2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Yamate
A Japanese surname meaning "the top of a mountain" or "mountain peak".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Yamate. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yamate 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Yamate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yamate, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 66.0%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (14.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yamate
The surname Yamate originates from Japan, a country with a rich history of family names often linked to geographic locations, occupations, or notable characteristics. The name Yamate is derived from the combination of two kanji characters: "yama" (山) meaning "mountain" and "te" (手) meaning "hand". The literal translation could be interpreted as "mountain hand," though this is likely metaphorical rather than literal.
Historically, the surname Yamate has been associated with regions that are characterized by their hilly or mountainous terrain. In particular, the name is believed to have originated from areas in the Kanto region such as present-day Tokyo and Kanagawa. These regions are known for their elevated landscapes, which may have inspired the adoption of the surname.
The name Yamate appears in historical documents dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868), a time when family names became commonly used among the Samurai class and later spread to the general populace. Though not directly appearing in ancient records like the Domesday Book, the surname is referenced in regional registries and temple records, indicating its early usage and the families associated with it.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Yamate comes from the Edo period, specifically in a registry of samurai families residing in the Kanagawa area. An individual named Masayuki Yamate, born in 1643, is noted for his role as a local magistrate. Another example is Hiroshi Yamate, who lived between 1710 and 1782 and was renowned for his works in traditional Japanese woodblock printing.
Moving into the Meiji period (1868-1912), the surname Yamate continued to appear in historical records. One notable figure is Ichiro Yamate, born in 1864, who was a prominent educator and played a significant role in the modernization of Japan’s education system. His contributions to public schooling earned him recognition, which is documented in several educational reforms of the time.
In the modern era, the surname Yamate is connected to several notable individuals. One of them is Hideo Yamate, born in 1910 and passed away in 1975, who served as a diplomat and played a crucial role in post-World War II international relations for Japan. Another is Akemi Yamate, born in 1943, who gained fame as a classical musician and contributed significantly to the global recognition of Japanese classical music.
The surname Yamate, with its origins rooted in the mountainous regions of Japan, spans several centuries and is connected to various significant historical figures. The name persists in historical records and continues to be a symbol of Japanese heritage and identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yamate
Among Census respondents with the surname Yamate, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 66.0%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (14.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Yamate 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 Yamate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander66.0% · 68
- White17.5% · 18
- Two or more races14.6% · 15
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yamate
Yamate 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+4 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,068 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-19 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 5,068 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 16,855 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 Yamate 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 | #137,327 | #154,182 | -12.3% |
| Count | 122 | 103 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yamate bearers went from 122 to 103 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 16,855 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #154,182.
FAQ
Yamate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yamate?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Yamate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Yamate?
Yamate ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Yamate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Yamate.
Has Yamate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yamate went from 122 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Yamate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yamate, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 66.0%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (14.6%). 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 Yamate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.0% (68 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yamate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (66.0%), White (17.5%), Two or More Races (14.6%). 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 Yamate (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 Yamate mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "the top of a mountain" or "mountain peak". 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 Yamate (0.03 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 are called Yamate?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Yamate at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.