Find out how popular the last name Fukunaga is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Fukunaga.

Fukunaga, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Fukunaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fukunaga in America

Fukunaga is the 35622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fukunaga surname appeared 631 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Fukunaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fukunaga to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Fukunaga

The surname Fukunaga originates from Japan and is believed to date back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "fuku" meaning "fortune" and "naga" meaning "long" or "lasting". Together, the name Fukunaga can be interpreted as "lasting fortune" or "enduring prosperity".

Fukunaga is a locational surname, meaning it was likely adopted by families residing in a particular area or village bearing that name. The earliest known references to the Fukunaga name can be found in historical records from the Kyushu region of Japan, specifically in areas around Fukuoka and Nagasaki prefectures.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Fukunaga surname is Fukunaga Masanori, a samurai who lived in the late 16th century. He served under the powerful Shimazu clan during the Sengoku period, a time of constant warfare and political upheaval in Japan.

Another notable Fukunaga was Fukunaga Munehiro, a 17th-century poet and calligrapher from Kyushu. His works were highly regarded during his lifetime, and some of his poems and calligraphic pieces are still preserved in museums and private collections.

In the 19th century, Fukunaga Tanomitsu was a prominent scholar and educator who played a significant role in modernizing Japan's educational system. He was instrumental in establishing several schools and universities, and his contributions were recognized by the imperial government.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Fukunaga Tokuichiro was a successful businessman who founded one of Japan's first modern trading companies. His company, Fukunaga Shokai, was involved in exporting Japanese goods to various countries around the world.

In more recent history, Fukunaga Takeshi is a renowned Japanese film director and screenwriter. Born in 1976, he is best known for his critically acclaimed films such as "Hana" (2006) and "Okuribito" (2008), the latter of which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Fukunaga surname continues to be prevalent in Japan, particularly in the southern regions of the country. However, due to migration and globalization, it can now be found in various parts of the world where Japanese communities have settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fukunaga

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Fukunaga.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Fukunaga was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Fukunaga has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Fukunaga was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Fukunaga, please contact us.

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