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

Nakai, 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 Nakai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakai in America

Nakai is the 21633rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakai surname appeared 1,205 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 Nakai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakai 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 Nakai

The surname Nakai is of Japanese origin, with its roots dating back to the Heian period (794-1185 AD) in Japan. The name is believed to have originated from the Japanese word "naka," which means "middle" or "center," and the word "i," which can refer to a village or settlement. Consequently, the name Nakai may have initially referred to someone who lived in a central village or settlement.

In the early 12th century, the name Nakai appeared in the Shōyūki, a historical record written by Fujiwara no Michinaga, a prominent courtier of the Heian period. This early reference suggests that the Nakai surname was already in use during that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Nakai was Nakai Toshitsura (1516-1594), a renowned Japanese calligrapher and poet who lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His works are still highly regarded in Japan and have influenced generations of artists and calligraphers.

In the 17th century, Nakai Chikuzen no Kami (1639-1716) was a prominent Japanese daimyo (feudal lord) who served under the Tokugawa shogunate. He played a crucial role in the pacification of the Shimabara Rebellion, a major peasant uprising against the Tokugawa regime.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Nakai surname was associated with several prominent samurai families, including the Nakai clan of Fukuoka Domain. One notable figure from this clan was Nakai Motomasa (1713-1785), a skilled military strategist and administrator who served as the daimyo of Fukuoka Domain.

In more recent history, Nakai Masaki (1862-1937) was a Japanese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador to the United States in the early 20th century. He played a significant role in shaping Japan's foreign policy during the turbulent years leading up to World War II.

Another influential figure with the Nakai surname was Nakai Hiromu (1879-1929), a Japanese novelist and playwright known for his works exploring social issues and human psychology. His novel "The Patriot" (Kunizakura) is considered one of the masterpieces of modern Japanese literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakai

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

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

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

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