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

Miyakawa, 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 Miyakawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Miyakawa in America

Miyakawa is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Miyakawa surname appeared 232 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 Miyakawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Miyakawa 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 Miyakawa

The surname Miyakawa is of Japanese origin, tracing its roots back several centuries. It is believed to have originated as a place name, referring to a specific area or region in Japan.

One of the earliest known references to the Miyakawa surname can be found in historical records from the late 16th century, where it appears in documents related to land ownership and taxation in the Shizuoka Prefecture of central Japan.

The name Miyakawa is composed of two kanji characters, "miya" (宮) meaning "shrine" or "palace," and "kawa" (川) meaning "river." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location near a river or waterway situated near a shrine or imperial palace.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), there are records of several prominent Miyakawa individuals, including Miyakawa Bungo (1612-1694), a renowned poet and scholar who served as a tutor to the shogunate. Another notable figure was Miyakawa Kōsetsu (1679-1763), a renowned painter and calligrapher who gained recognition for his ink wash paintings.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Miyakawa surname gained further prominence with individuals like Miyakawa Tōri (1861-1936), a influential businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the modernization of Japan's textile industry.

Another notable figure was Miyakawa Shurenao (1867-1948), a pioneering educator and philosopher who advocated for the integration of Western and Eastern educational philosophies.

In more recent times, the Miyakawa name has been associated with several notable figures, such as Miyakawa Kenji (1908-1991), a renowned physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.

It is worth noting that while the Miyakawa surname is relatively common in Japan, it is not among the most widespread or dominant family names in the country. Nonetheless, it has a rich history and has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, from literature and art to business and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Miyakawa

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

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

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

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