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

Kawanishi, 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 Kawanishi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kawanishi in America

Kawanishi is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kawanishi surname appeared 102 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 Kawanishi.

The history of the last name Kawanishi

The surname Kawanishi has its origins in Japan, where it first appeared during the late 8th century CE. The name is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "kawa" meaning river and "nishi" meaning west, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname likely lived near a river located to the west of a certain area or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kawanishi name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle completed in 797 CE, which mentions a local government official with this surname. Several other historical documents from the Heian period (794-1185 CE) also reference individuals bearing the Kawanishi name, indicating its use among the ruling samurai class.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Kawanishi family emerged as a prominent clan of samurai warriors who held significant landholdings and wielded considerable influence in the western regions of Japan. Notably, Kawanishi Masatomo (1292-1368) was a renowned military commander who served under the Ashikaga shogunate and played a pivotal role in several key battles during the Nanboku-cho Wars.

In the later Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Kawanishi surname was particularly concentrated in the Ise and Mie provinces of central Japan. Historical records from this time mention several notable figures, including Kawanishi Sadakazu (1716-1792), a respected scholar and poet, and Kawanishi Gentaro (1825-1892), a pioneering industrialist who established one of Japan's first modern textile factories.

Other notable individuals with the Kawanishi surname include Kawanishi Masaru (1875-1946), a pioneering aircraft designer and engineer who founded the Kawanishi Aircraft Company, and Kawanishi Hideyo (1899-1965), a renowned painter and printmaker known for his vibrant depictions of traditional Japanese life and landscapes.

Throughout its long history, the Kawanishi surname has maintained a strong association with its geographic origins, reflecting the deep-rooted cultural and linguistic traditions of Japan. Despite its widespread use across various regions and social strata, the name has retained its distinct identity and continues to hold significance as a marker of familial heritage and regional affiliation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kawanishi

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

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 Kawanishi 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.

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

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

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