2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sasahara
A Japanese surname derived from a place name or geographical feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Sasahara. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sasahara 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Sasahara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sasahara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (8.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sasahara
The surname SASAHARA is of Japanese origin, originating in the late Heian period (794-1185 AD) or early Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD). It is believed to have derived from the name of a feudal estate or land holding, as was common practice during these eras in Japan.
One theory suggests that the name is derived from the combination of the Japanese words "sasa" meaning bamboo grass, and "hara" meaning a field or plain. This could indicate that the original bearer of the name owned or was associated with a region known for its bamboo grass fields.
Another possibility is that SASAHARA is derived from a place name, as many Japanese surnames have their roots in the names of villages, towns, or regions. However, there are no definitive records of a specific location called SASAHARA from that time period.
The earliest known record of the SASAHARA surname appears in a collection of family genealogies and local histories compiled in the 17th century during the Edo period (1603-1868). This document mentions a SASAHARA family residing in the Mino Province, which is now part of present-day Gifu Prefecture.
One notable bearer of the SASAHARA name was Sasahara Nobuyoshi (1570-1630), a samurai and retainer of the powerful Tokugawa clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). He served under Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, and played a role in several military campaigns.
Another historical figure with this surname was Sasahara Tsunenaga (1639-1711), a Confucian scholar and teacher during the Edo period. He was known for his expertise in Chinese classics and his writings on ethics and governance.
In the 19th century, Sasahara Yōichi (1838-1904) was a prominent educator and promoter of Western-style education in Japan during the Meiji era (1868-1912). He played a significant role in establishing modern educational systems and institutions.
During the 20th century, Sasahara Hiroshi (1901-1981) was a renowned Japanese architect best known for his work in designing numerous railway stations, including the iconic Tokyo Station.
More recently, Sasahara Isao (1924-2000) was a respected Japanese author and literary critic, known for his works exploring themes of modernity and cultural identity in post-war Japan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sasahara
Among Census respondents with the surname Sasahara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (8.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sasahara 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 Sasahara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander75.5% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 11
- Two or more races8.8% · 9
- White2.9% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sasahara
Sasahara 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+7 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,351 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-15 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,647 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 2,351 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 12,647 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 Sasahara 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 | #142,108 | #154,755 | -8.9% |
| Count | 117 | 102 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sasahara bearers went from 117 to 102 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 12,647 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #154,755.
FAQ
Sasahara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sasahara?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Sasahara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Sasahara?
Sasahara ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Sasahara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Sasahara.
Has Sasahara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sasahara went from 117 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Sasahara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sasahara, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Two or More Races (8.8%). 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 Sasahara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.5% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sasahara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (75.5%), Hispanic (10.8%), Two or More Races (8.8%). 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 Sasahara (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 Sasahara mean?
A Japanese surname derived from a place name or geographical feature. 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 Sasahara (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 Sasahara?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.