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

Sakurai, 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 Sakurai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sakurai in America

Sakurai is the 36099th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sakurai surname appeared 621 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 Sakurai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sakurai 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 Sakurai

The surname Sakurai is of Japanese origin, originating in the late 15th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "saku" meaning "blossom" and "rai" meaning "coming". The name was likely first adopted by those living in areas with cherry blossom trees, which hold great cultural significance in Japan.

One of the earliest known records of the Sakurai name dates back to the late 16th century. In the Taikou Keiki, a historical text documenting the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful feudal lord, there is mention of a retainer named Sakurai Nobumoto who served under Hideyoshi's forces.

The name Sakurai can also be traced to the village of Sakurai, located in the Nara Prefecture of Japan. This village was established during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and likely took its name from the cherry blossom trees in the area. It is possible that some early bearers of the Sakurai surname originated from this village.

One of the most notable individuals with the Sakurai surname was Sakurai Ayako (1878-1964), a pioneering Japanese journalist and women's rights activist. She was the first female reporter for the Osaka Asahi Shimbun newspaper and played a pivotal role in advocating for women's suffrage in Japan.

Another prominent figure with the Sakurai name was Sakurai Tōru (1892-1953), a Japanese physicist best known for his contributions to the field of nuclear physics. He was the first to propose the existence of mesons, which are subatomic particles composed of quarks.

In the world of literature, Sakurai Tetsuo (1904-1998) was a celebrated Japanese novelist and poet. His works often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition. One of his most famous novels, "The Idiot's Village", was published in 1957 and received critical acclaim.

Sakurai Masao (1897-1945) was a Japanese naval officer who played a significant role in World War II. He served as the chief of staff of the Combined Fleet during the Battle of Midway, a pivotal battle that marked a turning point in the Pacific theater.

Lastly, Sakurai Ango (1904-1955) was a renowned Japanese writer and essayist known for his satirical works and criticism of Japanese society. His most famous novel, "The Crazy Iris and Other Stories", published in 1949, explored themes of alienation and societal conformity.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sakurai

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

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

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

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