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

Nagayama, 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 Nagayama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nagayama in America

Nagayama is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nagayama surname appeared 162 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 Nagayama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nagayama 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 Nagayama

The surname Nagayama originates from Japan and is believed to have emerged during the late 8th century CE. It is a combination of two Japanese words, "naga" meaning long or great, and "yama" meaning mountain. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or in the vicinity of a prominent or long mountain range.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nagayama name dates back to the early 12th century, where it appears in the Azuma Kagami, an imperial chronicle of the Kamakura period. The name is mentioned in reference to a samurai warrior named Nagayama Tokiyori, who served under the illustrious Minamoto clan during the Genpei War (1180-1185).

In the 14th century, the Nagayama name gained prominence in the Kanto region, particularly in the area around present-day Tokyo. Historical records from this period mention a Nagayama family that held significant landholdings and played a role in local governance under the Muromachi shogunate.

During the Sengoku period (15th-17th centuries), several Nagayama samurai rose to prominence, notably Nagayama Yoshitsugu (1555-1624), a skilled tactician and daimyo who served under the powerful Tokugawa clan. Yoshitsugu's exploits are documented in the Nanban Tsushinroku, a historical text that chronicles the encounters between Japan and European traders during the late 16th century.

Another notable figure bearing the Nagayama name was Nagayama Tomonori (1629-1701), a prominent Confucian scholar and poet of the Edo period. His literary works, including the Nagayama Ryusho and Nagayama Bunshuroku, provide insights into the intellectual and cultural landscape of 17th-century Japan.

In more recent times, the Nagayama surname has been associated with several accomplished individuals, such as Nagayama Norio (1949-), a renowned aikido master and founder of the Nishio Dojo, and Nagayama Yasushi (1935-2021), a celebrated film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to Japanese cinema.

Throughout its history, the Nagayama name has been closely tied to Japan's cultural and societal fabric, reflecting the country's rich heritage and the enduring influence of geographic features on naming traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nagayama

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

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

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

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