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

Kagawa, 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 Kagawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kagawa in America

Kagawa is the 43811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kagawa surname appeared 492 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 Kagawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kagawa 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 Kagawa

The surname Kagawa originates from Japan, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the name of the Kagawa Prefecture, one of the prefectures on the island of Shikoku. The name itself may have roots in the ancient Japanese language, but its precise etymology is uncertain.

In historical records, the Kagawa name can be traced back to the late 16th century, when the Kagawa clan played a significant role in the region. During the Sengoku period (1467-1615), the Kagawa family rose to prominence as samurai warriors and local lords, controlling lands in what is now the Kagawa Prefecture.

One of the earliest notable figures with the Kagawa surname was Kagawa Nobuyuki (1551-1587), a skilled military commander who served under the powerful daimyo (feudal lord) Mori Motonari. Kagawa Nobuyuki was known for his bravery and strategic acumen in various battles during the Sengoku period.

Another renowned individual with the Kagawa name was Kagawa Toyohiko (1888-1960), a Christian pacifist and social reformer. Born into a wealthy family in Kagawa Prefecture, he dedicated his life to improving the lives of the poor and advocating for social justice. Kagawa Toyohiko was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times and is widely respected for his humanitarian efforts.

In the literary world, Kagawa Shūichi (1888-1935) was a prominent Japanese novelist and poet. He is best known for his novel "Shonen" (1920), which explored the harsh realities of poverty and urban life in early 20th century Japan. Kagawa Shūichi's works were highly influential and helped shed light on the struggles of the working class.

Another notable figure with the Kagawa surname was Kagawa Kiyohiro (1893-1931), a Japanese painter and printmaker. He was a pioneer of the sosaku hanga (creative prints) movement, which emphasized the artistic expression of the printmaker rather than just reproducing works by other artists. Kagawa Kiyohiro's woodblock prints are widely appreciated for their bold compositions and innovative techniques.

Lastly, Kagawa Tatsuo (1927-2010) was a renowned Japanese baseball player and manager. He played for the Nankai Hawks (now Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) in the Nippon Professional Baseball league and later managed the team, leading them to several championships. Kagawa Tatsuo is considered one of the greatest players and managers in Japanese baseball history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kagawa

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

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

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

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