2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sawamura
A Japanese surname denoting a geographical location, likely a village or manor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Sawamura. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sawamura 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Sawamura in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawamura, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and White (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sawamura
The surname Sawamura is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. It is believed to have originated from the geographical name "Sawamura," which refers to a village or area located near a marsh or swamp. The prefix "sawa" means "swamp" or "marsh" in Japanese, while "mura" translates to "village" or "hamlet."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sawamura name can be found in the Edo period records of the Tokugawa shogunate. These records document a family of samurai warriors hailing from the region of present-day Saitama Prefecture, who adopted the surname Sawamura, likely derived from the name of their ancestral village or land.
In the late 18th century, a prominent scholar and poet named Sawamura Sohin (1756-1821) gained recognition for his contributions to the fields of literature and calligraphy. He served as a tutor to several members of the imperial court and was highly respected for his literary talents.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), a notable figure named Sawamura Taisuke (1856-1924) made his mark as a successful businessman and industrialist. He founded the Sawamura Trading Company, which played a significant role in the modernization and industrialization of Japan during that period.
In the field of sports, the name Sawamura gained recognition through the achievements of Sawamura Eiji (1917-1944), a celebrated baseball player who played for the Yomiuri Giants in the early years of Japan's professional baseball league. He was renowned for his exceptional pitching skills and is considered one of the pioneers of Japanese baseball.
Another notable individual with the Sawamura surname was Sawamura Masao (1924-2008), a renowned architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban landscapes in Japan, including the Tokyo International Forum and the redevelopment plan for the Ginza district in Tokyo.
While the Sawamura name has its roots in Japan, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this surname found in various countries and communities. However, the rich history and cultural significance of this name remain deeply rooted in its Japanese origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sawamura
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawamura, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and White (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sawamura 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 Sawamura surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.4% · 97
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- White4.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sawamura
Sawamura 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-9 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,261 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 19,261 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 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 Sawamura 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 | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sawamura bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Sawamura surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sawamura?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Sawamura. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Sawamura?
Sawamura ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Sawamura. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Sawamura.
Has Sawamura become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sawamura went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Sawamura?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sawamura, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and White (4.5%). 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 Sawamura in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sawamura appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.4%), Two or More Races (6.3%), White (4.5%). 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 Sawamura (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 Sawamura mean?
A Japanese surname denoting a geographical location, likely a village or manor. 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 Sawamura (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 common is the surname Sawamura?
See how many Americans have the surname Sawamura on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.