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

Okawa, 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 Okawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Okawa in America

Okawa is the 59171st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Okawa surname appeared 342 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 Okawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Okawa 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 Okawa

The surname Okawa originates from Japan, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "oka," meaning "hill," and "wa," meaning "circle" or "ring." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person or family residing in a circular area surrounded by hills.

One of the earliest known references to the name Okawa can be found in a historical document from the Muromachi period (1336-1573), where it appears in relation to a samurai warrior. However, the precise details of this individual's life and accomplishments are obscured by the passage of time.

During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Okawa name gained prominence as a prominent samurai family from the Satsuma Domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) emerged. One notable figure from this family was Okawa Nagamoto (1768-1851), a renowned swordsman and martial arts instructor who trained many influential samurai of his time.

In the late 19th century, the Okawa surname gained international recognition through the accomplishments of Okawa Shumei (1825-1909), a pioneering Japanese entrepreneur and industrialist. He founded the Okawa Mining Company, which played a crucial role in the development of Japan's modern mining industry.

Another prominent figure bearing the Okawa surname was Okawa Keisuke (1833-1918), a influential statesman and diplomat who served as the Foreign Minister of Japan from 1888 to 1892. He played a significant role in shaping Japan's foreign policy during the Meiji era.

In more recent history, Okawa Katsuya (1892-1981) was a prominent Japanese novelist and playwright. His works, which often explored themes of modernization and cultural identity, earned him widespread acclaim and recognition, including the prestigious Imperial Prize for Literature in 1939.

While the Okawa surname is predominantly found in Japan, it has also been carried by individuals of Japanese descent living abroad, particularly in countries with significant Japanese diaspora communities, such as the United States, Canada, and Brazil.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Okawa

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

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

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

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