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

Kanazawa, 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 Kanazawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanazawa in America

Kanazawa is the 79338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanazawa surname appeared 240 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 Kanazawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa

The surname Kanazawa has its origins in Japan. It is a locational name derived from the city of Kanazawa, located in the Ishikawa Prefecture on the Noto Peninsula. The name Kanazawa comes from the Japanese words "kana" meaning "marsh" or "inlet", and "zawa" meaning "swamp" or "small valley".

The earliest recorded use of the surname Kanazawa dates back to the late 16th century. During this time, the Maeda clan, one of the most powerful feudal lords of Japan, established their domain in Kanazawa. Many retainers and individuals associated with the Maeda clan adopted the surname Kanazawa.

One of the most notable individuals with the surname Kanazawa was Kanazawa Hisakazu (1568-1616), a samurai and retainer of the Maeda clan. He was instrumental in the construction of the Kanazawa Castle and the development of the city of Kanazawa.

Another prominent figure was Kanazawa Sadamura (1786-1859), a Japanese scholar and philosopher. He was a leading figure in the Rangaku (Dutch Learning) movement, which aimed to study Western sciences and philosophies during the Edo period.

In the field of ceramics, Kanazawa Shozui (1662-1711) was a renowned potter and founder of the Ohi-Yaki pottery tradition in Kanazawa. His works were highly prized and exhibited unique glazing techniques.

During the Edo period, the Kanazawa clan, a branch of the Maeda clan, ruled over the Kanazawa Domain. This clan produced several notable figures, such as Kanazawa Sadanaga (1593-1636), a skilled strategist and military commander.

In the realm of Japanese poetry, Kanazawa Shoko (1641-1693) was a renowned haiku poet and scholar. He was a student of the renowned poet Matsuo Basho and contributed significantly to the development of haiku as a literary form.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Kanazawa, which has its roots in the historic city of the same name in Japan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanazawa

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

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

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

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