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

Hirokawa, 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 Hirokawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hirokawa in America

Hirokawa is the 88020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hirokawa surname appeared 211 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 Hirokawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hirokawa 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 Hirokawa

The surname Hirokawa is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back to the 8th century. It is a combination of two words: "hiro," meaning wide or vast, and "kawa," meaning river or stream. This name likely originated from a geographical location near a wide river or stream.

One of the earliest known references to the Hirokawa name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial historical record from the late 8th century. This text mentions a samurai warrior named Hirokawa no Yoshitsune, who served under the famous Minamoto clan during the Genpei War in the late 12th century.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), several prominent Hirokawa families emerged as influential landowners and military retainers in the eastern regions of Japan. One notable figure was Hirokawa Akira (1237-1305), a skilled swordsman and strategist who played a crucial role in the defense against the Mongol invasions.

In the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Hirokawa clan established themselves as lords of the Hirokawa Domain in present-day Fukushima Prefecture. This domain was centered around the town of Hirokawa, which likely took its name from the nearby Hirokawa River.

One of the most famous Hirokawa figures was Hirokawa Masayuki (1567-1624), a daimyo (feudal lord) who fought alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Sengoku period. Hirokawa Masayuki was known for his loyalty and bravery on the battlefield, and his descendants continued to serve as retainers of the Tokugawa shogunate.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Hirokawa family produced several distinguished scholars and artists. Hirokawa Takamori (1735-1808) was a renowned painter and calligrapher who gained recognition for his innovative techniques and unique style.

As the name spread throughout Japan, various branches and cadet lines of the Hirokawa family emerged, each with their own unique histories and contributions to Japanese society. Notable figures include Hirokawa Kiyoshi (1856-1924), a pioneering educator and founder of one of Japan's first modern schools, and Hirokawa Chieko (1888-1973), a celebrated novelist and feminist activist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hirokawa

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

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

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

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