2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Suwa
A locational surname referring to a resident of the city of Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Suwa. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Suwa 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Suwa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Suwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.8%) and White (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Suwa
The surname SUWA is believed to have originated in Japan. It is derived from the Japanese word 'suwa', which means 'marsh' or 'swamp'. The name likely originated in the Suwa region of Nagano Prefecture, which is known for its wetlands and marshes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SUWA can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the 8th century AD. This text mentions a family of nobles from the Suwa region who held significant influence in the imperial court during the Nara period (710-794 AD).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the SUWA clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Suwa region. They were known for their military prowess and their loyalty to the Hojo clan, who ruled as the de facto rulers of Japan during this time.
In the 14th century, a famous Buddhist monk named Suwa Yorishige (1272-1352) became renowned for his teachings and his role in the reconstruction of the Suwa Grand Shrine, one of the oldest and most significant Shinto shrines in Japan.
Another notable figure bearing the SUWA surname was Suwa Yorimichi (1521-1589), a skilled military commander who served under the powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period (1467-1615). Suwa Yorimichi played a crucial role in several battles and was renowned for his strategic acumen.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the SUWA clan continued to hold significant influence in the Suwa region, serving as local lords and administrators under the Tokugawa shogunate.
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), several individuals with the SUWA surname made notable contributions in various fields. Suwa Hiromi (1833-1917) was a prominent educator who played a pivotal role in the establishment of Japan's modern education system, while Suwa Jitsumen (1879-1936) was a renowned painter and printmaker whose works captured the essence of traditional Japanese art.
It is worth noting that the SUWA surname is also found in other parts of Japan, indicating that people from the Suwa region may have migrated to different areas over time, carrying their surname with them.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Suwa
Among Census respondents with the surname Suwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.8%) and White (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Suwa 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 Suwa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.1% · 87
- Two or more races11.8% · 13
- White4.5% · 5
- Black or African American4.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Suwa
Suwa 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-10 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,269 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 16,269 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 12,119 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 Suwa 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 | #137,327 | #149,446 | -8.8% |
| Count | 122 | 110 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Suwa bearers went from 122 to 110 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #149,446.
FAQ
Suwa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Suwa?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Suwa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Suwa?
Suwa ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Suwa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Suwa.
Has Suwa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Suwa went from 122 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Suwa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Suwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.8%) 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 Suwa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Suwa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.1%), Two or More Races (11.8%), 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 Suwa (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 Suwa mean?
A locational surname referring to a resident of the city of Suwa in Nagano Prefecture, 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 Suwa (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 have the surname Suwa?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.