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

Takei, 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 Takei surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Takei in America

Takei is the 69793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Takei surname appeared 281 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 Takei.

We can also compare 2010 data for Takei 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 Takei

The surname Takei originates from Japan and can be traced back to the early 8th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "takeru," which means "to shine" or "to be bright." This name was often given to individuals who possessed qualities such as intelligence, charisma, or leadership abilities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Takei name appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle of ancient Japan completed in 797 AD. The text mentions a nobleman named Takei no Masahira, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 AD).

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the Takei family emerged as a prominent samurai clan based in the Ise Province (present-day Mie Prefecture). They were known for their loyalty to the Minamoto shogunate and played a significant role in various military conflicts of the time.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Takei clan held domain over the Takei Domain, a small feudal territory located in the Shinano Province (now part of Nagano Prefecture). The Takei family ruled this domain for several generations, contributing to its governance and cultural development.

Notable individuals with the Takei surname include:

1. Takei Naonobu (1608-1648), a renowned samurai and military strategist who served under the Tokugawa shogunate.
2. Takei Kiyomasa (1810-1888), a Confucian scholar and educator who played a pivotal role in modernizing Japan's education system during the Meiji Restoration.
3. Takei Tokuzo (1869-1934), a pioneering industrialist who founded the Tōyō Spinning Company, one of Japan's largest textile manufacturers.
4. Takei Tomio (1904-1989), a celebrated artist and woodblock print master known for his depictions of traditional Japanese culture and landscapes.
5. Takei George (1937-present), an American actor and author best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek television series and films.

The Takei surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Japan, such as Takei Village in Aomori Prefecture and Takei Town in Fukushima Prefecture. These place names likely originated from the presence of Takei families or clans in those regions during ancient times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Takei

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

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

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

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