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

Nakatani, 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 Nakatani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakatani in America

Nakatani is the 37125th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakatani surname appeared 601 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 Nakatani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakatani 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 Nakatani

The surname Nakatani has its origins in Japan, tracing back to the Heian period (794-1185 AD). It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "naka," meaning "middle" or "center," and "tani," meaning "valley" or "ravine." This suggests that the name likely originated from a location or region where people settled in a centrally located valley.

One of the earliest documented references to the Nakatani name can be found in the "Shinsen Shōjiroku," a Japanese record of family lineages and genealogies compiled during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD). This record mentions several Nakatani families, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.

In the late Muromachi period (1336-1573 AD), a notable figure named Nakatani Masayuki (1496-1557) served as a samurai warrior and retainer to the powerful Tokugawa clan. His military exploits and loyalty to the Tokugawa are documented in various historical accounts from that era.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Nakatani name gained further prominence with the rise of Nakatani Michihiro (1620-1682), a renowned Confucian scholar and educator. His teachings and writings on Confucian philosophy had a significant impact on the intellectual landscape of Japan at the time.

Another prominent figure with the Nakatani surname was Nakatani Mitsugu (1731-1808), a skilled carpenter and architect who was responsible for the construction of several notable temples and shrines in the Kansai region of Japan during the late Edo period.

In more recent times, Nakatani Kōhei (1894-1968) was a respected politician and diplomat who served as the Japanese ambassador to the Soviet Union during the critical years leading up to World War II. His diplomatic efforts and insights into Soviet-Japanese relations are well-documented in historical records.

It is worth noting that the Nakatani name has also been associated with various place names throughout Japan, such as Nakatani-chō in Shizuoka Prefecture and Nakatani-mura in Gunma Prefecture, further highlighting the surname's deep-rooted connections to specific geographical locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakatani

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

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

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

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