#56,392
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 339
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Otake
A Japanese surname meaning "big peak" or "big bamboo".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 408 Americans carry the last name Otake. That puts it at #61,001 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 840,084 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Otake 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
408
1 in 840,084
Census rank
#61,001
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
356
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 356 bearers of the surname Otake in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61001st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Otake, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.6%) and White (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Otake
The surname Otake originates from Japan, with its roots dating back to the 14th century or earlier. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese word "otake," which means "big bamboo." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a particular location or region known for its abundance of bamboo groves.
Historically, the Otake surname was prominent in the Hyogo Prefecture of Japan, particularly in the areas around the city of Kobe. Early records indicate that the Otake family played a significant role in the local community, with some members serving as samurai warriors or influential landowners.
One of the earliest known references to the Otake name can be found in the "Taiheiki," a historical chronicle from the 14th century that documented the events of the Nanboku-cho period (1336-1392). This manuscript mentions an Otake samurai who fought in the battles between the Northern and Southern imperial courts.
The first recorded individual with the Otake surname was Otake Masahiro, who lived during the Muromachi period (1336-1573). He was a skilled swordsman and served as a retainer to the Akamatsu clan, a prominent samurai family in the region.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Otake family continued to hold influential positions in various domains across Japan. One notable figure was Otake Munehiro (1679-1737), a renowned scholar and poet who served as a tutor to the lords of the Kumamoto Domain.
In more recent history, Otake Risaku (1845-1920) was a prominent educator and philosopher who played a significant role in modernizing Japan's educational system during the Meiji Restoration.
Another famous individual with the Otake surname was Otake Tomoyuki (1900-1957), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Tokyo, including the former Tokyo Kaikan and the Asahi Shimbun Building.
Lastly, Otake Sadako (1920-1945) was a young Japanese girl who became a symbol of the devastating consequences of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Her story, told through the book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes," has inspired people around the world to pursue peace and nuclear disarmament.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Otake
Among Census respondents with the surname Otake, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.6%) and White (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Otake 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 Otake surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander72.2% · 257
- Two or more races16.6% · 59
- White6.2% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 13
- Black or African American1.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Otake
Otake 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
#57,372
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 355
+16 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 980 places
2020
#61,001
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 356
+1 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,629 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,392 | 339 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,372 | 355 | 0.12 | +16 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 980 places |
| 2020 | #61,001 | 356 | 0.12 | +1 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 3,629 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 Otake 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 | #57,372 | #61,001 | -6.3% |
| Count | 355 | 356 | 0.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Otake bearers went from 355 to 356 (+0.3% change). The surname moved down 3,629 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,372 to #61,001.
FAQ
Otake surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Otake?
Name Census estimates that about 408 living Americans carry the surname Otake. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 840,084 residents.
How common is Otake?
Otake ranks #61,001 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 356 people with the surname Otake. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (408), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Otake.
Has Otake become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Otake went from 355 recorded bearers to 356. That is an increase of 1 (+0.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,372 to #61,001.
What does the Census say about the background of Otake?
Among Census respondents with the surname Otake, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (16.6%) and White (6.2%). 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 Otake in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.2% (257 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Otake appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (72.2%), Two or More Races (16.6%), White (6.2%). 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 Otake (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 Otake mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "big peak" or "big bamboo". 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 Otake (0.12 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 have the surname Otake?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.