Tanabe
A Japanese surname meaning "valley/rice field" and also the name of a city in Wakayama Prefecture.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,337 Americans carry the last name Tanabe. That puts it at #22,319 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 256,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tanabe surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.3K
1 in 256,361
Census rank
#22,319
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,155 bearers of the surname Tanabe in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22319th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanabe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and White (8.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tanabe
The surname Tanabe is of Japanese origin, and it can be traced back to the 7th century CE. It is believed to have originated from the village of Tanabe, located in the present-day Wakayama Prefecture on the island of Honshu. The name itself is derived from the Japanese words "tana," meaning "shelf," and "be," meaning "inlet" or "cove," suggesting that the area where the name originated was situated near a sheltered cove.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tanabe surname can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early 8th-century chronicle of Japanese history. The text mentions a nobleman named Tanabe no Sukune, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 CE).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Tanabe clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Kii Province (present-day Wakayama Prefecture). They were known for their military prowess and played a significant role in various conflicts of the time.
In the 14th century, a renowned Buddhist monk named Tanabe Shōsan (1336-1396) lived in Kyoto and contributed to the spread of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. His teachings and writings had a profound impact on the spiritual landscape of Japan.
Another notable figure from the Tanabe family was Tanabe Sakuro (1718-1790), a renowned painter and calligrapher during the Edo period (1603-1868). His works were highly acclaimed for their elegance and mastery of traditional Japanese art forms.
In the 19th century, Tanabe Ōsaku (1810-1876) was a prominent scholar and educator who played a crucial role in the modernization of Japan's educational system during the Meiji Restoration.
Throughout history, the Tanabe surname has been found in various regions of Japan, with some variations in spelling, such as Tanabe, Tanave, and Tanabi, reflecting local dialects and historical changes in the written language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tanabe
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanabe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and White (8.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Tanabe bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Tanabe surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander72.2%
- Two or more races11.4%
- White8.9%
- Hispanic or Latino7.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Tanabe surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,319 | #22,319 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,155 | 1,155 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Tanabe bearers went from 1,155 to 1,155 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #22,319 to #22,319.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tanabe
FAQ
Tanabe surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Tanabe?
The surname Tanabe holds position #22,319 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,337 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Tanabe surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanabe, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and White (8.9%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.