Explore the Family Name Ito
The meaning of Ito
Japanese (Itō): variously written; one of the ten most common Japanese surnames. The most usual rendering 伊藤 means ‘Fujiwara of Ise’ (Ise is now part of Mie prefecture). These Itō claim descent from Fujiwara no Hidesato (10th century), of the northern branch of the clan. Another prominent Itō family (whose name 伊東 means ‘eastern Izu’), one-tenth as numerous, takes its name from a district now part of Shizuoka prefecture. They too are of Fujiwara descent, through Sukechika (died 1181), a grandson of Kudō Ietsugu of the southern Fujiwara. Both Itō surnames are found in the Ryūkyū Islands. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Hiroshi, Takeshi, Takashi, Kenji, Koji, Isao, Kazuo, Shinichi, Yoshio, Hiroyuki, Tomoko, Yutaka.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ito in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Ito has seen a slight decline in popularity over the past decade. Ranked 6,998th in 2000, it slipped to the rank of 7,644 by 2010. This is a decrease of about 9.23%. In terms of the total count of people bearing the surname, there was only a minor decrease from 4,417 to 4,344, which is approximately a 1.65% drop. Similarly, the proportion of Americans with this name per 100,000 individuals also dropped slightly from 1.64 to 1.47, representing a decrease of 10.37%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,998 | #7,644 | -9.23% |
| Count | 4,417 | 4,344 | -1.65% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.64 | 1.47 | -10.37% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ito
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Ito, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that the majority of bearers identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, although this percentage did decrease slightly from 85.71% to 82.55% between 2000 and 2010. Interestingly, there were increases in the percentages of people identifying as having two or more races (from 5.16% to 6.77%), as White (from 5.86% to 6.51%), and as Hispanic (from 2.72% to 3.61%). The percentages of those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native, however, both fell to zero in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 85.71% | 82.55% | -3.69% |
| Two or More Races | 5.16% | 6.77% | 31.2% |
| White | 5.86% | 6.51% | 11.09% |
| Hispanic | 2.72% | 3.61% | 32.72% |
| Black | 0.41% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.14% | 0% | 0% |
Ito ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ito is Japanese, which comprises 69.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (6.1%) and Korean (5.9%). Additional ancestries include French & German, Eastern European, Chinese, Filipino & Austronesian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 69.7% |
| British & Irish | 6.1% |
| Korean | 5.9% |
| Other | 18.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Ito
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ito have recent ancestry locations in Japan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan | 65.10% |
| Okinawa Prefecture, Japan | 58.50% |
| Tokyo, Japan | 48.10% |
| Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan | 22.60% |
| Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan | 22.60% |
What Ito haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ito is O-CTS713, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-CTS713 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-P201 and O-F11, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Suzuki, Suh, Yamamoto, Tanaka, Ahn, Sato, Choi, Oh, Choe, Kobayashi.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ito surname are: M, H, D4. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Yayoi
Haplogroup O1b2a, a branch of haplogroup O, is closely related to several haplogroups that are commonly found in Japan. Haplogroup O is closely associated with Kyushu, Japan's third largest island, and makes up over half of all men in Japan. Although haplogroup O is prevalent in Japan, it likely only entered Japan during the Yayoi expansion about 2,300 years ago. During the Yayoi expansion, people entering from the Korean Peninsula brought wet rice agriculture, weaving technology, and metalworking technology to Japan. The Yayoi expansion began on the island of Kyushu, where haplogroup O is very common today. It is possible that some of the early members of O1-F3356 were involved in this major shift, which quickly and dramatically altered Japanese culture.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the Han
Members of haplogroup D are found in both northern and southern Han Chinese populations at low to moderate frequencies. The Han people, who all share the same language and similar cultural practices, are the largest ethnic group in the world, with about 1.2 billion people. Historical evidence shows that Han people are descendants of the ancient Huaxia tribes that come from northern China, and Han language and culture only expanded into southern China in the last 2,000 years. The spread of Han people and culture from northern to southern China was likely driven by warfare and famine in the north.
What do people with the surname Ito have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ito" Surname 34.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ito" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ito" Surname 12.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ito" Surname 13.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ito?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ito are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition