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

Nakaoka, 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 Nakaoka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakaoka in America

Nakaoka is the 90495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakaoka surname appeared 204 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 Nakaoka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakaoka 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 Nakaoka

The surname NAKAOKA originated in Japan, with roots dating back to the 8th century AD. It is a locational name, derived from the place name "Nakaoka" which means "middle hill" or "central hill" in Japanese.

The earliest known records of the NAKAOKA surname appear in documents from the Heian period (794-1185 AD), where it was often used to identify individuals from the village or area of Nakaoka. During this time, Japan saw the rise of powerful clans and samurai families, some of whom may have adopted the name NAKAOKA.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the NAKAOKA surname was Nakaoka Shigen, a renowned Buddhist monk who lived in the 13th century and was known for his calligraphic works. Another notable figure was Nakaoka Tokuun (1544-1597), a prominent Zen Buddhist teacher and scholar during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

In the 16th century, the NAKAOKA name appears in records of the Sengoku period, when Japan was embroiled in a series of civil wars. Nakaoka Kazumasa (1546-1609) was a samurai and vassal of the powerful Tokugawa clan, playing a role in the battles that eventually led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the NAKAOKA surname continued to be associated with various domains and regions across Japan. One notable figure was Nakaoka Tetsutaro (1776-1841), a scholar and educator who helped establish one of the earliest modern schools in Japan.

In more recent history, Nakaoka Shintaro (1838-1867) was a prominent samurai and leader during the Bakumatsu period, fighting against the Tokugawa shogunate in support of the imperial cause. Nakaoka Isao (1909-1995) was a respected physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakaoka

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

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

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

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