2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sakihara
A Japanese surname derived from a placename, potentially meaning "promontory/peninsula field".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Sakihara. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sakihara 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Sakihara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sakihara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sakihara
The surname Sakihara has its origins in Japan, tracing back to the late Heian period (794-1185 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "saki" meaning "promontory" or "cape," and "hara" meaning "field" or "plain." This suggests the name may have been associated with a geographical location, potentially referring to a family or clan residing near a cape or promontory surrounded by fields or plains.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Sakihara name can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle documenting events in the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD). The chronicle mentions a samurai warrior named Sakihara Nobumitsu, who participated in the Genpei War (1180-1185 AD) and later served under the Kamakura shogunate.
During the Muromachi period (1336-1573 AD), a branch of the Sakihara family rose to prominence in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture). Records from this era mention Sakihara Nobunaga, a skilled strategist and military commander who played a crucial role in the conflicts between the Uesugi and Hojo clans.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Sakihara name is found in various historical documents, including the Buke Shohatto, a legal code governing the conduct of samurai families. One notable figure from this era was Sakihara Masayuki (1592-1668), a renowned scholar and calligrapher who served as a retainer to the Tokugawa shogunate.
The Meiji era (1868-1912 AD) saw the rise of several prominent Sakihara individuals. Sakihara Tomotada (1836-1900) was a politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the early years of the Meiji Restoration. Another notable figure was Sakihara Shigeru (1852-1924), a pioneering educator who established several prestigious schools and contributed to the modernization of Japan's education system.
In the 20th century, the Sakihara name gained further recognition with individuals like Sakihara Katsumi (1913-1999), a celebrated author and poet who received numerous literary awards for his works. Sakihara Yoshiyuki (1928-2011) was a renowned architect known for his innovative designs, including the iconic Tokyo Dome.
The surname Sakihara has a rich history spanning centuries, with notable individuals contributing to various fields, including warfare, politics, education, literature, and architecture. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Japan, the name has endured and continues to be associated with academic, cultural, and professional achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sakihara
Among Census respondents with the surname Sakihara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sakihara 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 Sakihara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.8% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 13
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- White2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sakihara
Sakihara 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,613 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 15,613 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 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 Sakihara 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 | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sakihara bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Sakihara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sakihara?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Sakihara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Sakihara?
Sakihara ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Sakihara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Sakihara.
Has Sakihara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sakihara went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Sakihara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sakihara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Sakihara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sakihara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.8%), Hispanic (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Sakihara (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 Sakihara mean?
A Japanese surname derived from a placename, potentially meaning "promontory/peninsula field". 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 Sakihara (0.03 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 Sakihara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.