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

Hirasawa, 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 Hirasawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hirasawa in America

Hirasawa is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hirasawa surname appeared 111 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 Hirasawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hirasawa 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 Hirasawa

The surname Hirasawa has its roots in Japan, originating during the 8th century CE. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "hira," meaning "flat" or "level," and "sawa," meaning "marsh" or "swamp." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived in or near a flat, marshy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hirasawa can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the late 8th century. This text mentions a person named Hirasawa no Sukune, who held a prominent position in the imperial court.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Hirasawa clan was known to be a influential samurai family based in the Kanto region. Several members of this clan served as retainers to the Hojo regents, who ruled Japan during that time.

In the 14th century, a Buddhist monk named Hirasawa Shuncho (1296-1379) gained recognition for his calligraphic works and contributions to the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.

The name Hirasawa also appears in various historical documents from the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), including records of merchants, artisans, and scholars. One notable figure from this era was Hirasawa Kyokuzan (1666-1735), a renowned scholar and poet who served as a tutor to the shogunate.

Another prominent individual with the surname Hirasawa was Hirasawa Keishiro (1819-1900), a scholar and educator who played a significant role in the modernization of Japan during the Meiji era.

During the 20th century, Hirasawa Keiko (1914-1987) gained fame as a celebrated author and playwright, known for her works exploring the struggles of women in modern Japanese society.

It is worth noting that the name Hirasawa has also been associated with various place names in Japan, such as Hirasawa-mura (a village) and Hirasawa-go (a district), which may have influenced the origin and spread of the surname.

While the surname Hirasawa may not be among the most common in Japan today, it has a rich historical legacy spanning centuries and encompassing individuals from various walks of life, including samurai, monks, scholars, artists, and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hirasawa

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

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

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

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