2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Simanjuntak
An Indonesian surname meaning "one who lives near a river".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Simanjuntak. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simanjuntak 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Simanjuntak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simanjuntak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simanjuntak
The surname SIMANJUNTAK originates from Indonesia and is associated with the Batak ethnic group from North Sumatra. It is believed to have emerged during the 14th or 15th century when surnames became more widely adopted in the region. The name is thought to be derived from the Batak words "Si" meaning "the one" and "Manjuntak" which refers to a specific area or village.
One of the earliest known records of the SIMANJUNTAK name appears in the Toba Batak manuscript known as the Surat Batak, which dates back to the 16th century. This ancient text contains genealogical information and mentions several individuals bearing the SIMANJUNTAK surname.
In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) began keeping records of local inhabitants in the areas they controlled, including North Sumatra. These records, known as the VOC archives, contain numerous references to individuals with the SIMANJUNTAK surname, providing insight into their locations and activities during this period.
One notable figure from history with the SIMANJUNTAK surname was Ompu Pulo Batu (1848-1939), a revered leader and philosopher among the Batak people. He played a significant role in preserving Batak culture and traditions, and his teachings influenced many aspects of Batak society.
Another influential SIMANJUNTAK was Raja Mulia Naipospos Simanjuntak (1857-1924), a prominent leader and advisor to the Dutch colonial government in North Sumatra. He was instrumental in facilitating communication between the Batak communities and the colonial authorities.
In the 20th century, Dr. Sutan Oloan Simanjuntak (1911-1962) was a prominent Indonesian politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia from 1959 to 1962 and played a crucial role in shaping Indonesia's foreign policy during that period.
Raden Mas Noto Soeroto Simanjuntak (1888-1954) was a renowned Indonesian writer and journalist. He was a prolific author and contributed significantly to the development of modern Indonesian literature through his novels, short stories, and articles.
Lastly, Dr. Pohon Simanjuntak (1914-1994) was an influential figure in the field of education in Indonesia. He served as the Minister of Education and Culture from 1966 to 1973 and played a pivotal role in reforming the country's education system during that time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simanjuntak
Among Census respondents with the surname Simanjuntak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Simanjuntak 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 Simanjuntak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.2% · 109
- White3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simanjuntak
Simanjuntak appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-8 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,558 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 9,558 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 Simanjuntak 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 | #134,712 | #144,270 | -7.1% |
| Count | 125 | 117 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simanjuntak bearers went from 125 to 117 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 9,558 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #144,270.
FAQ
Simanjuntak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simanjuntak?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Simanjuntak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Simanjuntak?
Simanjuntak ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Simanjuntak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Simanjuntak.
Has Simanjuntak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simanjuntak went from 125 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Simanjuntak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simanjuntak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Simanjuntak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simanjuntak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.2%), White (3.4%), Black (1.7%). 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 Simanjuntak (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 Simanjuntak mean?
An Indonesian surname meaning "one who lives near a river". 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 Simanjuntak (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 Simanjuntak?
Want to know how many people have the last name Simanjuntak? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.