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

Kawakami, 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 Kawakami surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kawakami in America

Kawakami is the 20985th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kawakami surname appeared 1,254 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 Kawakami.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kawakami 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 Kawakami

The surname KAWAKAMI originated from Japan, with records of its usage dating back to the 15th century. It is a combination of two Japanese words, "kawa" meaning river and "kami" meaning above or upper, suggesting that the name may have been given to families residing near the upper regions of a river.

The earliest known historical reference to the KAWAKAMI name can be found in the Edo period records of samurai families in the late 16th century. These records mention several KAWAKAMI clan members who served under influential daimyo (feudal lords) in various regions of Japan.

One notable figure was KAWAKAMI Gensui (1573-1629), a skilled samurai and military strategist who served under the renowned Tokugawa Ieyasu. KAWAKAMI played a crucial role in several decisive battles during the Sengoku period, and his strategic prowess was widely respected.

Another prominent individual was KAWAKAMI Fuyuko (1619-1682), a renowned poet and scholar of the Edo period. Her collection of waka poetry, titled "Kawakami-shu," is considered a significant literary work of that era.

In the 18th century, KAWAKAMI Yoshitsune (1712-1787) gained recognition as a master of the tea ceremony and calligraphy. He was highly regarded for his artistic contributions and his teachings, which influenced many subsequent generations of artists and calligraphers.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), KAWAKAMI Otojiro (1838-1912) was a prominent businessman and industrialist. He founded the Kawakami Spinning Company, one of the first modern textile factories in Japan, and played a pivotal role in the country's industrialization efforts.

Another notable figure was KAWAKAMI Hajime (1879-1946), a renowned writer and journalist who extensively covered the Russo-Japanese War. His firsthand accounts and literary works provided valuable insights into that era's historical events.

Throughout its history, the KAWAKAMI surname has been associated with various regions of Japan, particularly in the prefectures of Osaka, Hyogo, and Kagoshima, where many families bearing this name have resided for generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kawakami

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

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

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

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