2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tsukayama
A geographical surname referring to someone from Tsukayama, an area near Okayama, Japan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Tsukayama. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tsukayama 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Tsukayama in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsukayama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Hispanic (8.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsukayama
The surname Tsukayama is of Japanese origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a combination of two distinct words: "tsuka," meaning "mound" or "hill," and "yama," meaning "mountain." This suggests that the name may have originated from a geographical location characterized by its hilly or mountainous terrain.
The earliest recorded instances of the Tsukayama name can be found in historical documents from the Kamakura period (1185-1333). During this era, Japan underwent significant political and social transformations, with the rise of the samurai warrior class and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate. It is likely that the Tsukayama name was associated with a prominent family or clan that held influence during this pivotal time.
One of the earliest known references to the Tsukayama name appears in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle compiled in the late 13th century. This document mentions a samurai named Tsukayama Sadamori, who served under the renowned military leader Yoritomo Minamoto during the Genpei War (1180-1185).
In the 15th century, during the Muromachi period, the Tsukayama name gained further prominence when a family of the same name established themselves as wealthy landowners in the Kansai region of Japan. Historical records indicate that the Tsukayama family played a significant role in the development of agriculture and trade in the area.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have carried the Tsukayama surname. One such individual was Tsukayama Yoshinori (1545-1623), a skilled swordsman and military strategist who served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate. Another prominent Tsukayama was Tsukayama Nobuyuki (1632-1704), a renowned poet and calligrapher whose works were celebrated during the Edo period.
In the 19th century, Tsukayama Katsutoshi (1826-1890) made significant contributions to the field of education. As a scholar and educator, he played a pivotal role in modernizing Japan's educational system during the Meiji Restoration.
More recently, Tsukayama Akihiro (1941-2013) gained recognition as a renowned architect whose designs blended traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern architectural principles. His works, such as the Kyoto Museum of Traditional Crafts, have been widely acclaimed for their beauty and functionality.
While the Tsukayama name may have evolved over time, its origins remain deeply rooted in Japan's rich cultural heritage, reflecting the country's diverse landscapes and the influential roles played by prominent families throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsukayama
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsukayama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Hispanic (8.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsukayama 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 Tsukayama surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander77.5% · 93
- Two or more races10.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 10
- White3.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsukayama
Tsukayama 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
#116,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
+11 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-30 bearers (-20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,201 | 150 | 0.05 | +11 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-20.0%) | Down 25,848 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 Tsukayama 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 | #116,201 | #142,049 | -22.2% |
| Count | 150 | 120 | -20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsukayama bearers went from 150 to 120 (-20.0% change). The surname moved down 25,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,201 to #142,049.
FAQ
Tsukayama surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsukayama?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Tsukayama. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Tsukayama?
Tsukayama ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Tsukayama. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Tsukayama.
Has Tsukayama become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsukayama went from 150 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 30 (-20.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,201 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsukayama?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsukayama, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 77.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.0%) and Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Tsukayama in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.5% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsukayama appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (77.5%), Two or More Races (10.0%), Hispanic (8.3%). 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 Tsukayama (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 Tsukayama mean?
A geographical surname referring to someone from Tsukayama, an area near Okayama, Japan. 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 Tsukayama (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 Americans have the surname Tsukayama?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.