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

Sakuma, 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 Sakuma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sakuma in America

Sakuma is the 40745th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sakuma surname appeared 536 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 Sakuma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sakuma 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 Sakuma

The surname Sakuma is of Japanese origin. It is believed to have originated in the Nara and Heian periods (710-1185 CE) when surnames were first adopted in Japan. The name Sakuma is derived from two Japanese words, "saku" meaning "brilliant" or "eminent", and "ma" meaning "true" or "genuine".

Sakuma was likely first used as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who displayed exceptional qualities or talents. It may have also been used to distinguish families or clans of high social standing or lineage. The earliest known record of the surname Sakuma dates back to the late Heian period, appearing in several historical texts and manuscripts from that era.

One notable historical figure with the surname Sakuma was Sakuma Shozan (1811-1864), a prominent Confucian scholar and philosopher during the late Edo period. He advocated for modernization and played a influential role in the Meiji Restoration.

Another important figure was Sakuma Samata (1844-1918), a military officer and statesman who served as the Governor of Tokyo in the early Meiji era. He was instrumental in the modernization of Japan's military and the establishment of the Imperial Japanese Army.

In the field of literature, Sakuma Fujiko (1913-1989) was a renowned novelist and poet, known for her works exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition. She was a recipient of the prestigious Noma Literary Prize.

In more recent history, Sakuma Nobuyuki (1897-1983) was a notable physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He served as the President of Kyoto University from 1957 to 1963.

Sakuma Toru (1933-1999) was a celebrated actor and film director, known for his roles in several classic Japanese films of the 1960s and 1970s. He received numerous awards and accolades for his work in cinema.

While the surname Sakuma has its roots in ancient Japan, it has since spread and can be found among Japanese diaspora communities around the world. The name continues to be a proud representation of Japanese heritage and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sakuma

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

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 Sakuma 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 Sakuma 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 Sakuma was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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