Short Answer
Scope and source
This list presents the 29 most common Japanese surnames according to the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance national surname survey conducted in August 2008. The survey covered 6.118 million policyholders and was scaled to Japan’s estimated 127.06 million population. The surnames are ordered by their survey‑derived rank and include the estimated number of people bearing each name and the literal meaning of the kanji that form it. The data are unpublished in a census; they reflect the survey’s methodology and are intended as a snapshot of surname frequency at that time.
How to read the figures
In the table below, Count denotes the estimated number of people bearing the surname, as derived from the survey. The Dataset rank is the position of the surname in the survey’s ordered list. The ranks are based on the survey’s scaling procedure and are not derived from an official census count. The figures are estimates and should not be treated as exact counts.
Top 29 Japanese surnames
| Rank | Surname | Kanji | Estimated people | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satō | 佐藤 | 1,990,000 | help, wisteria |
| 2 | Suzuki | 鈴木 | 1,900,000 | small bell, tree |
| 3 | Takahashi | 高橋 | 1,470,000 | tall bridge |
| 4 | Tanaka | 田中 | 1,340,000 | in the middle of the rice field |
| 5 | Watanabe | 渡辺 | 1,200,000 | near the crossing |
| 6 | Itō | 伊藤 | 1,150,000 | 伊, wisteria |
| 7 | Nakamura | 中村 | 1,080,000 | middle village |
| 8 | Kobayashi | 小林 | 1,060,000 | small grove |
| 9 | Yamamoto | 山本 | 1,020,000 | foot of the mountain |
| 10 | Katō | 加藤 | 920,000 | add, wisteria |
| 11 | Yoshida | 吉田 | 850,000 | lucky rice field |
| 12 | Yamada | 山田 | 820,000 | mountain rice field |
| 13 | Sasaki | 佐々木 | 710,000 | help, (repeat mark), tree |
| 14 | Yamaguchi | 山口 | 640,000 | mouth of the mountain |
| 15 | Matsumoto | 松本 | 630,000 | foot of the pine |
| 16 | Inoue | 井上 | 600,000 | above the well |
| 17 | Kimura | 木村 | 580,000 | tree village |
| 18 | Shimizu | 清水 | 560,000 | pure water |
| 19 | Hayashi | 林 | 550,000 | grove |
| 20 | Saitō | 斉藤 | 530,000 | equal, wisteria |
| 21 | Saitō | 斎藤 | 520,000 | purification, wisteria |
| 22 | Yamazaki | 山崎 | 490,000 | mountain cape |
| 23 | Nakajima | 中島 | 480,000 | middle island |
| 24 | Mori | 森 | 470,000 | forest |
| 25 | Abe | 阿部 | 470,000 | corner, group |
| 26 | Ikeda | 池田 | 450,000 | pond rice field |
| 27 | Hashimoto | 橋本 | 450,000 | foot of the bridge |
| 28 | Ishikawa | 石川 | 440,000 | stone river |
| 29 | Yamashita | 山下 | 410,000 | mountain below |
Dataset and selection limitations
The survey was conducted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance and covers only policyholders who had purchased life insurance at the time of the survey. The numbers were scaled to the national population, so they are estimates rather than direct counts. The list includes the top 29 surnames for which the survey provided data; the total number of surnames in Japan is estimated to be between 100,000 and 300,000, but most are far less common than those listed here.
Explore the surnames and begin research
Each surname in the table has a dedicated profile page on this site where you can find additional information such as regional distribution, historical usage, and variant spellings. Use the surname’s page to verify spelling variants in records, compare regional frequencies, and locate genealogical resources.
Source and editorial status
Editorial review pending. The article is based on the 2008 Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance survey as reported in the Japanese Rituals guide published September 23, 2026.
FAQ
How were the estimated population counts derived?
The counts were extrapolated from a survey of 6.118 million life‑insurance policyholders and scaled to Japan’s estimated 127.06 million population in 2008, as reported by the survey’s methodology.
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