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

Nakamura, 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 Nakamura surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakamura in America

Nakamura is the 4633rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakamura surname appeared 7,658 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Nakamura.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakamura 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 Nakamura

The surname Nakamura is of Japanese origin, dating back to the 8th century. It is derived from the Japanese words "naka" meaning "center" or "middle," and "mura" meaning "village" or "town." The name likely originated in the central regions of Japan, particularly around the area of present-day Aichi Prefecture.

The earliest recorded instances of the Nakamura name can be found in ancient family registries and local records from the Heian period (794-1185 AD). During this time, the name was often written using different kanji characters but with the same phonetic reading.

One notable early reference to the Nakamura name comes from the historical text "Azuma Kagami" (The Mirror of the East), a chronicle of the Kamakura shogunate compiled in the late 13th century. The text mentions several individuals with the surname Nakamura serving as samurai warriors and government officials.

In the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Nakamura family established itself as a prominent clan in the Owari Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture). The clan's ancestral home was located in the village of Nakamura, which likely contributed to the solidification of the surname.

One of the most famous historical figures with the Nakamura surname was Nakamura Naozumi (1553-1630), a renowned swordsman and martial artist who served as a retainer to the powerful Tokugawa clan during the Sengoku period.

Another notable Nakamura was Nakamura Utaemon I (1714-1791), the founder of the prestigious Nakamura-za theater in Edo (present-day Tokyo). He was a celebrated Kabuki actor and played a significant role in the development of Kabuki theater.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), the Nakamura surname was widely associated with the merchant class, particularly in the bustling cities of Edo and Osaka. Several wealthy Nakamura merchants and trade magnates emerged during this era, contributing to the economic and cultural growth of Japan.

Nakamura Masanao (1832-1891) was a prominent educator and calligrapher during the late Edo and early Meiji periods. He founded the Shogaku Yosoku (Elementary School) in Kyoto, which played a crucial role in promoting modern education in Japan.

Another noteworthy figure was Nakamura Kenkichi (1863-1952), a pioneering photographer who documented the rapid modernization of Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His extensive collection of photographs provides invaluable insights into the era's social and cultural transformations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakamura

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

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

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

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