2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Takekawa
A locational surname referring to a bamboo river or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Takekawa. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Takekawa 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Takekawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Takekawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.8%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Takekawa
The surname Takekawa has its origins in Japan, with the earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "take," meaning "bamboo," and "kawa," meaning "river," suggesting a possible connection to a geographic location near a bamboo-lined river.
One of the earliest documented references to the Takekawa name can be found in the Edo period records of the Tokugawa shogunate, where it appears as the surname of a minor samurai family from the Kanto region. This family's lineage can be traced back to the late 1500s, when they served under the Hojo clan during the Sengoku period.
In the 17th century, the Takekawa name gained recognition with the emergence of Takekawa Kichibei, a skilled sword-maker who lived in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). His exceptional craftsmanship earned him a reputation among samurai and daimyo lords, and his blades were highly sought after.
During the Edo period, another notable figure bearing the Takekawa surname was Takekawa Gensuke, a merchant and philanthropist who lived in Osaka in the late 18th century. He was known for his charitable works and contributions to the development of the city's infrastructure.
As Japan entered the Meiji era in the late 19th century, the Takekawa name gained further prominence with Takekawa Toshitsugu, a prominent educator and scholar. Born in 1837, he played a significant role in the modernization of Japan's education system and the introduction of Western academic disciplines.
In the 20th century, Takekawa Yukio, born in 1912, was a renowned artist and printmaker who specialized in traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques. His works were widely exhibited and celebrated both in Japan and internationally, earning him numerous awards and accolades.
While the Takekawa surname has its roots in Japan, over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made their mark in various fields, from artisanship and commerce to education and the arts, contributing to the rich tapestry of Japanese history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Takekawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Takekawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.8%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Takekawa 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 Takekawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander67.6% · 73
- Two or more races14.8% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 10
- White7.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Takekawa
Takekawa 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,711 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,711 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 483 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 Takekawa 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 | #150,452 | #150,935 | -0.3% |
| Count | 109 | 108 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Takekawa bearers went from 109 to 108 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,935.
FAQ
Takekawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Takekawa?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Takekawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Takekawa?
Takekawa ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Takekawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Takekawa.
Has Takekawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Takekawa went from 109 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Takekawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Takekawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.8%) and Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Takekawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.6% (73 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Takekawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (67.6%), Two or More Races (14.8%), Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Takekawa (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 Takekawa mean?
A locational surname referring to a bamboo river or stream. 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 Takekawa (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 Takekawa?
You can see how many people are called Takekawa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.