2000
#11,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,449
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Nakagawa
A Japanese surname meaning "middle river" or "central river," referring to someone who lived near a river's midpoint.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,603 Americans carry the last name Nakagawa. That puts it at #12,942 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 131,677 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nakagawa 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
2.6K
1 in 131,677
Census rank
#12,942
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,270 bearers of the surname Nakagawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12942nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakagawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.6%) and White (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nakagawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakagawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.6%) and White (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nakagawa 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 Nakagawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.5% · 1,783
- Two or more races11.6% · 264
- White5.2% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 98
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nakagawa
Nakagawa 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
#12,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,431
-18 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 970 places
2020
#12,942
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,270
-161 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,726 | 2,449 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,696 | 2,431 | 0.82 | -18 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 970 places |
| 2020 | #12,942 | 2,270 | 0.76 | -161 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 246 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 Nakagawa 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 | #12,696 | #12,942 | -1.9% |
| Count | 2,431 | 2,270 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.76 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nakagawa bearers went from 2,431 to 2,270 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 246 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,696 to #12,942.
FAQ
Nakagawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nakagawa?
Name Census estimates that about 2,603 living Americans carry the surname Nakagawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 131,677 residents.
How common is Nakagawa?
Nakagawa ranks #12,942 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,270 people with the surname Nakagawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,603), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Nakagawa.
Has Nakagawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nakagawa went from 2,431 recorded bearers to 2,270. That is a decrease of 161 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,696 to #12,942.
What does the Census say about the background of Nakagawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakagawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.6%) and White (5.2%). 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 Nakagawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.5% (1,783 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nakagawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.5%), Two or More Races (11.6%), White (5.2%). 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 Nakagawa (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 Nakagawa mean?
A Japanese surname meaning "middle river" or "central river," referring to someone who lived near a river's midpoint. 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 Nakagawa (0.76 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 common is the surname Nakagawa?
You can see how common the surname Nakagawa is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.