2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tatsuno
A Japanese surname derived from the phrase "dragon field" or "dragon plains."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Tatsuno. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tatsuno 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Tatsuno in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tatsuno, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.4%) and White (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tatsuno
The surname Tatsuno originates from Japan and traces its roots back to the Edo period (1603-1868). It is believed to have originated from a Japanese place name, likely a village or town where the family resided. The name itself is composed of two kanji characters: "tatsu" (竜), meaning "dragon," and "no" (野), meaning "field" or "plain."
During the Edo period, Japan adopted the system of hereditary surnames, and it is likely that the Tatsuno family name emerged during this time. The combination of the characters "dragon" and "field" may have been chosen to represent the family's connection to a particular geographical location or their occupation.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Tatsuno name can be found in the Edo-period records of the Tokugawa Shogunate. In these documents, there are mentions of individuals with the Tatsuno surname serving in various capacities, such as samurai warriors or local administrators.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Tatsuno surname. One prominent figure was Tatsuno Kingo (1654-1718), a renowned Haiku poet of the Edo period. His works are still studied and celebrated in Japan today.
Another individual of note was Tatsuno Masanobu (1878-1935), a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives during the Meiji and Taisho periods.
In the field of academia, Tatsuno Kingo (1904-1991) was a respected scholar of Japanese literature and linguistics. He taught at several prestigious universities and made significant contributions to the study of classical Japanese texts.
During the Sengoku period (15th-17th century), there are records of a samurai clan called the Tatsuno-shi, which controlled a region in present-day Hyogo Prefecture. The clan's founder, Tatsuno Nobumitsu (1515-1587), played a role in the military conflicts of the time.
In more recent history, Tatsuno Naomi (1920-2008) was a renowned Japanese artist known for her intricate woodblock prints and paintings depicting traditional Japanese subjects and landscapes.
While the Tatsuno surname may not be as widely known as some other Japanese family names, its long history and presence across various fields and eras highlight its enduring legacy within Japanese culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tatsuno
Among Census respondents with the surname Tatsuno, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.4%) and White (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tatsuno 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 Tatsuno surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander75.0% · 84
- Two or more races13.4% · 15
- White9.8% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tatsuno
Tatsuno 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,876 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-16 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,748 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 11,876 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 15,748 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 Tatsuno 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 | #132,206 | #147,954 | -11.9% |
| Count | 128 | 112 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tatsuno bearers went from 128 to 112 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 15,748 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #147,954.
FAQ
Tatsuno surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tatsuno?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Tatsuno. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Tatsuno?
Tatsuno ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Tatsuno. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Tatsuno.
Has Tatsuno become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tatsuno went from 128 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Tatsuno?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tatsuno, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.4%) and White (9.8%). 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 Tatsuno in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (84 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tatsuno appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (75.0%), Two or More Races (13.4%), White (9.8%). 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 Tatsuno (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 Tatsuno mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the phrase "dragon field" or "dragon plains." 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 Tatsuno (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 Tatsuno?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.