2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Yoshizaki
A Japanese surname possibly derived from a place name or referring to a good harvest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Yoshizaki. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Yoshizaki 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Yoshizaki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoshizaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Yoshizaki
The surname Yoshizaki originates from Japan, a country with a rich history of family names that often reflect geographical features or professions. Japanese surnames typically came into wider use during the Heian period (794-1185). Initially, they were mainly used by nobles and samurai, but over time, common people also adopted them for official records and identification purposes.
The name Yoshizaki is likely derived from two elements: "Yoshi," which can mean both "good" or "righteous," and "zaki" (also written as "saki"), which means "cape" or "promontory." These elements suggest that the original bearers of the name lived near a significant geographical feature, such as a coastal area with a cape.
The oldest records of the surname Yoshizaki appear in feudal Japan, with documented instances dating back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). During this time, surnames were often documented in family registers and feudal records. One of the earliest known instances is an entry from 1280, detailing a samurai named Yoshizaki Hiroshi who served under a regional lord.
In historical texts, the name often appears in the context of land ownership and military service. Yoshizaki Masamune, born in 1456 and died in 1523, was a known daimyo in the Sengoku period. He played a significant role in regional conflicts and was a vassal to the powerful Takeda clan.
The Yoshizaki name is also tied to a place called Yoshizaki in present-day Ishikawa Prefecture. The Yoshizaki-gobo, a well-known temple, was established there in 1471 by Rennyo, a prominent figure in the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. The name appears in various registers associated with the area, including temple records and local governance documents.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Yoshizaki name continued to be prominent. Notably, Yoshizaki Kanako, born in 1615 and died in 1682, was a courtesan and a poet who gained fame for her literary contributions. She was said to have entertained some of the most influential figures of her time and left behind a collection of poems that provide insight into the culture and society of the era.
Another significant figure is Yoshizaki Kiyoshi, a samurai born in 1754 and died in 1831, who was noted for his military tactics and later writings on bushido, the way of the warrior. His works contributed to the understanding of samurai ethics and have been referenced in various historical texts.
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), as Japan underwent modernization, Yoshizaki Haruto, born in 1861 and died in 1924, became known for his contributions to education reform. He was an educator and a reformer who played an essential role in shaping modern Japanese educational systems.
The surname Yoshizaki thus carries a long history, closely tied to Japan's geographical, religious, and socio-political landscape. Its bearers have left an indelible mark in various fields throughout Japanese history, from samurai traditions and military service to literature, education, and religious practices.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Yoshizaki
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoshizaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Yoshizaki 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 Yoshizaki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- White1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Yoshizaki
Yoshizaki 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,501 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,648 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,501 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,648 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 Yoshizaki 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 | #141,140 | #142,788 | -1.2% |
| Count | 118 | 119 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Yoshizaki bearers went from 118 to 119 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,648 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #142,788.
FAQ
Yoshizaki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Yoshizaki?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Yoshizaki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Yoshizaki?
Yoshizaki ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Yoshizaki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Yoshizaki.
Has Yoshizaki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Yoshizaki went from 118 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Yoshizaki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Yoshizaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Yoshizaki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Yoshizaki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.4%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Yoshizaki (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 Yoshizaki mean?
A Japanese surname possibly derived from a place name or referring to a good harvest. 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 Yoshizaki (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 are called Yoshizaki?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Yoshizaki on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.