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

Higashi, 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 Higashi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Higashi in America

Higashi is the 22404th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Higashi surname appeared 1,149 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 Higashi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Higashi 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 Higashi

The surname Higashi has its origins in Japan. It is derived from the Japanese word "higashi" which means "east". This name likely originated as a geographical designation for someone who lived in the eastern part of a town or village.

Historically, surnames in Japan were not widely adopted until the late 19th century. Prior to that, people were often referred to by their given name, occupation, or other descriptors. The surname Higashi would have emerged during the feudal period when surnames became more common among the samurai class and later adopted by commoners.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Higashi can be found in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) in historical records of samurai families. During this time, the Higashi family was prominent in the eastern regions of Japan, particularly in the Kanto area around modern-day Tokyo.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), there are records of a Higashi family who were prominent merchants in the city of Osaka. A notable member of this family was Higashi Jinsuke (1608-1677), a wealthy merchant and landowner who donated funds for the construction of temples and bridges in the area.

Another historically significant figure with the surname Higashi was Higashi Kunikazu (1821-1896), a samurai and military commander who played a role in the Boshin War during the Bakumatsu period. He later served as a government official in the early Meiji era.

In the late 19th century, the Higashi family had a presence in the town of Higashiomi (now part of Shiga Prefecture), which likely derived its name from the Higashi clan who had settled in the eastern part of the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Higashi include Higashi Motoharu (1589-1655), a Zen Buddhist monk and calligrapher during the Edo period, and Higashi Yuichi (1909-1995), a renowned Japanese philosopher and educator in the 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Higashi

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

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 Higashi 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 Higashi 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 Higashi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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