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

Tomita, 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 Tomita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tomita in America

Tomita is the 20806th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tomita surname appeared 1,269 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 Tomita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tomita 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 Tomita

The surname TOMITA originated in Japan and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "tomi" meaning wealth or fortune, and "ta" meaning rice field. The name was likely given to families who owned or worked on prosperous rice fields in feudal Japan.

Early records of the name can be found in historical documents from the Kamakura period (1185-1333). During this time, the Tomita family was a respected clan in the Kanto region of central Japan. Several members of the family served as samurai warriors and local lords.

One notable figure was Tomita Nobusada (1225-1297), a skilled archer and military commander who fought alongside the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War. His exploits are recorded in the Gunki Monogatari, a 14th-century war chronicle.

In the 16th century, the Tomita clan rose to prominence in the Ise Province (present-day Mie Prefecture). Tomita Nagatsune (1516-1594) was a powerful daimyo (feudal lord) who controlled a vast domain and built the iconic Ise Shrine, dedicated to the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu.

Another notable figure was Tomita Toyo (1856-1937), a pioneering educator and feminist who established one of Japan's first schools for women. She was a vocal advocate for women's rights and played a significant role in the early feminist movement in Japan.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Tomita family produced several acclaimed poets and artists. Tomita Yahei (1673-1752) was a renowned painter of the Kano school, known for his intricate depictions of nature and landscapes.

More recently, Tomita Isao (1932-2016) was a celebrated composer and electronic music pioneer. He is best known for his groundbreaking album "Snowflakes Are Dancing" (1974), which featured electronic renditions of classical music pieces, including Debussy's "Clair de Lune."

Throughout its long history, the surname TOMITA has been associated with various professions and achievements, from samurai warriors and feudal lords to artists, educators, and innovators in the field of music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tomita

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

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

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

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