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

Nakagawa, 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 Nakagawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakagawa in America

Nakagawa is the 12696th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakagawa surname appeared 2,431 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Nakagawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakagawa 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 Nakagawa

The surname Nakagawa is a Japanese family name originating from the Edo period (1603-1868) in Japan. The name is derived from the Japanese words "naka" meaning "middle" and "gawa" meaning "river" or "stream," suggesting that the name may have originated from a place located between two rivers or streams.

Nakagawa is a relatively common surname in Japan, particularly in the regions of Kanto and Kansai. It is believed that the name first appeared in written records during the late 16th or early 17th century, although the exact date is uncertain.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nakagawa name can be found in the "Buke Kaden" (家传书), a collection of genealogical records of samurai families compiled during the Edo period. This document mentions several Nakagawa families who held prominent positions in various domains across Japan.

During the Edo period, the Nakagawa family played a significant role in the administration of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Nakagawa Hiromasa (1594-1657) was a prominent daimyo (feudal lord) who served as a senior retainer to the Tokugawa clan.

In the late 19th century, Nakagawa Nobuyuki (1836-1915) was a notable politician and diplomat who served as the first Japanese Minister to the United States from 1887 to 1892.

Another notable figure with the Nakagawa surname was Nakagawa Masao (1904-1983), a renowned Japanese architect who designed several iconic buildings in Tokyo, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Nakagawa Yoichi (1938-2017) was a celebrated Japanese long-distance runner who won the Boston Marathon in 1966 and 1967, setting a course record that stood for many years.

Nakagawa Naoko (1978-), a contemporary Japanese actress and model, has also brought recognition to the Nakagawa name through her successful career in the entertainment industry.

While the Nakagawa surname is primarily associated with Japan, there are instances of individuals with this name in other parts of the world, likely due to migration or cultural exchange. However, the historical roots of the name can be traced back to Japan, where it has been a prominent family name for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakagawa

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

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

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

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