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

Onaga, 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 Onaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Onaga in America

Onaga is the 58042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Onaga surname appeared 350 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 Onaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Onaga 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 Onaga

The surname Onaga has its roots in Japan, originating during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE). It is believed to have derived from the Japanese word "onaga," which means "long" or "elongated." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone with a tall or lanky stature.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Onaga surname can be found in the Kamakura Ibun, a collection of historical documents from the Kamakura period. In these records, there is a mention of an individual named Onaga Yukimasa, who served as a samurai warrior in the late 13th century.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), the Onaga family was known to have resided in the Kanto region of central Japan. Several members of the family were recorded as serving in various military and administrative roles under the shogunate.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Onaga surname gained prominence in the Satsuma Domain (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture). One notable figure from this time was Onaga Masanori (1684-1762), a scholar and poet who served as a retainer to the Shimazu clan.

Another prominent individual bearing the Onaga name was Onaga Gensui (1810-1891), a samurai and military strategist from the late Edo period. He played a vital role in the Boshin War, which led to the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate and the establishment of the Meiji government.

In more recent history, Onaga Masaru (1924-2016) was a notable politician from Okinawa Prefecture. He served as the governor of Okinawa from 1990 to 1998 and was known for his advocacy of Okinawan autonomy and his opposition to the presence of U.S. military bases on the island.

While the Onaga surname originated in Japan, it has since been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Japanese diaspora populations. However, the historical roots and significance of this surname can be traced back to its origins in the island nation of Japan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Onaga

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

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

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

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