2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Egawa
A Japanese surname describing a river or watercourse.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Egawa. That puts it at #139,228 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Egawa 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.
Egawa appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#139,228
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Egawa in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139228th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Egawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Egawa
The surname EGAWA has its origins in Japan and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "ega," which means "branch," and "wa," meaning "circle" or "ring," suggesting a connection to the traditional art of Japanese calligraphy.
In the early 1600s, records show the name EGAWA appearing in the Edo region (now known as Tokyo), where it was associated with skilled calligraphers and artists who specialized in creating intricate circular designs. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was Egawa Tokuzen (1591-1673), a renowned calligrapher and painter who served the Tokugawa shogunate.
The EGAWA name also has roots in the ancient village of Egawa, located in the Yamanashi Prefecture, which was known for its skilled artisans and potters. In the late 17th century, the village produced several notable ceramic artists, including Egawa Kichizaemon (1657-1721), whose works were highly prized by the samurai class.
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the EGAWA surname gained prominence as several members of the family held influential positions within the shogunate bureaucracy. One such individual was Egawa Hidetatsu (1801-1855), a prominent scholar and advisor to the Tokugawa shoguns.
In the late 19th century, the EGAWA name began to spread beyond its traditional strongholds as Japan underwent rapid modernization. One notable figure from this era was Egawa Tango (1859-1920), a pioneering journalist and politician who advocated for democratic reforms and played a significant role in shaping Japan's constitutional monarchy.
Another prominent individual was Egawa Michiyoshi (1889-1966), an acclaimed author and playwright who helped popularize modern Japanese literature through his works, which often explored themes of social justice and cultural identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Egawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Egawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Egawa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Egawa surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.3%
- Two or more races8.3%
- Unknown or suppressed4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.2%
Timeline
Historical Census data for Egawa
Egawa appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,391 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,391 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
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Egawa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20002010
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #135,837 | #139,228 | -2.5% |
| Count | 114 | 120 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Egawa bearers went from 114 to 120 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 3,391 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,837 to #139,228.
FAQ
Egawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Egawa?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Egawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Egawa?
Egawa ranks #139,228 in the 2010 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 2010 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Egawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Egawa.
Has Egawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2000 and 2010, the surname Egawa went from 114 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 6 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,837 to #139,228.
What does the Census say about the background of Egawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Egawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%). These figures come from the 2010 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 Egawa in the 2010 Census, accounting for 83.3%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Egawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.3%), Two or More Races (8.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.2%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Egawa appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Egawa mean?
A Japanese surname describing a river or watercourse. 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 2010 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 Egawa (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 have the last name Egawa?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Egawa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.