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

Kawase, 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 Kawase surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kawase in America

Kawase is the 146201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kawase surname appeared 113 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 Kawase.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kawase 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 Kawase

The surname "KAWASE" originates from Japan, dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "kawa" (river) and "se" (a rapid or torrent), suggesting a connection to waterways or areas near swift-flowing rivers.

The name was initially found in the Kansai region of Japan, particularly in the areas around Kyoto and Osaka. Some of the earliest records of the name appear in local tax registers and land ownership documents from the Heian period (794-1185 AD).

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), there are mentions of a Kawase family that served as samurai warriors under the Hojo clan, one of the most powerful families of the time. The name is also found in several literary works from this era, such as the epic tale of the Heike Monogatari.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kawase was Kawase Nobuzane (1176-1242), a renowned poet and court official who served under the Kamakura shogunate. His son, Kawase Mitsutoki (1208-1286), was also a prominent figure, known for his contributions to the development of the Japanese tea ceremony.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Kawase family had a notable presence in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Kawase Hikoemon (1630-1704) was a successful merchant and philanthropist who established a clinic for the treatment of smallpox, which was a significant public health issue at the time.

Another famous bearer of the name was Kawase Masajiro (1834-1906), a renowned painter and printmaker who played a crucial role in the revival of traditional Japanese woodblock printing techniques during the Meiji period (1868-1912).

Throughout history, the Kawase surname has also been associated with various place names in Japan, such as Kawase-mura (Kawase village) in Hiroshima Prefecture and Kawase-cho (Kawase town) in Osaka Prefecture. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its potential origins related to rivers or waterways.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kawase

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

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

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

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