2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sameshima
A locational surname referring to someone from the Sasashima Islands off Japan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Sameshima. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sameshima 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Sameshima in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sameshima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (18.8%) and Hispanic (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sameshima
The surname Sameshima is of Japanese origin, originating from the island of Kyushu in the Kagoshima Prefecture. It is believed to have emerged around the 16th century during the Sengoku period, a time of social and political upheaval in Japan.
The name Sameshima is derived from the Japanese words "same" meaning "shark" and "shima" meaning "island". This suggests that the name may have originated from a place or locality known for its connection to sharks or shark fishing. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive name given to someone who lived near or frequented an island associated with sharks.
While there are no specific historical references to the name Sameshima in ancient manuscripts or records, it is likely that the name was initially adopted by a prominent family or clan in the Kagoshima region during the feudal period. Over time, the name would have spread as members of the family migrated or married into other families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sameshima dates back to the late 17th century, when a samurai named Sameshima Masanori (1634-1708) served under the Shimazu clan, a powerful feudal family in Kagoshima. Masanori was known for his military prowess and loyalty to the Shimazu lords.
Another notable figure was Sameshima Naonobu (1790-1867), a scholar and educator who played a significant role in the development of modern education in Japan during the Bakumatsu period. He established several schools and advocated for the study of Western sciences and disciplines.
In the 19th century, Sameshima Shunpei (1824-1893) was a prominent artist and printmaker from Kyoto, known for his woodblock prints depicting scenes from Kabuki theater and Japanese folklore. His works are highly regarded and can be found in various museums and collections around the world.
During the Meiji Restoration, Sameshima Hirobumi (1855-1923) was a influential politician and statesman who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Japan from 1892 to 1896. He was instrumental in modernizing Japan's political and military systems and played a key role in the country's industrialization efforts.
More recently, Sameshima Hiroshi (1939-2023) was a renowned architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings and urban landscapes in Japan, including the Tokyo International Forum and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Throughout its history, the surname Sameshima has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including samurai, scholars, artists, politicians, and architects, reflecting the diverse and rich cultural heritage of Japan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sameshima
Among Census respondents with the surname Sameshima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (18.8%) and Hispanic (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sameshima 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 Sameshima surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander62.5% · 70
- Two or more races18.8% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 11
- White8.0% · 9
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sameshima
Sameshima 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
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+29 bearers (+23.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,914 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-40 bearers (-26.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,920 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | +29 bearers (+23.6%) | Up 12,914 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -40 bearers (-26.3%) | Down 32,920 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 Sameshima 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 | #115,034 | #147,954 | -28.6% |
| Count | 152 | 112 | -26.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sameshima bearers went from 152 to 112 (-26.3% change). The surname moved down 32,920 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #147,954.
FAQ
Sameshima surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sameshima?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Sameshima. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Sameshima?
Sameshima ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Sameshima. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sameshima.
Has Sameshima become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sameshima went from 152 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 40 (-26.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,034 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Sameshima?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sameshima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (18.8%) and Hispanic (9.8%). 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 Sameshima in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.5% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sameshima appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (62.5%), Two or More Races (18.8%), Hispanic (9.8%). 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 Sameshima (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 Sameshima mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the Sasashima Islands off Japan. 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 Sameshima (0.04 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 share the surname Sameshima?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.