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

Kawahara, 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 Kawahara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kawahara in America

Kawahara is the 32079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kawahara surname appeared 719 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 Kawahara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kawahara 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 Kawahara

The surname Kawahara is of Japanese origin and dates back several centuries. It is believed to have originated from a place name, as many Japanese surnames were derived from the names of villages, towns or regions where ancestors lived.

The name Kawahara roughly translates to "river field" or "riverside field" in Japanese. The word "kawa" means river, while "hara" refers to a field or plain. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have resided near a river or had ties to an area with fertile riverside lands suitable for agriculture.

Historical records show that the Kawahara name was present in various parts of Japan as early as the 15th century. Some of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in regional census documents and land ownership records from that era.

One notable early bearer of the Kawahara surname was Kawahara Masatoshi, a samurai warrior who lived in the late 16th century. He served under the powerful Tokugawa clan during the Sengoku period and participated in several battles.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Kawahara family gained prominence in the Kaga Domain (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture). Kawahara Shigeyuki, born in 1619, was a respected scholar and advisor to the Maeda clan, who ruled over the region.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kawahara name appeared in various regional records, including those of the Kaga Domain, as well as in the domains of Satsuma (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) and Sendai (present-day Miyagi Prefecture).

Another notable figure was Kawahara Hiroshi, a 19th-century scholar and educator from Satsuma Domain. He played a significant role in promoting Western learning and modernization during the late Edo and early Meiji periods.

In more recent history, Kawahara Misao (1901-1982) was a renowned Japanese artist and printmaker, known for her intricate woodblock prints depicting traditional Japanese scenes and landscapes.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the Kawahara surname throughout history, showcasing its deep roots and presence across various regions of Japan over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kawahara

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

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

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

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