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

Iwanaga, 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 Iwanaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iwanaga in America

Iwanaga is the 65964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iwanaga surname appeared 300 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 Iwanaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iwanaga 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 Iwanaga

The surname IWANAGA is of Japanese origin, originating from the Edo period (1603-1867) in Japan. It is a combination of two words: "iwa" meaning rock or stone, and "naga" meaning long or lengthy. Together, the name IWANAGA can be interpreted as "long stone" or "long rock".

During the Edo period, surnames were commonly derived from geographic features or occupations. It is possible that the name IWANAGA was initially given to someone living near a long rock formation or a person whose occupation involved working with stones or rocks.

While there are no specific historical references to the name IWANAGA in ancient texts or manuscripts, it is believed to have originated in the Kanto region of Japan, particularly in the areas surrounding modern-day Tokyo.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name IWANAGA can be traced back to the 17th century. A samurai named Iwanaga Tomotada (1637-1704) served under the Tokugawa Shogunate and was known for his military prowess.

Another notable figure with the surname IWANAGA was Iwanaga Yakuro (1758-1841), a prominent scholar and philosopher during the late Edo period. He contributed significantly to the study of Confucianism and its impact on Japanese society.

In the field of arts, Iwanaga Masami (1888-1965) was a renowned Japanese painter who specialized in portraiture and landscapes. His works are considered important representations of the Nihonga style of painting.

During the Meiji Restoration period (1868-1912), Iwanaga Shizuko (1867-1942) was a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools and played a pivotal role in promoting education for women in Japan.

Another notable figure was Iwanaga Yukinari (1920-2003), a respected businessman and entrepreneur who founded the successful Iwanaga Corporation, which specialized in construction and real estate development.

The surname IWANAGA continues to be widespread throughout Japan, with many variations and regional spellings, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic history of the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iwanaga

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

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

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

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