2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Murakawa
A Japanese surname derived from a placename meaning "village river".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Murakawa. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murakawa surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Murakawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murakawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and White (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murakawa
The surname MURAKAWA is of Japanese origin, with its roots tracing back to the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. The name is derived from the combination of two words: "mura" meaning village, and "kawa" meaning river or stream. This suggests that the name likely originated from a region or settlement located near a river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MURAKAWA can be found in the genealogical records of the Murakawa clan, a samurai family from the Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata Prefecture). The clan's lineage can be traced back to the 14th century, with notable members including Murakawa Kunisada, a skilled swordsman and military strategist who served the Uesugi clan during the Sengoku period (1467-1615).
In the late 16th century, the MURAKAWA name also appeared in the historical records of the Dewa Province (modern-day Yamagata Prefecture), where it was associated with a prominent farming community situated along the banks of the Mogami River. This region was known for its fertile lands and rice cultivation, suggesting that the MURAKAWA name may have originated from a family of influential landowners or agriculturists.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname MURAKAWA was Murakawa Yoshikazu (1556-1624), a renowned samurai and daimyo (feudal lord) who served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate. Murakawa Yoshikazu played a crucial role in the pacification of the Aizu region (modern-day Fukushima Prefecture) and was rewarded with a substantial fief for his loyalty and military prowess.
Another notable figure bearing the MURAKAWA name was Murakawa Genshin (1605-1673), a Buddhist monk and scholar who authored several influential treatises on Zen philosophy and meditation practices. Murakawa Genshin's writings were widely studied and revered within the Buddhist community of his time.
During the Edo period, the MURAKAWA name also gained prominence in the field of traditional Japanese art and culture. Murakawa Keizo (1742-1816) was a renowned lacquerware artist whose works were highly sought after by nobility and affluent patrons. His intricate lacquer designs and techniques were passed down through generations of MURAKAWA artisans.
In the late 19th century, the MURAKAWA name found its way into the literary world with the birth of Murakawa Toshikazu (1870-1941), a celebrated novelist and poet. Murakawa Toshikazu's works often explored themes of love, nature, and the complexities of human relationships, earning him a place among the most influential writers of the Meiji era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murakawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Murakawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and White (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Murakawa bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Murakawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.6% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 9
- White6.9% · 8
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murakawa
Murakawa appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+10 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 217 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-9 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,316 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 217 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 10,316 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Murakawa surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,712 | #145,028 | -7.7% |
| Count | 125 | 116 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murakawa bearers went from 125 to 116 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 10,316 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #145,028.
FAQ
Murakawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murakawa?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Murakawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Murakawa?
Murakawa ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Murakawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Murakawa.
Has Murakawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murakawa went from 125 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Murakawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murakawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and White (6.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Murakawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murakawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.6%), Hispanic (7.8%), White (6.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Murakawa (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Murakawa mean?
A Japanese surname derived from a placename meaning "village river". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Murakawa (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Murakawa?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Murakawa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.