2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Utsumi
A Japanese surname derived from the word "utsusu" meaning to "copy" or "transplant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Utsumi. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Utsumi 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Utsumi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Utsumi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Utsumi
The surname UTSUMI is of Japanese origin, with the earliest records dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the words "utsu" meaning "to strike" and "mi" meaning "body" or "person", suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who was a skilled warrior or fighter.
During the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the UTSUMI name appears in several historical records and documents, such as the Shoku Nihongi, a chronicle of Japanese history. There are also references to the name in some ancient Japanese literary works, including the Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the UTSUMI surname was Utsumi no Sukune, a renowned samurai and military commander who lived in the late 8th century. He played a significant role in suppressing the Emi Rebellion, a major uprising against the imperial court in 766 AD.
Another notable figure was Utsumi Yoshitsugu (1516-1586), a skilled swordsman and military strategist who served under the powerful Tokugawa clan during the Sengoku period. He was known for his loyalty and bravery in battle.
In the 17th century, Utsumi Kichizaemon (1605-1677) was a respected scholar and poet who contributed to the development of the haiku form of poetry. He was also skilled in the art of traditional Japanese calligraphy.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Utsumi family had several members who held influential positions within the Tokugawa shogunate. One such individual was Utsumi Sadayuki (1680-1741), a high-ranking official and advisor to the shogun.
In more recent history, Utsumi Masataka (1876-1944) was a prominent Japanese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the early 20th century. He played a crucial role in shaping Japan's foreign policy during a turbulent period of international tensions.
The UTSUMI surname has also been associated with various place names across Japan, such as Utsumi-mura (Utsumi Village) in the Gunma Prefecture and Utsumi-cho (Utsumi Town) in the Ibaraki Prefecture. These locations may have contributed to the spread and evolution of the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Utsumi
Among Census respondents with the surname Utsumi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Utsumi 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 Utsumi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.4% · 92
- White5.5% · 6
- Two or more races5.5% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Utsumi
Utsumi 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,872 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,872 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,423 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 Utsumi 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 | #152,628 | #150,205 | 1.6% |
| Count | 107 | 109 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Utsumi bearers went from 107 to 109 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #150,205.
FAQ
Utsumi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Utsumi?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Utsumi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Utsumi?
Utsumi ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Utsumi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Utsumi.
Has Utsumi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Utsumi went from 107 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Utsumi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Utsumi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Utsumi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Utsumi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.4%), White (5.5%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Utsumi (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 Utsumi mean?
A Japanese surname derived from the word "utsusu" meaning to "copy" or "transplant". 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 Utsumi (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 last name Utsumi?
Want to know how many people have the surname Utsumi? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.