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

Hosokawa, 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 Hosokawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hosokawa in America

Hosokawa is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hosokawa surname appeared 219 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 Hosokawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hosokawa 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 Hosokawa

The surname Hosokawa originates from Japan, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the name of a place or region in the Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. The name Hosokawa translates to "narrow river" or "narrow valley" in Japanese.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the Hosokawa family rose to prominence as a influential samurai clan. They played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the region, often serving as vassals to the powerful Ashikaga Shogunate. One notable figure from this time was Hosokawa Yoriari (1332-1391), a skilled military strategist and administrator who served as the Kanrei (deputy shogun) under Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

In the 15th century, the Hosokawa clan continued to wield considerable influence, particularly under the leadership of Hosokawa Masamoto (1466-1507). He was instrumental in suppressing the Ouchi clan's rebellion and establishing the Hosokawa family's control over the Kumamoto region. His son, Hosokawa Sumimoto (1490-1349), further consolidated the family's power and constructed the impressive Kumamoto Castle, which became their primary stronghold.

The Hosokawa clan played a pivotal role in the Sengoku period (1467-1603), a turbulent era marked by constant warfare among powerful daimyo (feudal lords). One of the most celebrated figures of this time was Hosokawa Tadaoki (1563-1646), a skilled military commander who fought alongside the illustrious Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tadaoki's loyalty and valor were instrumental in the Tokugawa's victory at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which paved the way for the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Hosokawa family continued to hold prominent positions within the Tokugawa regime. Hosokawa Okitsugu (1637-1713) served as a daimyo and played a crucial role in the compilation of the Hosokawa Genealogy, a valuable historical record of the clan's lineage and achievements.

Throughout their long history, the Hosokawa surname has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including Hosokawa Moritatsu (1718-1788), a renowned scholar and author of the Edo period, and Hosokawa Morihiro (1938-2021), a prominent politician who served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1994 to 1996.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hosokawa

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

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

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

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