2000
#86,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Uchima
A locational surname originating from an area in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 213 Americans carry the last name Uchima. That puts it at #102,982 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,609,175 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uchima 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
213
1 in 1,609,175
Census rank
#102,982
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
186
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 186 bearers of the surname Uchima in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102982nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uchima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.1%) and Two or More Races (14.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uchima
The surname Uchima finds its origins in Japan, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "uchi" meaning "inside" and "ma" meaning "space" or "room," suggesting that the name may have been associated with occupations related to interior spaces or domestic work.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the Uchima name can be found in the historical records of the Tokugawa Shogunate, where a certain Uchima Katsusuke is listed as a samurai warrior who fought in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. This pivotal battle solidified the Tokugawa clan's control over Japan and marked the beginning of the Edo period.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Uchima name was prominent in the region of Kyushu, particularly in the city of Nagasaki. A notable figure from this era was Uchima Seishiro (1682-1738), a renowned scholar and calligrapher who was highly regarded for his mastery of the Japanese writing system.
In the late 19th century, as Japan underwent rapid modernization and westernization, the Uchima family played a significant role in the establishment of the Nagasaki Shipyard, one of the country's first modern shipbuilding facilities. Uchima Tsunehiko (1836-1901) was a prominent shipbuilder and engineer who contributed greatly to the development of Japan's maritime industry.
As Japan entered the 20th century, the Uchima name continued to be associated with various fields, including literature and academia. Uchima Kyoko (1918-2001) was a celebrated novelist and poet, known for her works exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
In more recent times, Uchima Masataka (1942-2018) was a renowned physicist who made significant contributions to the field of particle physics, particularly in the study of neutrinos. He was a professor at the University of Tokyo and a member of the Japan Academy.
Throughout its history, the Uchima surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, leaving an indelible mark on Japanese society and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uchima
Among Census respondents with the surname Uchima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.1%) and Two or More Races (14.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Uchima 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 Uchima surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander63.4% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino15.1% · 28
- Two or more races14.5% · 27
- White6.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uchima
Uchima 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+5 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,412 places
2020
#102,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
-20 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 13,229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #86,341 | 201 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | +5 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 3,412 places |
| 2020 | #102,982 | 186 | 0.06 | -20 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 13,229 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 Uchima 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 | #89,753 | #102,982 | -14.7% |
| Count | 206 | 186 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uchima bearers went from 206 to 186 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 13,229 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #102,982.
FAQ
Uchima surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uchima?
Name Census estimates that about 213 living Americans carry the surname Uchima. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,609,175 residents.
How common is Uchima?
Uchima ranks #102,982 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 186 people with the surname Uchima. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Uchima.
Has Uchima become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uchima went from 206 recorded bearers to 186. That is a decrease of 20 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #89,753 to #102,982.
What does the Census say about the background of Uchima?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uchima, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.1%) and Two or More Races (14.5%). 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 Uchima in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.4% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uchima appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (63.4%), Hispanic (15.1%), Two or More Races (14.5%). 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 Uchima (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 Uchima mean?
A locational surname originating from an area in Spain. 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 Uchima (0.06 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 common is the surname Uchima?
You can see how many people have the surname Uchima on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.