Explore the Family Name Sakai
The meaning of Sakai
Japanese: mostly written phonetically 酒井 ‘rice wine (sake)’ and ‘well’. This family is descended from the Tokugawa family, and took its name from the village of Sakai in Izumi (now part of Ōsaka prefecture), though the name of the village is written 堺 ‘boundary’. Another possibility is 坂井 ‘well at the slope’. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Hiroshi, Shoko, Kazuo, Kenji, Tomoko, Toshio, Yoshio, Akio, Atsushi, Ayako, Chie, Fumiyo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sakai in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Sakai experienced a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, Sakai was ranked 12,373rd in terms of prevalence, with 2,303 individuals carrying this surname. However, by 2010, it had fallen to 13,334th place, with the count slightly declining to 2,287. This represents a drop of 7.77% in rank and a decrease of 0.69 in count. The proportion per 100k also saw a reduction from 0.85 to 0.78 during this decade, indicating a decrease of 8.24%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,373 | #13,334 | -7.77% |
| Count | 2,303 | 2,287 | -0.69% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.85 | 0.78 | -8.24% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sakai
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Sakai underwent some changes from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, the majority of the people with the Sakai surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander (81.20%), but this percentage decreased to 76.13% by 2010. On the other hand, there was an increase in those identifying with two or more races, from 6.82% to 9.49%, and those identifying as white, from 9.47% to 11.50%. Individuals identifying as Hispanic also increased from 1.95% to 2.67%. The Black population remained unchanged at 0.22%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native group did not register any count in 2010, reflecting the suppression of data for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 81.2% | 76.13% | -6.24% |
| White | 9.47% | 11.5% | 21.44% |
| Two or More Races | 6.82% | 9.49% | 39.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.95% | 2.67% | 36.92% |
| Black | 0.22% | 0.22% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0% | -100% |