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

Nakazawa, 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 Nakazawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nakazawa in America

Nakazawa is the 65424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nakazawa surname appeared 303 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 Nakazawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nakazawa 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 Nakazawa

The surname Nakazawa originates from Japan, tracing its roots back to the late 7th century. It is believed to have originated from the combination of two Japanese words, "naka" meaning "middle" and "zawa" meaning "marsh" or "swamp." This suggests that the name likely referred to individuals who lived or worked in areas with marshlands or swampy terrains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Nakazawa can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an ancient Japanese chronicle from the 8th century. This text mentions a prominent individual named Nakazawa no Daijin, who held a high-ranking position during the Nara period (710-794 AD).

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the Nakazawa clan emerged as a notable samurai family in the Kanto region of eastern Japan. They were known for their military prowess and played a significant role in various conflicts and power struggles of the time.

In the 16th century, a renowned swordsmith named Nakazawa Munetsugu (1514-1587) gained fame for his exceptional craftsmanship. His blades were highly prized and sought after by samurai warriors throughout Japan.

Another notable figure with the Nakazawa surname was Nakazawa Kyu (1764-1838), a prominent scholar and Confucian philosopher during the Edo period. His writings and teachings had a profound impact on the intellectual landscape of his time.

In more recent history, Nakazawa Keiji (1939-2012) was a celebrated manga artist and writer, best known for his critically acclaimed work "Barefoot Gen," which depicted the horrific experiences of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. His powerful storytelling brought international attention to the tragic events and their lasting impact.

Throughout the centuries, the Nakazawa surname has been associated with various regions and place names across Japan, including Nakazawa-machi, a town in Gunma Prefecture, and Nakazawa-jinja, a Shinto shrine in Fukushima Prefecture.

While the surname Nakazawa has evolved over time, its origins as a topographic name reflecting the natural landscape and geographical features of Japan have remained a consistent thread throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nakazawa

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

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

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

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