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

Sunahara, 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 Sunahara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sunahara in America

Sunahara is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sunahara surname appeared 186 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 Sunahara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sunahara 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 Sunahara

The surname Sunahara has its origins in Japan, tracing back to the late 15th century or early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "suna" meaning sand and "hara" meaning field or plain, suggesting that the name originated from a location with sandy fields or plains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sunahara can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) documents, where it was mentioned as a family name associated with certain regions of present-day Kanagawa Prefecture. The name was also present in the Muromachi period (1336-1573) records, indicating its continued use during that era.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Sunahara family was documented as residing in various domains across Japan, including the Tosa Domain (modern-day Kochi Prefecture) and the Hiroshima Domain. Some notable figures from this period include Sunahara Masatoshi (1633-1714), a samurai warrior who served under the Tosa clan, and Sunahara Tokisuke (1678-1744), a scholar and poet from Hiroshima.

In the late 19th century, the Sunahara name appeared in the records of the Meiji government's family registration system, solidifying its status as a recognized surname. One prominent individual from this time was Sunahara Kahei (1847-1919), a politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for a brief period in 1898.

Moving into the 20th century, Sunahara Ayako (1903-1998) was a renowned poet and author who gained recognition for her works exploring themes of feminism and social issues. Another notable figure was Sunahara Wataru (1924-2007), a successful businessman who founded the Sunahara Holdings Company, a major conglomerate in Japan.

Throughout history, the Sunahara surname has been associated with various professions, including samurai warriors, scholars, poets, politicians, and entrepreneurs. While the name's origins can be traced back to specific regions of Japan, it has since spread across the country and gained recognition beyond its geographical roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sunahara

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

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

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

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