2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Yasukawa
A locational surname from a town or place in Japan named for its location near a swift river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157 Americans carry the last name Yasukawa. That puts it at #129,703 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,183,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yasukawa 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
157
1 in 2,183,149
Census rank
#129,703
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137 bearers of the surname Yasukawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 129703rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yasukawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (10.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yasukawa
The surname Yasukawa originates from Japan and can be traced back to ancient times. Japan's system of surnames, or family names, has been in practice since the Nara period (710-794 AD) but became more widespread during the Heian period (794-1185 AD). Yasukawa is a compound name, derived from the kanji characters "Yasu" (安), which means "peaceful" or "tranquil," and "Kawa" (川), meaning "river." Together, the name can be interpreted as "peaceful river."
Yasukawa was not confined to any single region in Japan, but families with this surname were commonly found in rural areas where rivers played an essential role in agriculture and daily life. The presence of waterways was often a significant factor in the economic activities of these communities, providing fertile soil for rice paddies and other crops.
The name Yasukawa appears in various historical records, including family registries known as "koseki," which were systematically maintained from the 7th century onward. These registries often documented births, deaths, marriages, and other significant family events, helping to trace the lineage of surnames like Yasukawa.
One of the earliest known references to the name Yasukawa can be found in records from the Edo period (1603-1868), a time when Japan saw significant social and economic changes. An individual named Yasukawa Gorobei, born in 1692 and passing away in 1761, was a samurai and landowner known for his contributions to local community development. He played a pivotal role in constructing irrigation systems that benefited agriculture in his region.
Another noteworthy individual was Yasukawa Shigesaburo, born in 1833. He was a merchant who became influential during the Meiji era (1868-1912) due to his business dealings in silk and tea, commodities that were crucial to Japan's economy during the period of modernization and Westernization.
The Yasukawa family continued to produce notable individuals in subsequent generations. Yasukawa Rikichi was a poet and scholar in the Taisho era (1912-1926), known for his contributions to Japanese literature and his efforts to preserve traditional forms of poetry. His work remains studied by literary scholars to this day.
In the early 20th century, Yasukawa Toshio (1898-1965) was an engineer who made significant advancements in mechanical engineering and industrial technology. His innovations were particularly influential in the growth of Japan's manufacturing sector during the post-WWII economic boom.
Yasukawa Keiichi (1943-2008), a recent historical figure, was a cultural anthropologist whose research shed light on the intricate societal structures and traditions of rural Japanese communities. His studies have been pivotal in understanding the societal transformations in post-war Japan.
These individuals not only highlight the diverse fields in which members of the Yasukawa family have excelled but also reflect the evolving roles and contributions of this surname throughout Japanese history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yasukawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Yasukawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (10.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Yasukawa 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 Yasukawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander67.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 17
- Two or more races10.9% · 15
- White8.8% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yasukawa
Yasukawa 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 7,164 places
2020
#129,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 2,209 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,164 places |
| 2020 | #129,703 | 137 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 2,209 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 Yasukawa 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 | #127,494 | #129,703 | -1.7% |
| Count | 134 | 137 | 2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yasukawa bearers went from 134 to 137 (+2.2% change). The surname moved down 2,209 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #129,703.
FAQ
Yasukawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yasukawa?
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the surname Yasukawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,183,149 residents.
How common is Yasukawa?
Yasukawa ranks #129,703 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 137 people with the surname Yasukawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Yasukawa.
Has Yasukawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yasukawa went from 134 recorded bearers to 137. That is an increase of 3 (+2.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #129,703.
What does the Census say about the background of Yasukawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yasukawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%) and Two or More Races (10.9%). 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 Yasukawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yasukawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (67.2%), Hispanic (12.4%), Two or More Races (10.9%). 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 Yasukawa (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 Yasukawa mean?
A locational surname from a town or place in Japan named for its location near a swift river. 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 Yasukawa (0.05 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 Yasukawa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.