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

Nagao, 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 Nagao surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nagao in America

Nagao is the 40432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nagao surname appeared 541 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 Nagao.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nagao 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 Nagao

The surname Nagao is a Japanese name that originated in the late 15th century to early 16th century. It is believed to derive from the Japanese word "naga" meaning long and "o" meaning tail or stream, possibly referring to a long stream or river. The name is associated with the Ishikawa Prefecture region of central Honshu Island.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Nagao name dates back to the Sengoku period (1467-1615). A powerful samurai clan known as the Nagao clan controlled lands in the Echigo Province (modern-day Niigata Prefecture). The head of this clan, Nagao Kageharu, lived from 1429 to 1487 and was a skilled military strategist.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure named Nagao Tamekage served as a retainer to the powerful warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Nagao Tamekage played a vital role in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which solidified Tokugawa's control over Japan and marked the beginning of the Edo period.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Nagao surname was associated with various samurai families and regional lords. One prominent individual was Nagao Haruchika, a samurai and daimyo (feudal lord) who lived from 1670 to 1737. He governed the Echigo-Takata Domain (present-day Toyama Prefecture) and was known for his skilled leadership and promotion of education.

Another historical figure with the Nagao surname was Nagao Masatora, a scholar and poet who lived from 1797 to 1873. He was active during the late Edo period and played a role in the intellectual and literary circles of his time.

In more recent history, Nagao Teiyu (1836-1888) was a notable samurai and military leader who fought in the Boshin War (1868-1869), which marked the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration.

While the Nagao surname has roots in central Japan, it has since spread to other parts of the country and can be found among families from various regions. The name continues to be a prominent Japanese surname today, reflecting its long and storied history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nagao

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

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

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

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