2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tsushima
A Japanese surname derived from the island name Tsushima.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Tsushima. 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 Tsushima 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 Tsushima 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 Tsushima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (9.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tsushima
Tsushima is a Japanese surname that originates from the island of the same name located in the Korean Strait. The island has been part of Japan since ancient times and was an important strategic location for trade and naval activities.
The name Tsushima is believed to derive from the Ainu language, which was spoken by the indigenous people of the region. The word "tsu-shima" is thought to mean "remote island" or "distant island," reflecting the island's geographic location off the coast of mainland Japan.
Records of the Tsushima surname can be traced back to the 8th century CE during the Nara period in Japan. The name appears in historical documents and records related to the island and its inhabitants. One notable early reference is found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle from the 8th century, which mentions individuals with the Tsushima surname serving as governors or administrators on the island.
The earliest recorded individual with the Tsushima surname is Tsushima no Naokata, a samurai warrior who lived in the late 12th century. He played a significant role in the Genpei War, a conflict between the Minamoto and Taira clans, and was known for his loyalty and bravery.
Another prominent figure with the Tsushima surname was Tsushima Masanao (1683-1757), a notable scholar and Confucian philosopher during the Edo period. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which influenced the intellectual and political discourse of his time.
During the Sengoku period (15th-17th centuries), the Tsushima clan was a powerful feudal family that controlled the island of Tsushima. One notable member was Tsushima Hirobumi (1540-1615), a skilled diplomat and negotiator who played a crucial role in establishing trade and diplomatic relations between Japan and Korea.
In more recent history, Tsushima Hiromi (1914-1982) was a renowned Japanese sculptor and artist known for her abstract and modernist works. Her sculptures can be found in various museums and public spaces across Japan.
Throughout its long history, the Tsushima surname has been associated with the island of the same name, reflecting the deep ties between the name and the geographic location from which it originated. While the name may have evolved in its spelling and pronunciation over time, it remains a distinct Japanese surname with a rich cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tsushima
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsushima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (9.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tsushima 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 Tsushima surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander82.4% · 89
- White9.3% · 10
- Two or more races6.5% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tsushima
Tsushima 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-10 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,732 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 19,732 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,834 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 Tsushima 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 | #153,769 | #150,935 | 1.8% |
| Count | 106 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tsushima bearers went from 106 to 108 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,935.
FAQ
Tsushima surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tsushima?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Tsushima. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Tsushima?
Tsushima 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 Tsushima. 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 Tsushima.
Has Tsushima become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tsushima went from 106 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Tsushima?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tsushima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.4%. The next largest groups are White (9.3%) and Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Tsushima in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tsushima appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (82.4%), White (9.3%), Two or More Races (6.5%). 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 Tsushima (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 Tsushima mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the island name Tsushima. 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 Tsushima (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 share the surname Tsushima?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.