Find out how popular the last name Sakata is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sakata.

Sakata, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sakata surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sakata in America

Sakata is the 28131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sakata surname appeared 851 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sakata.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sakata to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sakata

The surname Sakata originates from Japan, where it first appeared in historical records during the 8th century AD. The name is derived from the Japanese words "saka" meaning slope or hill, and "ta" meaning rice paddy or field, suggesting the name originated from a geographic location or occupation related to rice farming on sloped terrain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sakata name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century, which mentions a person named Sakata no Kiyomaro who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 AD).

In the 12th century, the Sakata clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture). They were known for their military prowess and served as vassals to the powerful Uesugi clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615 AD).

During the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Sakata family produced several notable figures, including Sakata Nobuyuki (1585-1651), a daimyo (feudal lord) who ruled over the Shiroishi Domain in present-day Miyagi Prefecture.

Another prominent individual was Sakata Shōhaku (1782-1829), a famous painter and calligrapher who was renowned for his innovative and expressive brush techniques.

In more recent history, Sakata Kintarō (1888-1961) was a renowned artist and sculptor who became one of the leading figures in the mingei (folk craft) movement, dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Japanese crafts.

Additionally, Sakata Masayo (1932-2008) was a celebrated author and poet who was honored with several prestigious literary awards, including the Noma Literary Prize and the Tanizaki Prize.

Throughout its history, the Sakata surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Sakata City in Yamagata Prefecture, which was named after the Sakata clan who ruled the area during the feudal era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sakata

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sakata.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sakata was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sakata has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sakata was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sakata, please contact us.

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