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

Ogasawara, 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 Ogasawara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ogasawara in America

Ogasawara is the 63218th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ogasawara surname appeared 316 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 Ogasawara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ogasawara 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 Ogasawara

The surname Ogasawara has its origins in Japan, with records dating back to the 8th century AD. It is believed to be derived from the Ogasawara Islands, a small archipelago situated in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo. The name itself is thought to be a combination of the Japanese words "oga," meaning "beach," and "sawara," referring to a type of fish.

One of the earliest documented references to the Ogasawara name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an imperial chronicle compiled in the early 9th century. This text mentions an individual named Ogasawara no Sadamitsu, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 AD).

Throughout the Kamakura (1185-1333 AD) and Muromachi (1336-1573 AD) periods, the Ogasawara clan played a significant role in the military and political spheres of Japan. Ogasawara Nagakiyo (1277-1350), a renowned samurai and military commander, is credited with establishing the Ogasawara family's reputation as skilled warriors.

During the Edo period (1603-1868 AD), the Ogasawara clan continued to hold influential positions within the Tokugawa shogunate. Ogasawara Sadayuki (1610-1677), a notable daimyo (feudal lord), governed the Kokura Domain in present-day Fukuoka Prefecture.

Another prominent figure bearing the Ogasawara surname was Ogasawara Nagatsune (1592-1673), a renowned poet and calligrapher who served as a high-ranking courtier during the early Edo period. His works, including the Ogasawara Hyakushu, a collection of 100 poems, are considered significant contributions to Japanese literature.

In more recent history, Ogasawara Naomi (1914-1999) was a Japanese author and translator who played a crucial role in introducing Western literature to Japanese readers. Her translations of works by authors such as Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield received widespread acclaim.

The Ogasawara surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Japan, including the Ogasawara Islands themselves, as well as the Ogasawara District in Kanagawa Prefecture and the Ogasawara Village in Miyagi Prefecture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ogasawara

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

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

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

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