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

Nakama, 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 Nakama surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakama in America

Nakama is the 35622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakama surname appeared 631 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 Nakama.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakama 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 Nakama

The surname Nakama has its origins in Japan. It is believed to have first appeared in the historical records during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE). The name is derived from the Japanese word "nakama," which means "companion" or "comrade." This suggests that the surname may have been given to individuals who were part of a close-knit group or community.

Nakama is a relatively common surname in Japan, particularly in the regions of Kanto and Kansai. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Kamakura-era documents known as the "Azuma Kagami" (Mirror of the East), which chronicles the events and people of that period.

In the 14th century, during the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), a samurai warrior named Nakama Takauji (1305-1358) rose to prominence. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Ashikaga Shogunate and is considered a significant figure in Japanese history.

Another notable person bearing the Nakama surname was Nakama Katsusuke (1553-1623), a skilled swordsman and martial artist who lived during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600 CE). He is credited with developing and refining the Shinden-ryu style of swordsmanship.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Nakama family established themselves as influential landowners and administrators in the Ise Province (present-day Mie Prefecture). One prominent member of this family was Nakama Gengo (1658-1723), who served as a regional governor and is remembered for his contributions to local governance and infrastructure development.

In more recent times, Nakama Mitsuru (1911-1987) was a renowned Japanese novelist and poet. His works, which often explored themes of identity and the human condition, earned him critical acclaim and several literary awards.

It is worth noting that the surname Nakama can also be found in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Japanese diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to Japan, where it has a rich historical significance dating back centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakama

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!