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

Nakanishi, 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 Nakanishi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakanishi in America

Nakanishi is the 28176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakanishi surname appeared 849 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 Nakanishi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakanishi 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 Nakanishi

The surname Nakanishi originated in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). It is derived from the Japanese words "naka," meaning middle or center, and "nishi," meaning west. The name likely referred to someone who lived in the central-western region of a particular area or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Nakanishi name can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle of the Kamakura shogunate, which mentions a samurai named Nakanishi Mitsuyuki who served under the prominent Minamoto clan in the late 12th century.

During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), the Nakanishi family played a significant role in the development of the tea ceremony, with notable figures such as Nakanishi Genkyu (1482–1550), a renowned tea master and calligrapher.

In the Edo period (1603–1867), the Nakanishi clan gained prominence as influential daimyo (feudal lords) in various regions of Japan. One notable member was Nakanishi Masayuki (1635–1714), a respected scholar and advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate.

The name Nakanishi has also been associated with several historical place names, such as Nakanishi-mura (Nakanishi Village) in the former Echizen Province (present-day Fukui Prefecture) and Nakanishi-jima (Nakanishi Island) in the Seto Inland Sea.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the Nakanishi surname:

1. Nakanishi Kinnosuke (1832–1913), a prominent educator and founder of the Shizuoka Gakuen school.
2. Nakanishi Inosuke (1853–1924), a pioneering Japanese diplomat and ambassador to Germany.
3. Nakanishi Akiko (1885–1963), a renowned author and poet known for her works exploring feminist themes.
4. Nakanishi Yasumitsu (1924–1980), a celebrated Japanese potter and Living National Treasure.
5. Nakanishi Shōko (born 1971), a popular enka singer and actress with a successful career spanning several decades.

While the Nakanishi name has endured throughout Japanese history, its origins can be traced back to the Kamakura period, reflecting the geographical and cultural significance of central-western regions in the country's early development.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakanishi

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

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

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

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