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

Morikawa, 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 Morikawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Morikawa in America

Morikawa is the 32365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Morikawa surname appeared 711 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 Morikawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Morikawa 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 Morikawa

The surname Morikawa is of Japanese origin, derived from the combination of the words "mori" meaning forest or grove, and "kawa" meaning river or stream. This suggests that the name likely originated from a region near a forested river or stream in Japan.

The earliest recorded instances of the Morikawa surname can be traced back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE) in Japan. During this time, surnames were adopted by samurai families and influential clans to establish their lineage and heritage.

One of the earliest known references to the Morikawa name is found in the "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East), a historical chronicle of the Kamakura shogunate compiled in the 14th century. This text mentions a samurai warrior named Morikawa Nobukata who served under the Hojo clan, a powerful regency during the Kamakura period.

In the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), the Morikawa family emerged as a prominent clan in the Shinshu region (present-day Nagano Prefecture). They were known for their skilled swordsmanship and loyalty to the Takeda clan, a powerful feudal family in the region.

One notable figure from this era was Morikawa Kiyotsuna (1497-1568), a skilled samurai and retainer of Takeda Shingen, one of the most renowned daimyo (feudal lords) of the Sengoku period. Kiyotsuna played a crucial role in several battles and was highly respected for his military prowess.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Morikawa family continued to hold influential positions in various domains across Japan. One prominent individual was Morikawa Kyoriku (1656-1715), a renowned Confucian scholar and advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate.

Another notable figure was Morikawa Kusunoki (1798-1865), a distinguished samurai and military strategist who served the Aizu domain (present-day Fukushima Prefecture) during the late Edo period. He played a crucial role in the Boshin War, a conflict that marked the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration.

In more recent times, the Morikawa surname has been carried by several influential individuals in various fields, such as Morikawa Tomiyo (1919-1994), a renowned Japanese poet and literary critic, and Morikawa Hidetomo (1967-), a professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on the PGA Tour.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Morikawa

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

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

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

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