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

Koga, 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 Koga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koga in America

Koga is the 22450th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koga surname appeared 1,146 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 Koga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koga 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 Koga

The surname KOGA traces its origins to Japan, with the earliest records dating back to the 8th century. It is believed to have derived from the word "koga," which means "small hill" or "small mountain" in Japanese. This suggests that the name may have originated from a geographic location or a place name associated with a small hill or mountain.

During the Heian period (794-1185 AD), the KOGA name appeared in various historical records and documents, indicating its presence among the noble and samurai classes of the time. One notable example is the "Kogokeizu," a genealogical record of the KOGA family lineage, which traces their ancestry back to the 9th century.

In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Koga Masanori (1135-1195) emerged as a skilled swordsman and military tactician. He served under the famous shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo and played a significant role in the Genpei War, which established the Kamakura Shogunate.

The KOGA name also has ties to the ninja tradition. During the Sengoku period (1467-1603), a group of skilled ninja warriors known as the "Koga-ryu" emerged from the Koga region of present-day Shiga Prefecture. They were renowned for their expertise in espionage, assassination, and guerilla warfare tactics.

Another notable figure was Koga Saburohei (1557-1624), a skilled engineer and architect who designed and constructed several impressive castles and fortifications during the Edo period (1603-1868). His most famous work is the reconstruction of the Nagoya Castle in 1612.

In more recent history, Koga Tatsushiro (1856-1935) was a prominent educator and advocate for modern education in Japan. He founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote the importance of education, particularly for women and underprivileged communities.

Over the centuries, the KOGA surname has maintained its presence and significance in various parts of Japan, with several notable individuals bearing this name and contributing to various fields, including warfare, architecture, education, and more.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koga

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

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

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

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