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

Kawashima, 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 Kawashima surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kawashima in America

Kawashima is the 44957th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kawashima surname appeared 477 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 Kawashima.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kawashima 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 Kawashima

The surname Kawashima is of Japanese origin, originating from the Edo period (1603-1868). It is believed to have originated from the area around the city of Kawashima, located in the Yamagata Prefecture in northern Japan. The name itself is a combination of the Japanese words "kawa," meaning river, and "shima," meaning island or peninsula, suggesting a connection to a location surrounded by rivers or water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kawashima surname can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle of the Kamakura period (1185-1333), which mentions a samurai warrior named Kawashima Masatsura (birth and death years unknown) who fought in the Genpei War. Another notable historical figure was Kawashima Shiro (1594-1675), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the early Edo period.

In the 18th century, the Kawashima family played a significant role in the development of the Shingon Buddhist sect in Japan. Kawashima Shinjo (1679-1741) was an influential Buddhist monk who established several temples and contributed to the promotion of Shingon Buddhism in the region.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Kawashima Norikata (1835-1888) was a prominent statesman and diplomat who served as the first Japanese ambassador to the United States. He played a crucial role in fostering diplomatic relations between Japan and Western nations.

In the realm of literature, Kawashima Masao (1912-1990) was a renowned novelist and essayist known for his works exploring the complexities of human relationships and the impact of modernity on Japanese society.

Throughout history, the Kawashima surname has been associated with various fields, including politics, religion, literature, and the arts, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who carry this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kawashima

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

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

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

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