2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Takahata
A Japanese surname possibly meaning "high field" or "high rice paddy".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Takahata. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Takahata 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Takahata in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Takahata, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Takahata
The surname Takahata is of Japanese origin and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Japanese words "taka," meaning "tall" or "high," and "hata," meaning "field" or "plain." The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived in or near a high field or plain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Takahata can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) records of the samurai class. During this time, the Takahata family was known for their service as warriors and feudal lords in the region of Kyushu.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Takahata Shigekuni (1548-1612) was a military commander who served under the powerful warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Shigekuni was known for his bravery and loyalty, and his descendants continued to hold influential positions in the Tokugawa shogunate.
Another notable Takahata was Takahata Isao (1804-1878), a scholar and educator who played a significant role in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. He was instrumental in establishing a system of modern education and introducing Western ideas to Japanese society.
In the 20th century, Takahata Isao (1935-2018) was a renowned Japanese film director and co-founder of the acclaimed Studio Ghibli. He directed several critically acclaimed animated films, including "Grave of the Fireflies" and "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya." Takahata's works often explored themes of humanity, nature, and Japanese culture.
The name Takahata has also been associated with various place names throughout Japan, such as Takahata City in Yamagata Prefecture and Takahata Town in Miyagi Prefecture. These locations likely derived their names from the geographical features of high plains or elevated fields in the surrounding areas.
While the surname Takahata is not among the most common in Japan, it has a rich history spanning centuries and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions to Japanese culture, military, and education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Takahata
Among Census respondents with the surname Takahata, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Takahata 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 Takahata surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander80.7% · 88
- Two or more races11.9% · 13
- White4.6% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Takahata
Takahata 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
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,071 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-8 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,097 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,071 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,097 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 Takahata 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 | #150,205 | -5.7% |
| Count | 117 | 109 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Takahata bearers went from 117 to 109 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 8,097 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #150,205.
FAQ
Takahata surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Takahata?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Takahata. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Takahata?
Takahata ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Takahata. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Takahata.
Has Takahata become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Takahata went from 117 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Takahata?
Among Census respondents with the surname Takahata, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and White (4.6%). 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 Takahata in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Takahata appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (80.7%), Two or More Races (11.9%), White (4.6%). 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 Takahata (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 Takahata mean?
A Japanese surname possibly meaning "high field" or "high rice paddy". 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 Takahata (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 are called Takahata?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Takahata on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.