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

Miyake, 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 Miyake surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Miyake in America

Miyake is the 25659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Miyake surname appeared 961 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 Miyake.

We can also compare 2010 data for Miyake 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 Miyake

The surname MIYAKE originated in Japan and has been in use since at least the 9th century AD. It is derived from the Japanese words "mi" meaning "beautiful" and "yake" meaning "burned area," suggesting the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a beautiful, previously burned area of land.

Records from the Kamakura period (1185-1333) show the name appearing in various regions of Japan, including the areas around modern-day Tokyo and Kyoto. Similar spellings like Miyakae and Miyagae were also in use during this time.

One of the earliest known references to the MIYAKE name is in the Azuma Kagami, a 14th-century text chronicling the history of the Kamakura shogunate. The text mentions a samurai named MIYAKE Akisada who served under the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo in the late 12th century.

In the 16th century, during the Sengoku period, a powerful daimyo (feudal lord) named MIYAKE Yasushige ruled over a domain in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture. He was known for his skill in battle and his loyalty to the Imagawa clan.

Another notable figure was MIYAKE Isamu (1884-1983), a renowned Japanese woodblock print artist who helped revive the traditional ukiyo-e style in the 20th century. His works are highly prized by collectors and museums around the world.

The MIYAKE surname is also associated with several place names in Japan, such as Miyake-jima, an island located in the Izu Islands chain south of Tokyo Bay. The island's name, which means "Beautiful Burned Area Island," likely shares a common origin with the surname.

Other prominent individuals with the MIYAKE surname include MIYAKE Riichi (1897-1996), a Japanese sculptor known for his avant-garde works, and MIYAKE Motoko (1901-1994), a pioneering female architect who designed several notable buildings in Tokyo during the mid-20th century.

While the MIYAKE name has a long history in Japan, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the beautiful, burned areas of medieval Japan, where the name first gained prominence and meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Miyake

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

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

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

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