2000
#14,877
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,825
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Aoki
A Japanese surname meaning blue tree or green tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,066 Americans carry the last name Aoki. That puts it at #15,607 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 165,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aoki 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
2.1K
1 in 165,902
Census rank
#15,607
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,802 bearers of the surname Aoki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15607th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aoki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.9%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aoki
The surname Aoki originates from Japan and is a relatively common name in that country. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "aoi," meaning "blue" or "green," and the suffix "ki," which means "tree" or "wood." The earliest recorded appearance of the name Aoki dates back to the 15th century during the Muromachi period.
One of the earliest known records of the name Aoki can be found in the Taiheiki, a historical narrative detailing the events of the Nanbokucho period in Japan (1336-1392). This text mentions an individual named Aoki Moritatsu, who served as a samurai under the Ashikaga shogunate.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Aoki family was a prominent samurai clan based in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture). One notable figure from this period was Aoki Tanehira (1658-1714), a skilled swordsman and martial artist who developed his own style of swordsmanship called "Aoki-ryu."
In the late 19th century, Aoki Shuzo (1844-1914) was a prominent Japanese diplomat and politician who played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for several terms and was instrumental in establishing Japan's position on the international stage.
Another notable individual with the surname Aoki was Aoki Masaru (1887-1964), a Japanese philosopher and educator who was a leading figure in the Kyoto School of Philosophy. His works focused on the integration of Eastern and Western philosophical traditions and had a significant influence on modern Japanese thought.
In the realm of literature, Aoki Tama (1900-1980) was a renowned Japanese novelist and essayist who wrote extensively about the experiences of women in modern Japan. Her works, such as "The Cloth Cap" and "The Bamboo Sword," explored themes of gender, tradition, and social change.
While the surname Aoki is primarily associated with Japan, it has also been adopted by individuals of Japanese descent living in other parts of the world, such as the United States and Brazil, where there are significant Japanese diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aoki
Among Census respondents with the surname Aoki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.9%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Aoki 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 Aoki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander73.9% · 1,331
- Two or more races13.9% · 251
- White7.4% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 81
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aoki
Aoki 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
#15,833
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,838
+13 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 956 places
2020
#15,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,802
-36 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,877 | 1,825 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,833 | 1,838 | 0.62 | +13 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 956 places |
| 2020 | #15,607 | 1,802 | 0.60 | -36 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 226 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 Aoki 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 | #15,833 | #15,607 | 1.4% |
| Count | 1,838 | 1,802 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.62 | 0.60 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aoki bearers went from 1,838 to 1,802 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 226 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,833 to #15,607.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Aoki
FAQ
Aoki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aoki?
Name Census estimates that about 2,066 living Americans carry the surname Aoki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 165,902 residents.
How common is Aoki?
Aoki ranks #15,607 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,802 people with the surname Aoki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,066), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Aoki.
Has Aoki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aoki went from 1,838 recorded bearers to 1,802. That is a decrease of 36 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,833 to #15,607.
What does the Census say about the background of Aoki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aoki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (13.9%) and White (7.4%). 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 Aoki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (1,331 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aoki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (73.9%), Two or More Races (13.9%), White (7.4%). 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 Aoki (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 Aoki mean?
A Japanese surname meaning blue tree or green tree. 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 Aoki (0.60 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 share the surname Aoki?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.